MENA TechUAE fintech enza raises $6 million in Seed+ round led by 4DX Ventures
Payments infrastructure provider enza has raised $6 million in a funding round led by 4DX Ventures to expand its network across Africa.
MENA TechIn brief: Abu Dhabi payments infrastructure provider enza raised $6 million in November 2026 to expand across Africa. 4DX Ventures led the Seed+ round, backed by new investor British International Investment alongside returning Quona Capital and Algebra Ventures, which previously co-led the company's $6.75 million seed round in March 2025.
Payments infrastructure provider enza raised $6 million in November 2026 to expand across Africa, closing a Seed+ round led by 4DX Ventures. British International Investment (BII), the UK development finance institution, joined as a new backer. Returning investors Quona Capital and Algebra Ventures also increased their commitments, having co-led the company's $6.75 million seed round in March 2025.
Investor backing and founder track record
Former Network International executives Hany Fekry and Hamish Houston founded enza in 2022 and opened for business in 2023. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the startup runs regional offices in Egypt, South Africa, Ghana and Nigeria. Existing backers committed further capital after monitoring operations since the 2025 seed round, while BII invested after concluding ESG due diligence.
“Since our launch, we have been building the payments infrastructure partner African banks and fintechs have been missing,” said Hany Fekry, group chief executive officer of enza. “Our existing investors have seen us deliver, and they have put more capital behind us to accelerate our growth. To have leading fintech investors and a development finance institution of BII’s standing back that, after looking hard at what we do, is a powerful endorsement. For our clients, it means a partner with the resources and stability to keep investing in their payment capabilities.”
Daniel Marlo, managing partner at 4DX Ventures, said the firm backed enza because its founders solve a critical market gap with proven operational experience. Fekry and Houston previously helped build a payment processor that served banks across more than 40 African markets. When one of the region's largest payments companies acquired that business, both founders took charge of its processing and regional operations. That track record earned the team trust from banks, schemes and regulators across Africa, Marlo said.
Chirantan Patnaik, head of disruptive ventures at BII, said enza gives financial institutions modern infrastructure that cuts expenses, expands payment choices and widens access to affordable banking across developing economies. “Our investment in enza reflects our focus on inclusive finance and supporting SMEs by tackling a major barrier: the high cost and complexity of digital payments infrastructure,” Patnaik said.
Regional payment rails and commercial growth
African payments have moved beyond cards into omnichannel services, Marlo said, yet bank infrastructure has lagged behind. Lenders historically faced few alternatives and remained tied to legacy providers because changing systems carries high costs and strict regulatory scrutiny. A single integration with enza allows financial institutions to modernize systems, trim operating expenses and launch new payment products faster. Banks also maintain full control over merchant ties, customer relationships and data.
The platform handles payment acceptance, transaction processing and fraud detection, linking banks to card schemes, real-time settlement rails, mobile wallets and QR codes. Integrations include global card networks Visa and Mastercard as well as domestic schemes such as Nigeria's Verve, Egypt's Meeza and South Africa's AfriGo. Enza also links directly to national real-time payment networks, including Nigeria's NIBSS, South Africa's PayShap and Egypt's InstaPay.
Enza currently serves banks and fintechs across 12 African countries, billing lenders on a per-transaction basis. Contracted monthly transaction volumes have expanded by 35% to 40% month on month. In September 2026, the company began commercial operations in Ghana after securing a Payment Service Provider Enhanced licence from the Bank of Ghana.
What happens next
Enza will deploy the $6 million investment to enter additional African markets where digitizing payments matches national priorities. The company plans to secure new regulatory licences to supply compliant infrastructure to local banks and fintechs. It will direct funds toward developing its payment technology and broadening its product suite.
Sources: Wamda, Disrupt Africa, Africa Private Equity News, The Paypers
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