In a moment that will be remembered as a turning point for African technology, a Nigerian fintech startup called Nearpays achieved something no other African startup had done before. Nearpays won the grand finale of the United Nations’ AI for Good Innovation Factory, a global competition that brings together the best artificial intelligence startups from around the world. This victory marks the first time an African company has claimed this prestigious global title, and it sends a clear message that African innovation can compete and win on the world stage.
The competition was organised as part of the United Nations’ AI for Good Global Summit, which is run by the International Telecommunication Union, or ITU, in partnership with several other UN agencies. The summit brings together governments, researchers, technology companies and startups to explore how artificial intelligence can be used to solve real-world problems and improve people’s lives. This year’s summit took place from 7 to 10 July 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland.
A Competition of Global Scale
The AI for Good Innovation Factory is no small contest. It is a year-long competition that attracts startups from all corners of the globe, all of them building artificial intelligence solutions to tackle pressing social and economic challenges. This year, more than 500 startups applied to take part. Over the course of roughly 14 months, the field was narrowed down through multiple stages until only a handful of the best remained.
Nearpays first earned its place by winning the African regional round, which was held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. Competing against the best startups from across the continent, Nearpays came out on top with its innovative payment technology and won the right to represent Africa at the global finals. From there, the company advanced through the global semi-finals in Geneva before securing the overall title.
The grand finale took place on the main stage of the AI for Good Global Summit at Palexpo in Geneva. Three finalists made their final pitches before a jury of world-renowned experts. Nearpays competed alongside Doto Health, a startup focused on maternal health monitoring, and Nemocare, which works on early detection of sepsis in newborns. When the judges made their decision, Nearpays emerged as the winner.
What Makes Nearpays Stand Out?
What made Nearpays stand out among more than 500 competitors was not just clever technology, but a solution that addresses a very real problem faced by millions of small businesses across Africa. For many merchants, accepting card payments means buying expensive point-of-sale terminals that they simply cannot afford. As a result, many small businesses and informal traders are locked out of the digital economy and forced to rely only on cash.
Nearpays developed an artificial intelligence-powered platform that removes this barrier. Its flagship product, called SoftPOS, transforms compatible Android smartphones into payment acceptance devices. A merchant simply downloads an app, and the smartphone they already carry becomes a payment terminal. There is no new hardware to buy or maintain. This means that even a small trader in a busy market or a merchant in a rural community can now accept contactless card payments using only their mobile phone.
But Nearpays does much more than just process payments. Artificial intelligence sits underneath the surface, handling payment operations, detecting fraud, ensuring regulatory compliance and providing business insights that would otherwise require separate accounting tools. The platform also helps business owners with tax filing by automating the process.
Built and Designed Specifically for African Markets
One of the most important features of Nearpays’ platform is that it was designed specifically for African market conditions. Unlike many digital payment solutions that depend on stable internet connections, Nearpays can operate both online and offline. This means merchants can continue accepting payments even when internet connectivity is weak or unavailable, which is a common reality across many parts of Africa. This offline capability helps more businesses participate in the formal financial system, even in areas where network infrastructure is still developing.
The company has also integrated an AI-driven credit layer that analyses transaction patterns to generate digital trust scores. When a business digitises its transactions, it begins to generate transparent financial records. Over time, those records can become the basis for credit decisions, opening doors to loans, insurance and broader participation in the economy. A trader who once dealt only in cash and left no financial records can now build a clear digital history of their business.
A Victory for African Innovation
Nearpays’ journey to the global title was built on years of hard work. The company credited its achievement to resilience, continuous learning, determination and an unwavering belief in a shared vision. Each stage of the competition reflected years of product development, customer engagement and the dedication of a team focused on solving payment challenges faced by businesses across Africa.
Speaking after the company’s victory in Johannesburg, Nearpays’ Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Victor Daniyan, said that Africa’s problems require African solutions. He described the win as not just for Nearpays, but for every young African innovator proving that global-standard technology can be built at home. The company itself described the recognition as a victory for African innovation and a powerful statement that world-class technology solving local challenges can compete and win on the global stage.
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A Surprise from the Stage
The grand finale held one more surprise. Global music star, entrepreneur and technologist will.i.am, who joined the judging panel as a guest judge, closed the ceremony with an unexpected announcement. He said he would personally match the competition’s cash prize out of his own pocket for each of the three finalists. The competition carried a cash prize of $20,000. With will. i.am’s matching contribution, Nearpays walked away with $40,000 in total winnings. The other two finalists, Doto Health and Nemocare, each received a matching prize of their own.
The Essence and Significance of This Feat For African Tech
This victory is significant for many reasons. For the first time, an African startup has claimed the top honour in a global United Nations competition focused on artificial intelligence. It signals that African technology companies are increasingly moving from being users of innovation to creators of globally recognised solutions. African-built AI solutions are no longer competing only within the continent; they are beginning to set global benchmarks.
The win also highlights a broader trend among African technology companies. Rather than adapting solutions originally built for developed markets, many African innovators are now designing products around local infrastructure challenges. This practical approach helps them carve out a competitive niche by solving problems unique to emerging markets. Across the continent, startups are applying AI to sectors such as financial services, healthcare, agriculture and education, focusing less on building large language models and more on solving real problems.
For Nearpays, the global recognition is expected to strengthen its efforts to expand digital financial infrastructure across Africa. The company hopes the recognition will encourage more founders across the continent to develop technology that addresses local needs while competing internationally. The achievement also reinforces Nigeria’s growing reputation as one of Africa’s leading centres for fintech innovation.
An Heartfelt Appreciation to the United Nations (UN)
Nearpays expressed appreciation to the United Nations, the International Telecommunication Union and the AI for Good initiative for creating a platform that enables innovators to use artificial intelligence to solve real-world problems. The company described the global title as the end of one journey and the beginning of another as it continues to expand access to digital financial infrastructure across Africa.
For millions of small businesses across the continent that have long been excluded from the digital economy, Nearpays’ victory offers more than just inspiration. It offers a practical path forward. By turning ordinary smartphones into payment terminals, by enabling offline transactions and by helping merchants build financial records that can unlock credit, Nearpays is using technology to bring financial inclusion to the people traditional systems have long left behind. And now, with the recognition of the United Nations and the global technology community, the company is well positioned to take that mission even further.
