UK-based cross-border payments company, formerly known as Leatherback, has rebranded as Foren. The change comes just months after Nigeria’s Zedcrest Group completed its full acquisition of the business in July 2026. For African entrepreneurs, traders, exporters, and companies that regularly send or receive money across borders, this development matters. It shows how local capital and institutional backing can reshape a platform that many already use for international transactions.
Company leaders describe the rebrand as the final step in a careful two-year rebuilding process. During that time the business overhauled its technology, strengthened its compliance and regulatory systems, improved day-to-day operations and shifted its main focus toward serving companies rather than everyday individual users. By the time the work was finished, the old name no longer fitted what the company had become.
A Two-Year Journey of Quiet Rebuild
The transformation began well before the acquisition. In October 2024 the founder and chief executive stepped aside. A new management team was put in place during 2025, with Ochebhoya Ekpete, a seasoned executive with experience in African payments, taking the top role. Under this leadership, the company stopped concentrating mainly on consumer remittances and turned its attention to the needs of businesses that operate in more than one country.
Engineers rebuilt the core technology that customers rarely see but depend on every day. Compliance and risk teams were expanded so the platform could meet stricter rules in the markets it serves. Governance was tightened. Only after these foundations were solid did the company decide the time was right to change its public identity. As the new chief executive put it, changing the name earlier would have been an empty promise. Now the name Foren reflects real, working improvements.
What Zedcrest Brings to the Table
Zedcrest Group is a Lagos-based financial services organisation with interests in investment banking, asset management, securities and fintech. It first backed Leatherback several years earlier, leading a significant early funding round. Completing the full acquisition in July 2026 gave the payments business stronger capital, deeper institutional support and access to wider expertise in finance, legal matters and governance.
For African readers, this part of the story is especially important. A Nigerian group now owns and guides a UK-licensed payments platform that holds authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority and operates in several markets. The combination links local understanding of African business realities with international regulatory standing and technology. Customers keep the same accounts and balances. No action is required from them as the company moves everyone onto the new Foren applications. Fees and exchange rates remain unchanged for now, and any future adjustments will be announced in advance.
What Foren Offers Businesses
Foren positions itself as a single platform for companies that need to manage money across borders. Businesses can open and run global accounts in different currencies, collect payments from overseas customers, pay suppliers in other countries, convert currencies and handle treasury tasks from one place. The focus is on dependability and smoother operations for firms that trade internationally, receive foreign income or pay partners abroad.
Many African companies face exactly these challenges every day. Exporters waiting for payment from Europe or North America, importers settling invoices in foreign currency, and growing businesses expanding into new markets all stand to benefit from tools that reduce friction and give clearer visibility of their funds. The platform aims to make these movements more straightforward and reliable.
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A Better Deal Under the Foren Brand
The rebrand arrives at a time when cross-border payments across Africa continue to grow in volume and importance. Trade within the continent and with the rest of the world keeps expanding, yet moving money still involves delays, high costs and complicated processes for many firms. A platform backed by a Nigerian institution and built with stronger technology and compliance can help close some of those gaps.
Existing users of the former Leatherback service will notice the new name and updated applications, but their money and access remain the same. New businesses looking for a unified way to handle international collections, payouts and multi-currency management now have a clearer option under the Foren brand.
