FinTech Magazine - July 2021 | Page 13

2 UNITED KINGDOM

Two ex-Wise employees launch investment fintech Lightyear
Martin Sokk and Mihkel Aamer , both former employees of Wise , have started a new London-based venture . Lightyear has been conceived as a no fee , easy access , and multicurrency investment platform . Drawing plenty of high-profile capital during its seed round , the company hopes to rival US pioneers like Robinhood .

5 NIGERIA

OPay to become Africa ’ s next unicorn ?
Backed by Chinese software firm Opera , OPay is a Lagosbased fintech seeking to enhance financial inclusion in Africa . Having successfully expanded to Egypt in January 2021 , the company is now in talks to secure significant capital to drive even further growth .

4 EU

EU intends to provide every citizen with a digital wallet
An ambitious plan devised by the EU will see an enormous roll out of digital payment infrastructure across the union . This is being developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic , which underscored the necessity for greater access to digital finance and alternative payments . fintechmagazine . com 13