We are so excited to announce that AZA has named among the 10 Most Innovative Finance Companies by Fast Company.
The list honors businesses that have not only found a way to be resilient in the past year but also turned those challenges into impact-making processes. These companies did more than survive, they thrived — making an impact on their industries and culture as a whole, says Fast Company.
AZA has disrupted the expensive and timely process of transactions in developing countries going via the US dollar by creating a direct market for currency pairs across Africa and beyond, using our innovative BFX and TransferZero platforms. During the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses and individuals alike to look for alternatives to cash and AZA has been a reliable provider of liquidity throughout this period.
The World’s Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company’s signature franchise and one of its most highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. It provides both a snapshot and a road map for the future of innovation across the most dynamic sectors of the economy.
“In a year of unprecedented challenges, the companies on this list exhibit fearlessness, ingenuity, and creativity in the face of crisis,” said Fast Company Deputy Editor David Lidsky, who oversaw the issue with Senior Editor Amy Farley.
“We are pleased to have this recognition of AZA’s work in disrupting the restrictive currency markets across Africa for over eight years,” said Elizabeth Rossiello, CEO and Founder of AZA. “We believe frontier markets should use their own currencies and settle digitally, leapfrogging antiquated systems and leading the world for growth by capitalising on the enormous potential of intra-African trade and South-South business particularly between Asia and Africa. To that end, since 2013, AZA has been the first Fintech in Africa to offer global payments and FX settlement without using the US dollar as a middle currency.”
Watch Elizabeth’s full interview with Channels TV where she discusses AZA’s impact and plans for the future here (starts at 14:48):
