Flutterwave, Kuda, Piggyvest named CNBC’s Top 250 Fintech Companies

Statista, a world-renowned market data provider, and CNBC, an American media company, listed seven African fintech companies—Flutterwave, Piggyvest, Kuda, MTN, Bank Zero, Palmpay, and Yoco—in their 2024 list of the 250 top fintech companies. The startups were selected from 2,000 companies globally.

The list, which also features global companies like Mastercard, Klarna, Flywire, and Robinhood, is the second edition by the Statista-CNBC duo—the first edition was in 2023.

The list was curated based on desk research by the Statista team and information provided by the businesses, such as 2023 revenues, year-on-year sales growth rate, and total headcount. However, it is unranked.

In the 2024 250 top fintech list, Nigerian fintech Kuda and South African Bank Zero were categorised as one of the best neobanks.

Nigerian unicorn Flutterwave, the Chinese-owned Palmpay, Partech-backed South African fintech Yoco, and MTN—for its mobile money service, MTN MoMo— graced the payment category. 

Piggyvest was the lone African startup in the financial planning category.

 

First Nigerian US war ship commander Kelechi Ndukwe becomes captain

His promotion took place in Millington, Tennesse on Thursday, marking the Zenith of his 21-year career in the US Navy.

This event follows his appointment in 2021 as the Commanding Officer of the USS Halsey (DDG-97), an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, a first of its kind from a Nigerian national.

Ndukwe is an alumnus of the University of Notre Dame and the US Naval War College, starting in the Navy as an auxiliary officer in 2003, a year after obtaining his master’s degree in national security and strategy studies from the College.

His parents, originally Nigerian, migrated to the US in 1977 as “poor students with hopes and dreams,” according to Ndukwe. He is the oldest of his parents’ four children.

Ndukwe has previously taken on leadership roles within the Navy including serving as the commanding officer for the USS Devastator (MCM 6), a minesweeper based in Bahrain for two years till 2015; working as a weapons officer and combat systems officer of USS Fitzgerald in Yokosuka, Japan for a year in 2010 and as a navy congressional liaison officer in Washington DC for two years till 2008. He also once worked in the office of the chairman of joint chief s of staff (CJCS), the US’ highest-ranking military officer.

As Captain, Ndukwe will command the US’ largest naval vessels including aircraft carriers and submarines and oversee shore installments. He will lead missions and represent the Navy in diplomatic roles when necessary.