Amid the crowded corridors of the Lagos Startup Expo, Here i was again in front of yet another fintechs booth having another talk, One conversation which was unfortunately cut short because my start up guide, had to attend to attend to duties.
Anchor isn’t flashy and that’s part of its power. Their goal isn’t to shout at the top of their lungs, but to build the financial infrastructure that works behind the scenes for startups, banks, and developers across Africa. What struck me immediately was how intentional and methodical Omolara was, and how she spoke not about possible future plans, but about fundamental problems already being solved.
Anchor is a banking-as-a-service (BaaS) provider, offering APIs, dashboards, and financial toolsfrom business bank accounts to payments, virtual cards, and even lending capabilities. They partner with regulated banks to help businesses embed financial services directly into their products, eliminating the need to build banking infrastructure from scratch
As we talked, she shared snapshots of Anchor’s impact. In just two years since launching in 2022, they’ve powered over ₦1 trillion (roughly $1 billion) in transaction volume, onboarded more than 400 businesses, and are processing transactions for everything from corporate payroll to marketplace payouts (LinkedIn). These aren’t vanity metrics—they’re signs of real momentum.
I still remember Omolara walking me through Anchor’s API dashboard. It wasn’t sleek marketing fluff, it was interestly packed with data, audit logs, and integration guides tailored for developers. Paying suppliers, issuing virtual cards to gig workers, processing remittances—all from a single platform built explicitly for African complexity.
She explained their philosophy: rather than chasing buzz, Anchor is focused on substance. They’re expanding what embedded finance means—starting with digital wallets and cards, and moving into savings, loans, and even cross-border tools . They’re obsessed with removing friction and reducing cost, so their clients can build great products on top of stability, not improvisation.
What touched me most was their stance on financial inclusion. Omolara said, “We’re in the business of giving businesses the power to own their financial flows—so they don’t just leave money on the table.” It wasn’t a tagline, it was plainly how they worked, quietly and efficiently.
One would think ANCHOR was just another fintech wave, but it really isnt, it’s helping engineer what comes next for Africa: embedded, seamless, developer-first banking infrastructure powering everything from neobanks to e-commerce platforms.
