African payments infrastructure company Flutterwave announced on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, a Series E funding round that values the company at $3.2 billion. The round includes an equity investment from blockchain payments company Ripple, which will also serve as a strategic partner.
Flutterwave did not disclose the size of the round but confirmed it has now raised more than $500 million in total funding to date. Under the partnership, Ripple will provide Flutterwave with infrastructure to expand its digital asset offerings, while gaining a foothold in a market where Flutterwave already operates across 35 African countries.
The deal addresses longstanding challenges in African cross-border payments, including fragmented banking systems, strict foreign exchange policies, currency volatility, and transaction routing through European cities such as London, which introduces delays. Both companies say the partnership is aimed at expanding financial services across the continent.
Flutterwave has been building toward this direction for some time. Earlier in 2026, the company acquired African banking startup Mono to incorporate its API technology — part of a broader effort to help Africa function as a unified payments market. In October 2025, Flutterwave also introduced stablecoin solutions for businesses in partnership with Polygon Labs, designed to let transactions bypass traditional banking systems for faster and cheaper money transfers.
The Ripple investment extends that strategy by adding digital asset infrastructure to Flutterwave’s existing capabilities. For Ripple, the deal offers expanded presence in Africa through a company already embedded across the continent’s payments landscape.
Source: TechCrunch