Paylend, Kenya-based fintech company, won a $1,000 grant at a Web3 startup pitching competition hosted by the NODO, the pan-African Web3 news and discovery platform.

At the Web3 CONNECT Africa event in Nairobi on April 28, Paylend CEO Eliutherius Juma received a $1,000 grant.

NODO Grants are designed to support the development of African Web3 projects, and help accelerate mass production of the products and give financial opportunities for both African startups and consumers. NODO is backed by EMURGO Middle East & Africa.

Paylend, founded by Juma and Bendon Murgor, has developed a financial platform that enables small businesses to offer credit to customers, while offering digital tools such as supply chain management.

Expert Comments

A panel of NODO Grant experts picks the winner, following several steps to evaluate and shortlist the applications. Some comments from the experts are here:

“We are happy to announce Paylend as the winner for NODO Grants at the Web3 Connect Africa: Nairobi Event. Paylend’s mission to build local economies through financial solutions is both innovative and impactful. As an Adanian Labs startup, Paylend is part of a larger effort to build and scale 300 Web3 technologies and startups with a focus on creating positive change in Africa and beyond.” says John Kamara, Founder of Adanian Labs.

(Kenya’s Web3 community congratulates Paylend for the win. Photo/ NODO News)

“Paylend is an innovative fintech company that aims at building local economies by providing financial solutions, and enhancing relationships between businesses and their customers by offering access to credit,” says Shogo Ishida, Executive Director of NODO and Co-CEO of EMURGO Middle East & Africa. “We are happy to support Paylend as the winner of NODO Grants at the Web3 Connect Africa: Nairobi event.”

In the NODO Grants process, all applicants are scored on six equal metrics as found listed the NODO Grants website. All applications go through due diligence and screening. A panel of NODO Experts then review shortlisted applications and pickes the winner.

Applicants are listed on the NODO GRANTS Leaderboard, where users can access their company profiles, learn more about each applicant’s proposal, and upvote the proposal they support. Listing ensures prioritisation in the NODO Grants process but does not guarantee the delivery of the $1,000 prize.

-Edited by Vincent Matinde
-Photos by Faustine Ngila/NODO News