Cloud9 Secures $500,000 From Crypto Accelerator Alliance

Alliance, a New York-headquartered crypto accelerator and founder community, has invested $500,000 in equity in Cloud9, a Kenyan fintech. This investment is part of Cloud9’s ongoing pre-seed round, which also attracted funding from Techstars NYC and strategic angel investors. The combined investments bring Cloud9’s total funding to $1 million.

Cloud9 provides digital banking services for businesses, focusing on building payment infrastructure for African businesses trading across borders. Users can hold multiple currencies, including Kenyan shillings, US dollars, euros, pounds, and Chinese yuan. They can send payments to suppliers in over 100 countries, receive international payments through virtual accounts, and withdraw funds to mobile money when local currency is needed. The platform also offers tools for payroll, bulk payments, and team approvals for businesses, while its Cloud9 Wealth product gives Kenyan users access to savings vaults and global stock markets.

Cloud9 launched its product in early 2026 and has since created more than 25,000 accounts. The company reports transaction volume growth exceeding 15% week over week. Its treasury operations cover more than 120 countries, with its payment network currently supporting direct payments to Mainland China, Hong Kong, India, and Southeast Asia, as well as intra-African collections. Kenya's imports from China were valued at $4.31 billion in 2024.

The company aims to simplify global trade for African businesses, allowing merchants to transact internationally as easily as locally. Stablecoins, specifically USDC and USDT, are a key part of Cloud9's backend operations, serving as the settlement layer for cross-border transactions. This approach makes transfers faster and cheaper than traditional correspondent banking, enabling Cloud9 to open new payment corridors without needing a bank in each country.

Cloud9 is expanding beyond banking through strategic acquisitions, having made two in three months. It acquired social commerce platform Chpter in an undisclosed all-stock deal in August and Kenyan ticketing platform M-Tickets for KES 100 million ($773,000) in May, also in an all-stock transaction. These acquisitions provide Cloud9 access to businesses at different points in their commercial activity, allowing it to layer financial services onto existing transactions and customer relationships. The new funding will support expanding cross-border payment corridors, improving product experience, launching virtual and physical cards, and growing its base of African consumers and businesses.