Founded by Ismael Belkhayat, Moroccan e-commerce startup Chari receives ‘Disrupter of the year’ trophy

Chari, a Morocco-based B2B e-commerce and fintech startup founded by Ismael Belkhayat and his wife Sophia Alj, was awarded the “Disrupter of the Year” trophy at the Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan.

The Africa CEO Forum is currently taking place in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. It is organized by Jeune Afrique Media Groupe and hosted by the International Finance Corporation), a World Bank subsidiary. The Africa CEO Forum recognized Chari as the best African startup this year by awarding it the trophy.

The “Disrupter of the Year” trophy celebrates companies whose activities are particularly disruptive and innovative. The nominees for the trophy sponsored by Visa were Chari, Vezeeta, Yassir, Paps, and Releaf.

Chari was chosen by a jury that included Malagasy tycoon Hassananein Hiridjee, CEO of Axian Group; Elizabeth Medou Badang, senior vice president of Orange Middle East and Africa, Obi Ozor, CEO of Kobo360, Wale Ayeni, head of ventures at IFC, and Veronica Ogeto, head of ventures at Safaricom.

Sophia Alj and Belkhayat co-founded Chari, a B2B e-commerce and fintech startup, in 2020. The company collaborates with FMCG multinationals and local manufacturers to deliver goods to mom-and-pop shops in under 24 hours.

Through its recent acquisition of Karny.ma, it also provides payment and financial services. Just over a month ago, the Moroccan startup completed bridge financing at a $100-million valuation in line with its strategic goal to expand operations and strengthen its position in the fintech space.

Axa Credit, the credit branch of Axa Assurance Maroc, was acquired by the Moroccan startup nearly three months ago for $22 million. It recently acquired Diago, an Ivorian app that connects local stores with FMCG producers and importers.