Emmanuel Darko, class of 2020, is currently running a startup in the UK called CPAYANT. This startup focuses on intra-continental African cross-border payments as a primary market while supporting inter-continental cross-border payments to and from Africa, enabling international payments within the continent.
From his student days at EMLV during his MBA, Emmanuel has always been driven by innovation and the desire to solve complex problems.
Why did you choose EMLV?
I did an MBA in digital marketing strategy. I decided to pursue a master’s degree and thought, why not specialize in the field where I was already working? Furthermore, I learnt that EMLV offered a specialized MBA in digital marketing, which was rare then.
That’s why I chose EMLV—they had the course I was interested in, and it was a one-year program.
How would you sum up your career at EMLV?
We started in September 2019 and finished in October 2020. It was an intense course because we had to cover much material in one year, but it was also fascinating. Beyond the classwork, it was a great place to meet other students from diverse backgrounds, including India, France, Norway, Finland, Ghana, Nigeria, and other countries.
It was an opportunity to see different cultures and understand people from various parts of the world. In addition to digital marketing, we interacted extensively with international business, which was enriching.
How has your life changed since you graduated from EMLV?
After EMLV, I worked as the head of digital marketing for an AI tech company in Paris for three and a half years. We operated out of Station F, like Silicon Valley in France.
During that time, I helped the company increase revenue and become profitable. Before EMLV, I was an entrepreneur with my startup in the blockchain tech space, where I served as co-founder and VP of Marketing. However, we had to shut down due to market situations, leading me to pursue my MBA.
My work after EMLV was in the AI tech sector, but my entrepreneurial spirit remained strong. After three and a half years, I decided to return to entrepreneurship. I’ve been an entrepreneur for most of my work, and it felt like a natural calling to return to it.
How has EMLV influenced your career?
Studying at EMLV was a plus. Having an MBA added credibility to my expertise in digital marketing. The MBA also covered various aspects of business management, which broadened my understanding and skills. This comprehensive business education helped me immensely in my entrepreneurial journey.
Why are you an entrepreneur?
First, being an entrepreneur allows you to fulfil a mission. You can make things happen rather than being told what to do and how.
For me, the most essential resource is time. As an employee, you trade your time for a salary. Entrepreneurship is challenging—sometimes, you don’t pay yourself, like currently while seeking funding for my company—but having control over your time to make a difference in the world is invaluable.
For instance, my current work addresses a significant African problem: cross-border payments. Imagine sending €100 from France to Belgium and taking a week, with the recipient only getting €90.
That’s the situation in Africa. It can take about a week to send money from Ghana to Côte d’Ivoire. As an entrepreneur, I want to solve this problem and make a tangible difference.
Pitch your company, CPAYANT
CPAYANT, which means “it’s paying” in French, reflects the idea’s inception in France. We facilitate international payments within Africa, drastically reducing transaction times from days to seconds and cutting costs using blockchain technology. We use blockchain, but not cryptocurrencies, to ensure simplicity for our users.
This problem is prevalent in the global South – South America, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean – and it’s critical for Africa, which recently became a single market with increased intra-continental trade. Having a robust payment solution is essential.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
We aim to serve over 10 million Africans in the next five years with our payment solutions. We plan to reach at least one person in the 54 African countries. Beyond payments, we aim to introduce other financial services that need to be improved in Africa, like a comprehensive credit system.
What is your advice for future entrepreneurs?
Every entrepreneur’s experience is unique, so giving one-size-fits-all advice is hard. However, I can say that it’s crucial to believe in your vision and execute it.
Keep testing the market to ensure there is actual demand. Our first product was a web app two years ago, which helped us test the market.
Based on user feedback, we improved and developed our current mobile app, which now has thousands of users. So, believe in your vision, execute it, and continuously test the market.
