Step 01
2020 · Step 01
Chari is founded
Ismael Belkhayat and Sophia Alj launch the company in Morocco.
SourceAbout
Over 6 years equipping last-mile commerce.
Founded in Morocco in 2020, Chari Group has built a platform that today serves tens of thousands of merchants, under a payment-institution licence delivered by Bank Al-Maghrib.
Licensed by Bank Al-Maghrib · granted 2025
The group in numbers
The group, in four anchors.
Public datapoints that ground the group's trajectory — merchants served, funding raised, scope and regulation.
25,000+
Merchants
Connected to the Chari platform
$12M
Series A
Closed in October 2025
7
Brands
Covering the whole chain
Bank Al-Maghrib
Licence
Licensed payment institution
Our story
Group milestones.
Every date below links back to its public source.
- Step 02
June 2021 · Step 02
Y Combinator — S21 batch
Chari joins the Summer 2021 cohort of Y Combinator.
Source - Step 03
August 2021 · Step 03
Karny acquisition
The group acquires Karny.ma, an informal-credit management app for merchants — its first expansion into the credit-data layer.
Source - Step 04
October 2025 · Step 04
Series A of $12M and Bank Al-Maghrib licence
A $12M Series A round and a payment-institution licence granted by Bank Al-Maghrib — the regulatory foundations to launch ChariBaaS as a white-label.
Source
Our footprint
Three countries, one mission.
The group operates across francophone Africa, with a Moroccan anchor that serves as its regulatory base.
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Morocco
Home market and group headquarters
Tunisia
Operational presence
Côte d'Ivoire
Operational presence
Our mission
Three values, one trajectory.
What drives every decision in the group — from the brands we acquire to the products we ship.
Regulatory trust
A Bank Al-Maghrib licence, PCI DSS certifications, and high availability — trust is built into the foundations.
Financial inclusion
Equipping neighbourhood merchants with tools only large chains could afford yesterday.
Merchant innovation
Embedding the best fintech practices without weighing down the experience — the app stays light, the code stays API-first.
Recognitions
Recent awards.
A selection of awards that anchor the trajectory of the group and its founders.
An Endeavor company
Chari is selected by Endeavor, the global network of high-impact entrepreneurs.
Endeavor Catalyst on the cap table · $12M Series A · Bank Al-Maghrib licensed
Discover EndeavorAcademic recognition
Leadership
The founders.
The two co-founders have led the group since 2020.
Ismael Belkhayat
Co-founder & CEO
CEOEx-BCGYC S21ESCP Alumni
Co-founded the group in 2020. A former Boston Consulting Group consultant, he founded several companies in Morocco before launching Chari.
« In Africa, financial sovereignty is a precondition for inclusion. »
— Jeune Afrique · décembre 2025
Sophia Alj
Co-founder & COO
COOYC S21ESCP Alumni
Co-founded the group in 2020. Leads operations.
LinkedIn
Let's work together
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