Ham Serunjogi grew up in Uganda, surrounded by a culture that valued hard work, community, and resilience. From a young age, Serunjogi was keenly aware of the challenges his family and community faced when it came to accessing financial services. His parents, both professionals, instilled in him the importance of education and a desire to make a difference. However, it wasn’t until Serunjogi left Uganda to pursue his education in the United States that he realized just how wide the financial divide was between Africa and the rest of the world. These early experiences planted the seeds for what would later become Chipper Cash, a $2 billion fintech unicorn that is revolutionizing cross-border payments across Africa.
After completing his early education in Uganda, Serunjogi moved to the U.S. to attend Grinnell College, where he studied economics and competed as a top swimmer for the university’s team. While at Grinnell, Serunjogi developed a keen interest in technology and entrepreneurship, often thinking back to the financial challenges his family and friends faced back home in Uganda. During his time in the U.S., he saw firsthand how easy it was for people to send money across borders and access digital financial services—something that remained a distant dream for millions of Africans. This realization sparked the idea that would eventually lead to the creation of Chipper Cash.
In 2018, Serunjogi co-founded Chipper Cash with his Ghanaian partner, Maijid Moujaled. Their mission was simple yet bold: to make sending money across African borders as easy as sending a text message. In a continent where exorbitant fees and limited financial infrastructure have long stood in the way of economic inclusion, Chipper Cash quickly emerged as a solution that resonated with millions. The platform’s core offering—free peer-to-peer transfers—gave everyday Africans a reliable way to send and receive money without the crippling costs associated with traditional remittance services.
What many don’t know is that Serunjogi’s journey was anything but easy. Coming from Uganda, a country with little exposure to venture capital, he faced numerous challenges raising funds for his startup. Despite being educated in the U.S., he had to work twice as hard to convince Silicon Valley investors that an African fintech company could scale and succeed on the global stage. But Serunjogi’s perseverance paid off. In 2019, Chipper Cash raised its first seed funding, and that was just the beginning.
By 2020, Chipper Cash had raised $30 million in Series B funding, marking a pivotal moment for the company’s growth. The real breakthrough came in 2021, when the company secured a $100 million Series C round, led by top-tier investors like SVB Capital and reaching a valuation of $2 billion, officially making it a unicorn. This milestone cemented Chipper Cash’s position as one of Africa’s leading fintech startups, providing financial services to over 5 million customers across seven African countries, including Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya.
Through Chipper Cash, Ham Serunjogi is not only changing how money moves across Africa but also addressing the issue of financial inclusion in a way that few others have. Chipper Cash’s services now go beyond peer-to-peer transfers to include cryptocurrency trading, virtual cards, and investments. Serunjogi’s commitment to innovation is evident in Chipper Cash’s ability to introduce new features that meet the evolving needs of its users.
One of the defining moments in Chipper Cash’s journey was the introduction of Chipper Crypto, which allowed Africans to trade and invest in cryptocurrencies seamlessly. As more young Africans look for alternative ways to save and grow their wealth, Serunjogi has positioned Chipper Cash as a leading platform that provides access to the global digital economy. This is no small feat in a continent where traditional financial services have often failed to serve the underbanked.
Despite all the success, Serunjogi remains deeply connected to his roots. He frequently speaks about how his upbringing in Uganda shaped his vision for Chipper Cash. Growing up, he saw how difficult it was for families to send money across borders, especially when dealing with high fees and unreliable services. His personal experiences have given him a deep sense of responsibility to create solutions that directly address the challenges faced by Africans.
In addition to building a successful company, Serunjogi is passionate about inspiring the next generation of African entrepreneurs. He often talks about the importance of African founders telling their own stories and creating homegrown solutions for the continent. “If we don’t build for Africa, no one will,” he often says. His journey from Uganda to becoming the CEO of a $2 billion company has shown that it’s possible to break barriers and build world-class companies from Africa.
Looking to the future, Ham Serunjogi has even bigger plans for Chipper Cash. The company is now expanding its services beyond Africa, with operations already in the U.S. and the U.K. Serunjogi envisions a world where Chipper Cash connects Africans not only with each other but with the rest of the world, making global financial access a reality for millions.
As Ham Serunjogi continues to drive Chipper Cash to new heights, one thing is certain: his journey is a testament to the power of vision, resilience, and a deep desire to make a lasting impact on the world. And for Serunjogi, the mission is far from complete—he’s just getting started.
