In what it calls a decisive turning point in its mission to bring finance and essential services closer to citizens, everywhere, for everyone, KaliSpot, which describes itself as a Senegalese fintech born in the United States, has announced the deployment of its first 1Net smart kiosks in the Senegalese capital, Dakar.
Designed as neighbourhood access points available 24/7, the KaliSpot 1Net kiosks bring together, within a shared and hybrid infrastructure, cash-in and cash-out services for customers of banks, fintechs and mobile money providers.
These kiosks provide a seamless, accessible, and fully interoperable experience, aligned with the regional initiatives currently underway in the UEMOA (West African Economic and Monetary Union) zone, which comprises Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte D'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo.
Powered by proprietary technology that combines shared infrastructure, conversational AI in local languages, and biometric verification, KaliSpot 1Net kiosks guarantee ease of use and maximum inclusivity, according to the company.
The solution addresses the fragmentation and limitations of cash-in/cash-out services in urban areas during peak hours as well as in rural areas, offering unprecedented access in what the founder of the startup, Mika Diol, calls ‘financial deserts’.
The launch of the first units in Dakar paves the way for a large-scale rollout across Senegal in 2025, before expansion to other countries in the sub-region.
As part of this growth dynamic, KaliSpot has signed its first distribution partnership with Solarix, a company active in the fields of technology, energy, and digital solutions, which will cover the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo.
Jacinthe Masamba, CEO of Solarix, explains: “This strategic partnership with KaliSpot reflects our commitment to building sustainable and interoperable infrastructure solutions in the DRC and Congo. Together, we will deploy technology that redefines access to financial services, while enhancing integration between the Congo Basin markets and the rest of Africa.”
KaliSpot says its ambition is, by relying on carefully selected partners, to build the first hybrid – physical and intelligent – proximity platform in West and Central Africa. It aims to achieve this within three years.
