• Alexander Hizikias co-founded eQub, a fintech digitizing Ethiopia’s traditional equb savings circles.
• The mobile app secures transactions, integrates mobile money, and offers access to extra financial services.
• Hizikias, an Addis Ababa University economics graduate, previously launched ventures in textiles and coffee.

Alexander Hizikias, an Ethiopian economist and entrepreneur, is co-founder and chief executive of eQub, a fintech launched in 2020 that brings the country’s traditional savings groups into the digital era. Known as “equb” in Amharic, these rotating savings circles are a long-established form of community finance in Ethiopia.

The eQub mobile app allows users to organize savings groups, secure their transactions, and reduce the risks linked to cash handling. It helps participants manage their finances more effectively and extends access to services for people outside the formal banking system.

The app integrates mobile money payments, automates contributions, and provides transparent tracking of group activities, strengthening trust among members. It also includes a points-based system that unlocks additional financial services such as credit or payment facilities.

According to the company, the eQub app is the first platform that helps people draw on their future savings. It allows users to set up and manage their personal groups in just a few clicks, while making it easier to interact with fellow eQubers.

Hizikias graduated in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Addis Ababa University. Before launching eQub, he created Alexander Hizikias Couture, a textile design and manufacturing company active from 2016 to 2019. In the same year, he co-founded The Goat Cafe, a coffee business.