• Izichange connects mobile money accounts with cryptocurrencies and digital assets without banks.

• The platform operates in more than 12 African countries and reports over 600,000 users.

• Founder Edouard Kougblenou targets individuals, crypto investors, traders, and cross-border merchants.

Edouard Kougblenou is a Beninese entrepreneur specializing in digital finance. He serves as chief executive officer of Izichange. He co-founded the company with Marius Okouin, who manages operations.

Izichange launched in 2018 as a digital platform designed to act as a bridge between mobile money accounts and multiple forms of digital currency. The platform connects users to cryptocurrencies and selected online balances. Izichange aims to allow users to buy and sell digital assets without using traditional banking networks.

The platform allows users to buy digital currencies and cryptocurrencies using mobile money accounts. Users can then sell these assets and receive funds in local currency through mobile money. Izichange also centralizes multiple payment methods within a single interface. The platform integrates mobile money services and bank cards such as Visa.

Izichange positions itself as a pan-African platform. The company operates in more than twelve countries. The platform reports more than 600,000 users. Izichange primarily targets individuals, cryptocurrency investors, traders, and e-commerce merchants who receive payments from abroad. The company also offers a dedicated mobile application. The application facilitates the buying and selling of more than 17 cryptocurrencies.

The startup has received multiple industry distinctions for its performance. In 2021, industry bodies named Izichange best digital company at the DSI Awards. In 2022, PayDunya awarded Kougblenou the “Best Leader” prize. In the same year, InTouch ranked Izichange among its “Top 20 Performer.” Also in 2022, the Next Fintech Forum in Abidjan named Izichange best company in the Blockchain and Crypto category.

Alongside his entrepreneurial activities, Edouard Kougblenou serves on the board of Youth Sport Education. The Beninese association uses sport and education as development tools for youth in Benin and across Africa. Kougblenou graduated from the University of Abomey-Calavi in 2017. He earned a master’s degree in logistics, materials management, and supply chain management.

Before launching his entrepreneurial career, he worked from 2011 to 2019 as an operations assistant at A.P. Moller–Maersk in Benin. The company operates as a global transport and logistics group.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum