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Who We Are Aspire works with trusted businesses and
community partners to bring simple loans directly to you

We partner with corporates, government entities, cooperatives, and community hubs to reach customers efficiently. Through
our work with Connecting Communities, we extend these financial solutions to remote areas across East Africa.

The Problem

Many people are unbanked. They don’t have access to financial tools that help their businesses grow or improve their livelihoods.

Our Solution

Aspire offers short-term loans, delivered through trusted partners, designed to support daily needs and everyday work.

Our Mission

To expand access to fair, responsible financing that supports livelihoods, small businesses, and long-term economic participation.

Our Vision

A financial system where opportunity is practical, accessible, and available to everyone.

ASPIRE APPROACH We put people first, simplifying access to financing by removing unnecessary steps and barriers

Aspire combines technology, data, and local presence to deliver financing that works

  • Strategic partnerships enable scale and trust
  • Community hubs support onboarding and education
  • Products designed for specific needs, not generic lending
  • Built for everyday people who earn, spend, and grow in practical ways
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TECHNOLOGY
PARTNER Aspire’s platform is powered by EmagineNet, our long-term technology partner

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NeoCharge provides technology that unlocks commerce between two previously untrusted entities.  Our technology helps millions of consumers get credit terms, instant advances, and fund transfers for productivity and income-enhancing goods and services.  Simultaneously, our technology helps thousands of merchants attract and retain profitable and loyal customers.

7M

Consumers Served

$6.5B

Total value of Transactions

45M

Annual Transactions

3.5k

Merchants

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TrAC is Aspire’s connectivity solution, enabling
seamless integration with businesses and
corporate partners.

Through Connecting Communities, Aspire
extends this access into remote areas, reaching
people beyond traditional commercial centres.

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OUR TEAM We bring together specialists who understand community needs

Aspire brings together fintech operators, engineers, and local specialists who understand community needs and execution on the ground. Our team works through partnerships and community hubs to ensure access, support, and continuity.

Hussein Faruque Aly

Chief Executive Officer

Hussein leads Aspire with a conviction that access to fair finance unlocks opportunity. Over 20 years, he has built entrepreneurship and microfinance programs across Mozambique, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, South Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Syria, and Egypt, working alongside communities to create sustainable market solutions where traditional banking hasn’t reached. Hussein holds a PhD in Entrepreneurship and Strategy from Lancaster University, an MBA from Geneva University, and an MA in Social Anthropology of Development from SOAS, University of London.

At Aspire, he brings this blend of rigorous analysis and frontline experience to build financial infrastructure that serves Rwanda’s communities with clarity and respect.

Zahir Khoja

Strategic Advisor

Zahir advises Aspire on strategy and go-to-market with over 20 years of experience scaling fintech platforms that balance growth with responsibility. As former CEO of Wave Financial, he led the company to double-digit revenue growth, expanded margins, and profitability while keeping small business owners at the center. Before that, he helped scale Afterpay’s North American business ahead of its $29 billion acquisition by Block, Inc., and served as CEO of Mastercard’s Mobile Payment Solutions, driving financial innovation across Brazil, Indonesia, India, and Afghanistan.

Zahir currently advises multiple fintech boards and speaks regularly on inclusive finance and digital innovation. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of Ottawa and has completed executive programs at Harvard Business School and INSEAD.

Nash Jiwani

Shareholder & Strategic Partner

Nash backs Aspire through A.K.A. Partners with over 30 years of experience building businesses in markets where trust and relationships matter most. From FMCG distribution in East Africa to private equity in Cambodia, he has consistently focused on ventures that create shared value rather than extracting it. His 16 years at Diageo PLC across Asia and the UK gave him operational rigour; his entrepreneurial ventures since, Qway International, Opus One Investments, and Index Developments, taught him how to adapt, persist, and grow in complex environments.

At Aspire, he provides both the resources to scale and the operational insight needed to build fintech that serves communities sustainably.

Johnny Kayihura

Director

Johnny serves on Aspire’s board with over 25 years of experience building technology and telecommunications infrastructure across East Africa. He co-founded Rock Global Consulting in 2006 and grew it into one of Rwanda and Burundi’s leading systems integrators before its acquisition by Dimension Data in 2012. He then co-founded Transafrica Communications (TrAC), scaling it from startup to regional telecommunications player and guiding it through its acquisition by Connecting Communities, where he remains CEO and Managing Director. At Aspire, Johnny provides strategic oversight and operational guidance drawn from decades of building tech businesses in the region.