Chari was founded by Ismael Belkhayat, Sophia Alj in 2020.

Who are Chari's investors?

Chari's investors include Reflect Ventures, SPE Capital Partners, Stonewater Ventures, UM6P Ventures, VKAV (Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures), Y Combinator, Endeavor Catalyst, Global Founders Capital and 3 more.

Where is Chari headquartered?

Chari is headquartered in Casablanca, MA.

Chari

YC S21

Casablanca, MA · Founded 2020 · 100 employees · 12 known investors

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Chari is a fintech app available in Morocco that provides mobile money services including phone recharges, bill payments, peer-to-peer transfers, and Visa card issuance. The platform serves both consumers and merchants, offering wallet functionality, bill payment services, and point-of-sale solutions.

Also known as Chari Co.

Consumer E-commerce Fintech FoodTech GroceryMoroccoMiddle East and North AfricaPartly Remote

Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (S21)

Chari was founded in 2020 by Ismael Belkhayat and Sophia Alj.

Ismael Belkhayat Founder & CEOIsmael Belkhayat studied in Paris, London, Madrid, and Ithaca before working as a consultant at Boston Consulting Group for three years. He later relocated to Casablanca to pursue technology entrepreneurship.

Sophia Alj FounderShe previously worked as a consultant at McKinsey.

Sophia BelkhayatFounder

Investors · 12

Reflect Ventureslisted by Reflect VenturesMenlo Park

How we know: Reflect Ventures's portfolio page · Not right? Tell us

SPE Capital Partnerslisted by SPE Capital PartnersCairo

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Stonewater Ventureslisted by Stonewater Ventures

How we know: Stonewater Ventures's portfolio page · Not right? Tell us

UM6P Ventureslisted by UM6P VenturesBen Guérir · $100K – $500K

VKAV (Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures)listed by VKAV (Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures)Lagos

How we know: VKAV (Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures)'s portfolio page · Not right? Tell us

Y Combinatorlisted by Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K

How we know: the Y Combinator directory · open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Not right? Tell us

Endeavor CatalystreportedNew York

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Global Founders CapitalreportedBerlin · $1M

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Khwarizmi VenturesreportedRiyadh

How we know: open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Not right? Tell us

P1 VenturesreportedGrand Cayman · $100K – $1M

How we know: open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Not right? Tell us

Plug and Play VenturesreportedSilicon Valley · $50K – $400K

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Also in the syndicate · 1

Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures (VKAV)

Funding

SEC filings, press & company announcements

Undisclosed amountseries AOct 2025
Source ↗

Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.

Related companies · 5

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FitHubFitHub operates an online marketplace for health-focused and sustainably sourced consumer goods in Colombia.

JupiterJupiter is a monetization platform for food content creators that facilitates brand partnerships with CPG companies, integrates with ad networks, and enables commerce through Instacart. The platform serves content creators of all sizes in the food and cooking niche.

InstacartInstacart operates a marketplace connecting grocery retailers with customers who order food and household items for same-day delivery or in-store pickup, serving millions of households across North America through partnerships with over 350 retailers.

Swadesi WaySwadesiway is an e-commerce marketplace selling products priced in Indian Rupees, with a focus on best-selling items across multiple price ranges.

Companies working in the same space as Chari.

Legal entities · 1

corporate structure

Chari Co.

Frequently asked questions

What does Chari do?: Chari is a fintech app available in Morocco that provides mobile money services including phone recharges, bill payments, peer-to-peer transfers, and Visa card issuance. The platform serves both consumers and merchants, offering wallet functionality, bill payment services, and point-of-sale solutions.
Who founded Chari?: Chari was founded by Ismael Belkhayat, Sophia Alj in 2020.
Who are Chari's investors?: Chari's investors include Reflect Ventures, SPE Capital Partners, Stonewater Ventures, UM6P Ventures, VKAV (Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures), Y Combinator, Endeavor Catalyst, Global Founders Capital and 3 more.
Where is Chari headquartered?: Chari is headquartered in Casablanca, MA.