Cyanase Inclusive Finance

Inspiration

In 2021, over 100,000 Ugandans lost $15 million to investment scams due to limited access to regulated financial products. With only a medical degree and no laptop, I taught myself to code using my LG-440 smartphone, creating the first version of Cyanase.

What It Does

Cyanase provides an API and mobile app that enables African savings groups and platforms to invest, save, and lend together—securely and digitally.

How We Built It

The current landing page was built and updated using Bolt. Without a laptop, I used code editors, mobile browsers, and online databases on my smartphone. The initial version was developed with PHP, HTML, and MySQLi, and I used Sketchware for the earliest mobile prototype. Today, Cyanase runs on a robust stack of React, TypeScript, and Django.

Challenges We Faced

We started with no funding or equipment. Navigating financial regulations was tough, and earning trust from users, especially in offline or rural communities, was even harder. Despite these obstacles, we persevered.

Accomplishments We're Proud Of

• Grown to over 4,000 users
• Processed over $1.2 million in transactions
• In talks with major players like Flutterwave and MTN Mobile Money
• Proven that informal savings groups can invest digitally with safety and reliability

What We Learned

Nothing can stop you—often, we are our own biggest obstacle. With grit and purpose, we built and shipped a working MVP, proving that barriers can be overcome.

What's Next for Cyanase

We're developing a new group-saving feature inspired by WhatsApp groups. This will revolutionize how communities save and invest together, bringing structure, transparency, and opportunity to informal groups across Africa.

Built With

• django
• flutter
• mariadb
• php
• typescript