Vendy
Vendy is an agentic payments infrastructure provider enabling in-chat checkout inside WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram via its Unified Payment Agent, plus WhatsApp shop building (Virtual Terminal) and NFC tap-to-pay (Sync). It serves SMBs, banks, fintechs, retailers, and event organizers across Africa, the US, and the UK on a transaction-fee model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersLagos, Nigeria
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Vendy does
Vendy is an agentic payments infrastructure company headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, with additional offices in Wilmington, Delaware and London, UK. The company enables in-chat payment acceptance inside messaging platforms (WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram) and provides NFC-based in-person checkout, targeting the structural problem of high payment abandonment when customers are redirected away from a conversation to complete a transaction. Its platform consists of three core products: the Unified Payment Agent (UPA) for AI-triggered in-chat checkout, the Virtual Terminal for building WhatsApp shops with 40+ industry templates, and Sync for tap-to-pay NFC retail transactions on any enabled mobile device without traditional POS hardware.
Under the hood, Vendy operates a unified REST API with SDKs for Python, Node.js, and PHP, plus Shopify and WooCommerce plugins and a sandbox environment. A single integration routes payments across cards, bank transfers, mobile money (19 African countries), USSD, Apple Pay, Google Pay, UPI, and stablecoins, with multi-currency settlement (USD, GBP, EUR). The infrastructure is PCI DSS and ISO 27001 certified, runs at 99.9% uptime with a 99.8% service success rate, and is licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria as a Payment Solution Service Provider. Vendy has processed 20M+ transactions across 2,000+ merchants.
The business model is primarily transaction-fee based: Starter tier at 1.5%, Growth at 1.2%, and custom Enterprise pricing, with no setup or monthly fees. Additional revenue comes from white-label BSP services for Meta Business Partners and from marketing automation tools (campaigns, abandoned-cart recovery). Customers span SMBs (Obi's House, Tiqbuy, Eric Kayser), financial institutions (First Bank, Remita, Kuda), fintechs, event organizers (Homecoming), healthcare providers (Awadoc), government (NIMC), and CPaaS platforms. Go-to-market is hybrid: product-led growth with free signup and template-based onboarding, developer relations, channel partners via the Meta BSP program, and a dedicated enterprise sales motion with custom SLAs and on-premise deployment.
Vendy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Vendy
- Legal name
- Vendy Limited
- Website
- https://myvendy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Vendy is an agentic payments infrastructure provider enabling in-chat checkout inside WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram via its Unified Payment Agent, plus WhatsApp shop building (Virtual Terminal) and NFC tap-to-pay (Sync). It serves SMBs, banks, fintechs, retailers, and event organizers across Africa, the US, and the UK on a transaction-fee model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Vendy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payments Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Bill Pay, Invoicing & Payables Platforms (BPAMAFAF), Crypto Payment Gateways & Checkout APIs (FSADAIAA)
Keywords
Where Vendy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lagos
- HQ country
- Nigeria
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices3 records
Markets served
Vendy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Transaction Fees: Percentage-based fees charged per successful transaction. Starter plan at 1.5%, Growth at 1.2%, Enterprise custom pricing. No setup fees, monthly fees, or hidden charges. Primary revenue stream from payment processing across all platforms.
- BSP White-Label Services: Enterprise-level white-label solutions for large organizations wanting to embed Vendy's technology under their own brand. Includes custom SLA, instant settlement, and on-premise deployment options.
- Platform/Campaign Tools: Additional revenue from marketing automation tools like Campaign for promos, abandoned cart recovery, and broadcast updates.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Starter: 1.5% per transaction for small businesses |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Growth: 1.2% per transaction for growing businesses |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Enterprise: Custom pricing for large-scale operations |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Vendy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Vendy provides an agentic payments infrastructure platform that enables businesses to accept payments directly within messaging apps (WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram) and AI chatbot conversations. Its three core offerings are the Unified Payment Agent (UPA) for in-chat checkout, the Virtual Terminal for building WhatsApp shops with templates and campaign tools, and Sync for NFC/Tap-to-Pay retail transactions, all accessible through a single unified API.
Product overview
Vendy provides an agentic payments infrastructure platform for social commerce, consisting of three integrated products: Unified Payment Agent (UPA) for in-chat payment processing via AI chatbots, Virtual Terminal for building WhatsApp shops with templates and marketing tools, and Sync for in-person tap-to-pay retail transactions. Together these products enable businesses to accept payments across messaging platforms, social media, and physical retail environments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- UPA (Unified Payment Agent): A payment agent for social platforms enabling in-chat payments within messaging apps
- Virtual Terminal
- Sync
Products and services
- Unified Payment Agent (UPA) A payment agent technology that enables in-chat payments directly within messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram, allowing AI chatbots and apps to trigger secure checkout experiences without redirecting users. It accepts cards, bank accounts, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and stablecoins, and is targeted at AI chatbot builders, CPaaS providers, and platforms embedding conversational commerce.
- Virtual Terminal A platform for businesses, marketplaces, and e-commerce platforms to provide WhatsApp shops to their merchants, including an automated shop builder with 40+ industry templates, QR codes, shop links, in-chat checkout, marketing campaign tools, and BSP services. It is targeted at SMB merchants and enterprise platforms enabling merchant storefronts.
- Sync A fast checkout solution for retailers that enables NFC/Tap-to-Pay contactless payment acceptance on any enabled mobile device without traditional POS hardware, supporting multi-currency acceptance and contactless digital receipts. It is targeted at physical retailers, event organizers, and in-person merchants.
Quantifiable outcome
- 20M+ transactions processed
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Vendy
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Vendy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability6 records
Feature7 records
Vendy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- StripecoreGlobal payments infrastructure partner enabling card payment processing and international payment capabilities.
- KudacoreTechnical partnership with Nigerian digital bank for payment services and banking integrations.
- NIBSScoreNigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System partnership for local payment rail connectivity and settlement.
- MetacoreTechnical partner and BSP (Business Solution Provider) program for WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook payment integrations.
- ShopifycoreE-commerce platform plugin allowing merchants to sync Shopify inventory with Vendy WhatsApp Virtual Terminal.
- WooCommercecoreWordPress e-commerce plugin for WooCommerce inventory sync with Vendy WhatsApp shops.
- Major Commercial BankscorePartnership with major commercial banks for payment processing, settlement, and banking integration services.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Vendy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Mono: Nigerian fintech providing open banking APIs, account verification, and payment infrastructure. Comparable as an emerging African fintech peer operating in adjacent payment infrastructure layers; potential partner or competitor depending on vertical expansion direction.
- Yellow.ai: Conversational AI platform with in-chat payment and commerce capabilities across WhatsApp, Instagram, and web. Direct emerging competitor in the agentic/conversational commerce space, with overlapping capability to Vendy's Unified Payment Agent and chatbot-driven checkout.
Broad incumbents
- Twilio: CPaaS leader providing messaging APIs (SMS, WhatsApp, etc.) to enterprises. Comparable as both an adjacent infrastructure provider and a potential competitor — Twilio's conversations API plus payments could replicate Vendy's in-chat commerce capabilities with broader reach and deeper enterprise relationships.
- Stripe: Global payment infrastructure giant and Vendy's listed partner. Stripe processes cards and bank transfers globally and owns Paystack (a direct African peer). Comparable because both provide unified payment APIs with multi-method support, though Stripe is far broader in scope than Vendy's in-chat checkout focus.
- Razorpay: Indian full-stack payments and banking platform serving SMBs and enterprises. Comparable because it offers unified APIs for multiple payment methods, subscription billing, and developer tools — similar to Vendy's one-API multi-method approach — though focused on India rather than Africa/messaging apps.
- Meta (WhatsApp Pay / Meta Pay): Owner of WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook. Comparable because Meta is simultaneously Vendy's distribution partner (via BSP program) and its biggest potential competitor through native Meta Pay in-chat checkout. Any Meta expansion of native payments directly threatens Vendy's core value proposition.
Regional players
- Safaricom (M-Pesa): Kenyan mobile money and digital payments leader serving East Africa. Comparable as a major African payment rail that Vendy must integrate with rather than compete against, and as a regional incumbent demonstrating the scale opportunity in African mobile commerce.
- Chipper Cash: African cross-border payments and neobank serving individuals and businesses across the continent. Comparable as an African fintech peer pursuing consumer and merchant payment flows, with overlapping target markets in Nigeria and other African markets where Vendy operates.
Direct peers
- Flutterwave: Pan-African payment infrastructure platform enabling businesses to accept and disburse payments across the continent. Direct competitor to Vendy in the African payment processing space, with similar multi-country, multi-method coverage and strong bank/fintech partnerships.
- Paystack: Nigerian payment gateway (acquired by Stripe) providing transaction processing for African businesses. Direct competitor in Nigerian payment processing and listed among Vendy's partners/competitors in the African fintech ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Vendy social profiles
Digital presenceVendy compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Vendy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Vendy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Vendy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Vendy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Vendy
What does Vendy do?
Vendy provides an agentic payments infrastructure platform that enables businesses to accept payments directly within messaging apps (WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram) and AI chatbot conversations. Its three core offerings are the Unified Payment Agent (UPA) for in-chat checkout, the Virtual Terminal for building WhatsApp shops with templates and campaign tools, and Sync for NFC/Tap-to-Pay retail transactions, all accessible through a single unified API.
Is Vendy a public or private company?
Vendy is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Vendy founded?
Vendy was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Vendy based?
Vendy is headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, in the Africa region.
How does Vendy make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Transaction Fees are the primary driver. The others are BSP White-Label Services and platform/Campaign Tools.
Who are Vendy's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Mono and Yellow.ai. Broad incumbents are Twilio, Stripe, Razorpay and Meta (WhatsApp Pay / Meta Pay). Regional players are Safaricom (M-Pesa) and Chipper Cash. Direct peers are Flutterwave and Paystack.
Does Vendy have an API?
Yes. Vendy provides a REST API enabling developers to integrate mobile and social payments into their applications. The API supports payments, UPI, shops, and settlements functionality. Developers have access to a sandbox environment with production-grade mock data, test keys, and real-time debugger for testing integrations. Webhooks are available for real-time updates on successful payments, order confirmations, and settlements. Developer documentation is at vendy.readme.io.
What industry is Vendy in?
Vendy's product category is Payments Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGALAB, Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets), with a secondary code of BPAMAFAF, Bill Pay, Invoicing & Payables Platforms. Its NAICS code is 522320 and its SIC code is 6199.