Hubtel
Hubtel is a Ghanaian payment services provider and e-commerce platform founded in 2005, serving 7,979+ businesses and 4M+ users across 11+ cities. It unifies mobile money, card, bank, and POS payments with AI-powered fraud detection and merchant management tools.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersAccra, Ghana
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Hubtel does
Hubtel Limited is a Ghanaian payment services provider and e-commerce platform headquartered in Accra, founded in 2005 by Hans Nilsson and Ebow Spio, and acquired by MTN MobileMoney Ltd in 2023. The company operates as a regulated Payment Services Provider under the Bank of Ghana, with additional certifications from the National Communications Authority, Kenya Communication Authority, and ISO 27001 for information security. Its platform serves 7,979+ businesses and 4M+ annual users across 11+ cities in Ghana, integrating mobile money (MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash, AT Money), bank transfers, card payments, and POS into a single unified API and merchant dashboard (BackOffice) organized into three modules — Clarity, Control, and Growth.
The company offers a portfolio of products spanning consumer, merchant, and enterprise use cases. The Hubtel Mobile App delivers consumer-facing payments, marketplace, and delivery. BackOffice is a merchant dashboard for reconciliation, inventory, and operations. PowerApp is a white-label electricity vending platform built for Ghana's largest power distributor, processing GHS 51.03 billion in payment flows and serving 7M+ accounts. The Hubtel AI Lab (launched March 2024) produces in-house AI capabilities including OperationZero, a deep neural network for anomaly and fraud detection, and HubtelWay, a RAG-based assistant built on OpenAI models. The platform also supports merchant growth through a retail partner network, a rider network for delivery, and a marketplace with both goods and services.
Hubtel's revenue is generated from transaction fees on payment flows, commissions on marketplace goods and delivery services, and enterprise SaaS contracts for utilities and large merchants. The company employs 501–1,000 staff, including 100+ engineers (up from 16), and distributes its offering through direct sales to enterprises and a self-serve channel for SMBs. The combination of regulated payment licenses, an MTN-backed distribution and capital base, and a proprietary AI capability layer positions Hubtel as an integrated commerce-and-payments platform rather than a pure payment processor.
Hubtel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hubtel
- Legal name
- Hubtel
- Website
- https://hubtel.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Hubtel is a Ghanaian payment services provider and e-commerce platform founded in 2005, serving 7,979+ businesses and 4M+ users across 11+ cities. It unifies mobile money, card, bank, and POS payments with AI-powered fraud detection and merchant management tools.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hubtel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Payment Processing & Commerce Platform
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Payments & Money Movement (ACH/SEPA/FPS, Bill Pay, P2P) (FSAGAAAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure (FSAGABAO)
Keywords
Where Hubtel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Accra
- HQ country
- Ghana
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices12 records
Markets served
Hubtel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Payment Processing: Hubtel processes digital payments across multiple channels (mobile money, bank transfers, cards, POS) and earns transaction fees. The platform processed GHS 51.03 billion in total payment flow for the power distributor alone between July 2022 and May 2026.
- Marketplace Commission: Hubtel earns commissions from retail partners (restaurants, shops, pharmacies) on its platform. Top partners earn over GHS 15,000 weekly.
- Delivery/Rider Services: Hubtel operates a delivery network with riders who earn commission per delivery. Riders receive instant payouts after successful deliveries.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Retail Partner - Commission-based model |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Rider - Commission per delivery |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
Hubtel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hubtel is a Ghanaian payment services provider and commerce platform that unifies mobile money (MTN Momo, Telecel Cash, AT Money), card (Mastercard/Visa), bank transfer, and POS payment acceptance for businesses, exposed through the BackOffice merchant dashboard, developer APIs, and on-premises POS devices. It also operates consumer-facing apps for food and store delivery and bill payments, plus the PowerApp platform for utility revenue collection with AI-driven fraud and consumption analytics.
Product overview
Hubtel is a Ghanaian fintech and e-commerce platform offering a unified ecosystem of payment and commerce solutions. The core Hubtel Business Platform consists of three integrated modules—Clarity (payment flow visibility), Control (transaction oversight), and Growth (operational expansion)—enabling merchants to collect payments across mobile money (MTN Momo, Telecel Cash, AT Money), cards (Mastercard, Visa), bank transfers, and POS terminals. The consumer-facing Hubtel Mobile App provides everyday services including Food delivery, Store deliveries, Bill Payments (electricity, water, TV), Send SMS, and Pay Small Small installment payments. Enterprise solutions include PowerApp for utilities with Cloud Consumption Monitoring and OperationZero AI for revenue protection, plus the Hubtel AI Lab for fintech innovation. Supporting infrastructure includes BackOffice merchant dashboard, Hubtel Sales App for partners, Hubtel Rider App for delivery personnel, and HubtelWay AI internal knowledge assistant. The platform operates across 12+ cities in Ghana.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Hubtel Business Platform Unified payment and commerce platform for scale-ready Ghanaian businesses, enabling merchants to collect payments across mobile money (MTN Momo, Telecel Cash, AT Money), cards (Mastercard, Visa), bank transfers, and POS, with operational clarity, transaction control, and growth tooling.
- BackOffice Merchant dashboard for businesses to manage orders, track sales, monitor employee performance, and access real-time business insights and reports, available via web and mobile app.
- Hubtel Mobile App (Consumer) Consumer-facing mobile application for everyday essentials including food ordering, grocery and store delivery, bill payments, and Send SMS; available across iOS, Android, and Huawei AppGallery.
- PowerApp Cloud-based commercial platform for power and utility distributors providing real-time payment processing, consumption monitoring, customer self-service meter readings, monthly PDF statements, and AI-driven revenue protection.
- Hubtel Food Food delivery marketplace service allowing consumers to order meals from partner restaurants, fulfilled by Hubtel riders.
- Hubtel Stores Grocery and everyday essentials delivery marketplace connecting consumers with local shops and retailers via Hubtel's rider network.
- Pay Bills Bill payment service for utilities and subscriptions including electricity (ECG), water (Ghana Water), and TV subscriptions (DSTV, GOTV, Startimes).
- Pay Small Small Installment payment service allowing consumers to make purchases and pay in smaller amounts over time.
- Send SMS Bulk SMS messaging service for businesses and consumers to send notifications, promotions, and communications.
- Hubtel POS Point-of-sale terminal solution for merchants to accept card and mobile money payments in-person, integrated with the Hubtel business platform.
- Hubtel Rider App Delivery partner app for riders to accept orders, navigate to pickup and delivery locations, manage earnings, and receive instant payouts.
- Hubtel Developer APIs (Receive & Send Money API, Direct Debit API) Developer APIs exposing Hubtel's payment rails (Receive & Send Money API and Direct Debit API) for businesses and developers to integrate payment collection and automated debit workflows.
Quantifiable outcome
- 210%+ average monthly revenue growth
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Hubtel
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hubtel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability8 records
Feature5 records
Hubtel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Dubai ChambersminorHubtel hosted leaders of Dubai Chambers ahead of the New Horizon Investment Forum, indicating potential investment and expansion discussions.
- Absa GroupcoreAbsa Group CEO engaged with Hubtel leadership on financial innovation and collaboration. The meeting signifies mutual interest in deepening banking and fintech partnership.
- UK Department for Business and TrademinorHubtel hosted leaders of the UK Department for Business and Trade, representing potential international collaboration and market expansion discussions.
- MTN Fintech Partner ExchangecoreHubtel joined MTN to combat fraud via the Fintech Partner Exchange, collaborating with other fintech partners to address rising digital fraud cases.
- Cornell UniversityminorCornell University students visited Hubtel to understand Ghana's digital economy, representing academic collaboration and knowledge sharing.
- Brainwave AfricaTechminorHubtel partnered with Brainwave AfricaTech for AI education initiatives, empowering the next generation through technology education.
- MobileMoney Ltd (MTN Ghana)coreHubtel is recognized as a key fintech partner of MTN Ghana's MobileMoney Ltd. The partnership involves processing mobile money transactions and was highlighted in fraud combat initiatives via the Fintech Partner Exchange. MobileMoney Ltd honored Hubtel with a partnership excellence award.
- Ashesi UniversityminorPartnership with Ashesi University as part of university pipeline for engineering talent sourcing and development.
- University of Mines and Technology (UMaT)minorPartnership with UMaT as part of university talent pipeline for engineering recruitment.
- Bluecrest CollegeminorPartnership with Bluecrest College as part of university and coding academy talent pipeline.
- AI Lab Partners (OpenAI)coreHubtel's AI Lab uses OpenAI models for its RAG-based internal chatbot HubtelWay AI, leveraging OpenAI's LLM capabilities.
- St. Augustine's College (APSU '99 Legacy Project)minorHubtel Pledge contributed GHS 800,000 seed funding to renovate 18-room classroom block at St. Augustine's College. Three Hubtel co-founders are alumni of the school.
- University of Ghana School of Engineering SciencesminorHubtel collaborates with UG School of Engineering Sciences to identify and groom top engineering talent. Attended final year project presentations and discussed sponsoring graduation awards.
- Right to Information Commission (Ghana)minorHubtel donated 10 HP laptops to the RTI Commission as part of CSR, supporting the commission's mandate of promoting access to information.
- African Business Centre for Developing Education (ABCDE)minorHubtel honored its 1% Pledge with donation to support International Youth Day 2021 organized by ABCDE, focusing on helping business communities improve the educational sector.
- Ghana Police ServicecoreHubtel serves as key technology partner for Ghana Police Transformation Initiative, providing SMS communication platform to over 30,000 police personnel for data collection and emergency information delivery.
- Pledge 1% MovementcoreHubtel became first local Ghanaian tech company to join Pledge 1% movement in 2017, committing 1% of profit, products, and employee time to communities. Placed alongside Salesforce, Atlassian, TechCrunch.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Hubtel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wave: Mobile money operator offering low-fee P2P transfers, payments, and merchant services across Senegal, Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso, Gambia, and Uganda. Comparable to Hubtel's mobile-money-first payment stack and consumer/merchant dual-sided model.
- Interswitch: Nigerian-founded pan-African digital payments and commerce company offering payment processing, card issuing, and merchant acquiring across multiple African markets. Directly comparable as an established African PSP with both payment-processing and consumer-facing commerce assets.
- Cellulant: Pan-African digital payments platform providing payment aggregation across 35+ countries via a single API, including mobile money, bank, and card rails. Highly comparable payment-orchestration model to Hubtel's unified Ghanaian aggregator.
- Paystack: Nigerian-origin payment gateway (now Stripe-owned) providing unified online and offline payment acceptance for African businesses via APIs. Highly comparable business model to Hubtel's developer-facing payment APIs and merchant onboarding flow.
- DPO Group: Pan-African payment service provider offering card processing, mobile money, and bank payment aggregation across multiple African countries. Comparable as a regional PSP with similar merchant-acquiring and payment-orchestration focus.
- Chipper Cash: Cross-border African fintech offering P2P payments, merchant payments, and investment products across 20+ African countries. Comparable as a multi-country African payments player with merchant and consumer segments.
- MFS Africa / Onafriq: Pan-African mobile money and digital payments hub connecting over 500 million mobile wallets across 40+ African countries. Comparable as a payments-rail aggregator serving merchants and fintechs across Africa.
- Flutterwave: Pan-African payment service provider offering unified payment processing across mobile money, cards, and bank transfers for businesses. Closest functional peer to Hubtel's unified-PSP model, though operating at broader geographic scale.
Broad incumbents
- Stripe: Global payments infrastructure provider offering developer-first payment APIs, merchant acquiring, and embedded financial services. Comparable as the global benchmark for Hubtel's developer-facing payment API and merchant onboarding model, though not Africa-specialised.
- MTN MobileMoney (MoMo): Ghana's largest mobile money operator, simultaneously Hubtel's core integration partner and a potential competitor. Provides wallet, merchant, and bill-payment services that overlap with Hubtel's offerings.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hubtel social profiles
Digital presenceHubtel compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Hubtel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hubtel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Hubtel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hubtel 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 Hubtel
What does Hubtel do?
Hubtel is a Ghanaian payment services provider and commerce platform that unifies mobile money (MTN Momo, Telecel Cash, AT Money), card (Mastercard/Visa), bank transfer, and POS payment acceptance for businesses, exposed through the BackOffice merchant dashboard, developer APIs, and on-premises POS devices. It also operates consumer-facing apps for food and store delivery and bill payments, plus the PowerApp platform for utility revenue collection with AI-driven fraud and consumption analytics.
Is Hubtel a public or private company?
Hubtel is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Hubtel founded?
Hubtel was founded in 2005. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Hubtel based?
Hubtel is headquartered in Accra, Ghana, in the Africa region.
How does Hubtel make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Payment Processing is the primary driver. The others are marketplace Commission and delivery/Rider Services.
Who are Hubtel's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wave, Interswitch, Cellulant, Paystack, DPO Group, Chipper Cash, MFS Africa / Onafriq and Flutterwave. Broad incumbents are Stripe and MTN MobileMoney (MoMo).
Does Hubtel have an API?
Yes. Hubtel provides APIs for developers to integrate payment services including Receive & Send Money API and Direct Debit API. The APIs enable businesses to collect payments from MTN Momo, Telecel Cash, AT Money, banks, and cards, as well as automate payment workflows. Developer documentation is at developers.hubtel.com.
What industry is Hubtel in?
Hubtel's product category is Payment Processing & Commerce Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAAAF, Digital Payments & Money Movement (ACH/SEPA/FPS, Bill Pay, P2P), with a secondary code of FSAGABAO, POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure. Its NAICS code is 52232 and its SIC code is 6199.