What Zolarux does

Zolarux is a Nigerian e-commerce trust infrastructure platform that intermediates gadget transactions through escrow protection and vendor verification. Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Warri, the company operates a marketplace where buyers browse listings of phones, laptops, accessories, electronics, and adjacent categories, while Zolarux holds payment in escrow, verifies the physical gadget before shipping approval, and arbitrates disputes within 2–6 hours if issues arise. Vendors are vetted through a multi-step verification process that includes government ID checks, live facial verification, business registration confirmation, supplier checks, and video interviews; a Trust Score of 60 or higher is required to be listed. Complementary free safety tools extend the platform beyond its own listings: Check Vendor (instant verification by phone number), Check Stolen Device (IMEI/serial lookup against a national registry with 2,000+ device checks performed), Verify Originality (manufacturer database lookups), and Scan Link (AI-powered scam detection for external listings on Instagram, Jiji, Twitter, and Facebook). The platform integrates Paystack for payment processing and WhatsApp as its primary communication channel, with an Android app available on Google Play.

The company's revenue model is a transactional buyer protection fee of ₦1,500–₦5,000 per transaction, capped at ₦5,000 regardless of order size and non-refundable even on disputed or failed transactions. Vendors pay zero listing or transaction fees. Customer segments include Nigerian gadget buyers (primarily individuals purchasing via social commerce), Nigerian gadget vendors (SMEs and solo entrepreneurs), and a secondary segment of dropshippers using Zolarux's split-payment flow to fulfill orders without upfront capital. Distribution is digital-first through the zolarux.com.ng marketplace, WhatsApp, and the Android app; operations are nationwide across Nigeria with no disclosed international presence. As of the latest data, the platform has completed 100+ transactions and protected ₦2M+ in escrow with zero confirmed scams. Zolarux is a privately held, bootstrapped Nigerian limited company (Zolarux Limited) with no disclosed institutional investors, parent entities, or subsidiary structure.

Name

Zolarux

Legal name

Zolarux Limited

Website

https://zolarux.com.ng

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zolarux is a Nigerian escrow-based marketplace that verifies gadget vendors and protects buyer payments until delivery confirmation, serving Nigerian consumers, gadget vendors, and dropshippers with complementary AI-powered scam detection and a stolen-device registry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Marketplace

NAICS

Electronics and Appliance Retailers (4492)

SIC

Retail-Computer & Computer Software Stores (5734)

akta.pro primary industry

Escrow, Trustee & Agency Services (Custody-Adjacent) (FSAFAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Compliance, Risk & Supplier Due Diligence (KYC/ESG/Sanctions) (BPAAAJAK)

Keywords

• Escrow payment services
• Vendor verification platform
• Online gadget marketplace
• Stolen device registry
• Scam detection tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Warri

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Buyer Protection Fees: Buyers pay a flat protection fee of ₦1,500–₦5,000 per transaction (capped at ₦5,000 regardless of order size). This fee covers escrow management, verification, and dispute investigation. Fee is non-refundable regardless of transaction outcome.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Zolarux operates a vendor-verified, escrow-protected marketplace for buying and selling gadgets in Nigeria. The platform holds buyer funds in escrow until delivery is confirmed, physically verifies gadgets before shipping approval, and verifies vendors through identity, business, and supplier checks. It also offers free safety tools including a stolen device registry, originality verification, and AI-powered scam link scanning for off-platform listings.

Product overview

Zolarux is a Nigerian e-commerce trust infrastructure platform operating as a multi-module ecosystem for gadget transactions. The core offering is the Zolarux Escrow System, which holds buyer payments until delivery confirmation, paired with a multi-step Vendor Verification Service that vets sellers through identity checks, business verification, supplier confirmation, and video interviews. The platform provides five safety tools: Check Vendor (instant verification), Check Stolen Device (IMEI registry), Verify Originality (manufacturer database checks), Scan Link (AI-powered scam detection), and Report Stolen Device (national registry). All transactions occur through the Verified Listings Catalog covering Phones, Laptops, Accessories, Electronics, Gaming, and other gadget categories. Additional services include Dispute Resolution (binding arbitration), Refund & Return Policy (100% money-back guarantee), a mobile Android app, and a Blog for trust education. The platform generates revenue via buyer protection fees (₦1,500–₦5,000 flat) while charging vendors zero fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zolarux Escrow System Neutral third-party escrow platform that holds buyer funds until delivery is confirmed and satisfaction verified. Covers inquiry negotiation, payment holding, verification, fulfillment monitoring, and payout release, with a 24-hour inspection window after delivery and a 100% money-back guarantee for non-delivery or significantly different items.
• Vendor Verification Service Multi-step vendor vetting service including identity verification (government ID, live facial verification), business confirmation (CAC/SMEDAN registration), supplier checks, and video call interviews. Vendors must achieve a Trust Score of 60+ to be listed as Zolarux-verified, with the verification badge available free to qualifying vendors.
• Verified Listings Catalog Pre-verified gadget marketplace where every listing is from a Zolarux-verified vendor and every transaction is escrow-protected. Catalog spans Phones, Laptops, Accessories, Electronics, Gaming, Home & Kitchen, Cameras & Photography, Wearables & Smartwatches, and Toys & Games categories.

Quantifiable outcome

• 0 confirmed scams on platform transactions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Paystack: Nigerian payments infrastructure provider that processes Zolarux's escrow flows. Operates broadly across payments and could move into escrow-adjacent trust services, making it both an infrastructure dependency and a potential competitor.
• Konga: Nigeria-based e-commerce marketplace with a strong electronics and gadgets category. Competes for the same Nigerian gadget buyer but as a full-stack retailer rather than a peer-to-peer trust infrastructure.
• Flutterwave: Major African payments infrastructure company providing payment processing and store solutions. Comparable as a Nigerian fintech enabler whose expansion into trust, escrow, or marketplace services would directly overlap with Zolarux's niche.
• Jumia: Pan-African e-commerce marketplace with a substantial electronics and phones category in Nigeria. Competes for the same gadget buyers but offers a full retail platform rather than a peer-to-peer trust layer.

Direct peers

• Jiji Nigeria: Nigeria's largest online classifieds marketplace for gadgets and consumer goods. Zolarux explicitly positions itself against the trust gaps on Jiji (and Instagram/WhatsApp listings) and offers AI-based scam detection that scans Jiji listings, making Jiji the most directly comparable marketplace in the same geography.
• Escrow.com: A global, licensed online escrow service that holds buyer funds until transaction conditions are met — the same core function Zolarux performs for Nigerian gadget commerce, making it the closest functional peer though operating in a different regulatory and geographic context.
• Cars45 (now Carsafrica): Nigerian online used-vehicle marketplace built around third-party inspection and verification before transaction — a structurally analogous trust-and-verification-first marketplace model, though applied to vehicles rather than gadgets.

Regional players

• Cheki Nigeria: Nigerian online vehicle marketplace with inspection services. Comparable as a regional marketplace operating a verification-and-trust model for high-value used goods in Nigeria.
• Slot Systems: Nigeria's largest dedicated phone and electronics retail chain. Relevant as the offline incumbent against which Zolarux's verified online vendors compete for gadget buyers in the same geography.

Others

• Mono (formerly Otto): Nigerian open-banking and identity-verification API provider. Comparable as adjacent infrastructure for KYC and identity verification that Zolarux performs manually and could integrate with to scale vendor verification.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zolaruxofficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/zolaruxofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zolarux