On February 10, 2026, the global fintech landscape witnessed a trio of landmark announcements that signal a new era of collaboration, technological innovation, and inclusive growth across Asia and Africa. From the heart of Nigeria’s digital training sector to the bustling fintech corridors of Mumbai and the policy-driven halls of Bhubaneswar, these developments underscore a collective push to reshape how financial services are built, delivered, and regulated for the future.
In Nigeria, the Ibadan Digital Academy (IDA) set the tone for transformative change by unveiling a strategic partnership with Ajoti, a fintech firm focused on digitizing trusted savings systems. According to BusinessDay, this collaboration is designed to promote and expand access to inclusive financial innovation, particularly for underserved communities. IDA, well-regarded for its digital capacity building and skills acquisition programs, aims to equip young people with the employable and entrepreneurial skills needed in today’s digital economy. Ajoti, on the other hand, brings its research-driven expertise in digitizing AJO (a form of Rotating Savings and Credit Association, or ROSCA). Unlike traditional credit systems that rely on credit scoring, Ajoti’s model leverages consistency and collective discipline to build financial access.
The timing of this partnership is significant. Ajoti recently received support from the Crimson Project at the University of Utah, a move intended to strengthen the company’s platform model, enhance technical development, and prepare for pilot implementation. The collaboration was initiated by IDA CEO Peter Ojo, who, after engaging with Osho Ademola Joel and the Ajoti team, recognized the potential to rethink financial access through a community savings framework. As part of their agreement, IDA will provide technical expertise, digital skills training, and incubation support to help Ajoti develop its product and deploy it across Nigeria. Both organizations have emphasized that this partnership aligns with their shared commitment to innovation, skills development, and technology-driven solutions for underserved populations.
Meanwhile, in India, MIDASX, a rising star in the country’s fintech ecosystem, announced a record-breaking 30% revenue growth in Q3 FY 25–26. As reported by Meyka AI PTY LTD, this achievement marks MIDASX’s strongest quarterly performance since its inception and signals a pivotal shift from product development to large-scale execution. The company reached SaaS break-even and achieved cash-flow positivity, milestones that highlight its operational maturity and long-term sustainability. This financial success is underpinned by the launch of a comprehensive AI-powered fintech platform that integrates multi-asset financial product distribution, empowering intermediaries such as mutual fund distributors and advisors to deliver improved financial services at scale.
The AI-driven platform launched by MIDASX streamlines onboarding, transaction management, analytics, and advisory support, making it easier for intermediaries to operate efficiently and provide clients with diverse investment options. The company’s freemium-driven growth strategy and AI-enabled tools have facilitated rapid user adoption and improved client engagement. To support its expanding operations, MIDASX opened a new office in Mumbai and significantly increased its workforce, reinforcing its commitment to technological innovation and service excellence.
Aakash Bansal, Co-Founder and CEO of MIDASX, described Q3 FY 25–26 as a transformational phase for the company. “We’re not just building software; we’re constructing the infrastructure for the future of financial distribution in India,” Bansal said, highlighting the company’s vision to become the default operating system for financial advisors and product creators nationwide. MIDASX’s roadmap includes deepening platform engagement, expanding into underserved regions, enhancing AI capabilities, and strengthening advisor engagement—steps that align with the company’s broader goal of building a unified fintech infrastructure to meet India’s growing demand for efficient, technology-driven financial services.
But the story of fintech innovation this week doesn’t end with individual company milestones. At the Black Swan Summit India 2026 in Bhubaneswar, the Startup Policy Forum (SPF) announced a strategic collaboration with the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), a move set to accelerate fintech and digital innovation not just in India, but across borders. According to Bernama, the partnership was formalized in the presence of senior ministers, industry leaders, and global ecosystem stakeholders, and is designed to foster coordinated policy engagement, ecosystem development, and cross-border growth programs.
SPF, which represents more than 65 high-growth Indian startups collectively valued at over US$100 billion, works closely with key government institutions to strengthen India’s innovation policy ecosystem. GFTN, a Singapore-headquartered platform established by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, connects policy, technology, and finance leaders across more than 130 countries to advance resilient and inclusive financial systems. The collaboration will focus on strengthening global–India innovation corridors, enabling structured policy dialogue between regulators and industry, and supporting the international expansion of high-growth Indian startups. Priority areas include digital finance infrastructure, responsible artificial intelligence, digital assets, cross-border payments, and regulatory innovation.
Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President and CEO of SPF, captured the significance of the partnership succinctly: “This partnership embeds India’s startup ecosystem more deeply into global financial and technology networks. By combining SPF’s on-ground policy advocacy with GFTN’s global platforms, we can drive regulatory coherence, cross-border growth and long-term innovation that benefits entrepreneurs and consumers alike.”
The emergence of such alliances and innovations points to a broader trend: fintech’s evolution from isolated, market-specific solutions to interconnected, policy-driven, and technology-enabled ecosystems. In Nigeria, the IDA-Ajoti partnership reflects a growing recognition of the need for community-based financial solutions that go beyond traditional models. In India, MIDASX’s achievements underscore the importance of operational maturity, AI-driven platforms, and workforce expansion in scaling digital financial services. And at the policy level, the SPF-GFTN collaboration demonstrates how regulatory coherence and global partnerships can create the enabling environment needed for startups to thrive and expand internationally.
What ties these developments together is a shared commitment to financial inclusion, technological innovation, and ecosystem growth. Whether it’s digitizing grassroots savings systems in West Africa, modernizing wealth management infrastructure in South Asia, or building bridges between regulators and innovators across continents, the message is clear: the future of fintech will be shaped by those who can blend technology, policy, and community impact in creative and sustainable ways.
As these partnerships and platforms take root, the coming years are likely to bring even greater integration, competition, and opportunity across the global fintech sector—offering hope that inclusive financial innovation can become more than just a buzzword, but a lived reality for millions worldwide.
