WINNER: Start-up of the Year – Cardtonic

MOI Awards 2025 put a spotlight on bold young businesses, and in the Start-up of the Year category, Cardtonic stood out from the pack.

MOI Awards recognised Cardtonic for doing something very simple but very powerful: turning a small, everyday frustration into a full digital finance solution. What began as a platform helping people sell or swap unused gift cards has grown into a wider service Nigerians and other Africans now rely on for real-life financial needs.

Today, Cardtonic helps users access value from gift cards, handle digital payments more easily and plug into global online services that are often blocked by FX limits and card issues. Freelancers, small business owners and young professionals increasingly see it as a useful bridge between local money realities and digital, dollar-based platforms.

Judges at MOI Awards were impressed not just by Cardtonic’s growth, but by its resilience in a year of tough regulations, currency swings and funding pressure for start-ups. The company’s ability to earn user trust, keep improving its product and quietly expand its reach made its win as Start-up of the Year feel like a signal of where the next generation of African fintech is heading.