Cardtonic, a leading African fintech super-app, announced that its Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel Sohe, joined an executive panel session at Web Summit Vancouver, where he shared the strategies that have kept Cardtonic profitable and growing for over half a decade without relying on investors.
The session was themed “The New Go-To-Market Blueprint: Building Predictable Revenue in 2026” and brought together fintech leaders to address one of the industry’s most pressing questions: how do you build a sustainable, profitable business when the old grow-at-all-costs playbook no longer works?
Cardtonic CEO on Why Customers Come Before Investors
Speaking before a global audience of founders, investors, and executives, Emmanuel Sohe made his position clear: “Your customers are your first investors.”
He explained that customers who invest their hard-earned money into a product, trusting it will solve their problem, deserve more attention than a pitch deck ever will. Brands that chase investor funding over customer satisfaction, he argued, are building towards bleeding margins, unprofitable customer bases, and eventually, a shutdown.
“Every product had to answer one question: how does this bring in money?” Sohe said, pointing out that for Cardtonic, profitability and customer value have always been the same thing, not competing priorities.
Products Built Around Real Problems
Sohe walked the audience through how this thinking plays out in practice. When Nigerian bank cards were restricted from international payments due to foreign exchange scarcity, Cardtonic launched a virtual dollar card that gave thousands of Nigerians a way to pay for international subscriptions, online courses, and global services without any restrictions.
The same thinking runs through every product in the Cardtonic lineup: gift card trading that converts unwanted cards to instant cash, eSIMs for staying connected across borders, and a digital gadget shop where users can buy authentic tech products without breaking the bank.
Why Cardtonic Treats Revenue as More Than a Number
One of the clearest takeaways from the panel was how Sohe and other panellists spoke about revenue. Not just as a figure to report, but as a way to understand whether a product is actually working.
“Revenue is better fuel than external capital when your model can sustain itself,” Sohe said. He explained that Cardtonic uses revenue data to study customer behaviour, shape products, and decide when and where to expand, rather than scaling first and hoping the market catches up.
That approach has allowed Cardtonic to stay in control of its own decisions, manage cash flow tightly, and generate profitable revenue without the pressure that comes with external funding.
What Cardtonic’s Story Means for African Fintech
Sohe’s appearance at Web Summit Vancouver puts a spotlight on a growing conversation about how African fintech companies are building and scaling. Cardtonic has done it without investor backing, serving over 1.5 million users and remaining profitable across multiple product lines.
The constraints that come with building in Africa, from infrastructure gaps to limited access to funding, are pushing founders to find leaner, more efficient ways to operate. Cardtonic is one of the clearest examples of what that looks like in practice.
About Cardtonic
Cardtonic is a fast-growing fintech super-app enabling payments beyond borders through alternative channels such as virtual dollar cards and digital assets. The platform serves more than 1.5 million users, providing frictionless access to global payments, secure gift card exchange, international bills, and digital connectivity via eSIMs.
With a strong culture of discipline, speed, and customer trust, Cardtonic gives Africans the freedom to transact globally without relying solely on traditional banking rails. For more information, users can visit www.cardtonic.com.
Contact
Client Success Associate
Adedolapo Oni
Memoir Communications
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