Pretium

About Pretium
Pretium is a payment platform that enables individuals and businesses to make payments at merchant points, facilitate cross-border and settle other utility payments using crypto assets while processing payments for merchants / enablers in local currencies. We are currently operational in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa.
A major barrier to mass blockchain adoption in Africa is limited integration of digital assets with the existing payment rails, making it difficult and complex to use digital assets on everyday transactions or purchases.
Our platform makes crypto assets usable in day to day transactions similar to the way people use fiat currencies.
For example, users are able to pay for groceries at the local grocery stores, pay for shopping at supermarkets, pay for bills at restaurants and pay for all their related goods and services at merchant points using digital assets.
Additionally, we facilitate cross-border payments focusing on intra-africa trades.
We’re on a mission to blur the distinction between existing payment rails and digital assets.
Our impact on Celo ecosystem
1/ Boost daily transaction volumes and transaction values
By enabling users to use their crypto assets for everyday transactions, we anticipate a significant increase in transaction volumes and values on the Celo network. This boost will enhance the overall activity within the Celo ecosystem.

2/ Enhanced confidence and trust to hold Celo assets
By enabling users to use their Celo assets for day to day transactions, our platform increases users confidence in holding and using Celo assets. This will consequently lead to higher adoption rates of Celo assets and stablecoins. Additionally with the seamless day to day transactions and lower costs offered by the Celo network, their trust in the Celo ecosystem will grow, encouraging more users to join and utilize Celo assets.
3/ Community growth
As our platform grows in transaction value, transaction volume and number of users, there will be increased opportunities for partnerships with other projects, both within and outside the Celo ecosystem, further strengthening the Celo community. This will lead to a larger and more vibrant Celo community as more developers and entrepreneurs will look at Pretium Finance as a case study on the potential of building on the Celo network.
Our achievements on Celo ecosystem
1/ Our dApp is listed on MiniPay that enables MiniPay users to pay for groceries, shop at supermarkets, pay at restaurants and make payments at merchant points using cUSD and soon USDT and USDC.
In Kenya, we have integrated with mainstream payment infrastructure i.e. MPESA, making it seamless for Celo assets holders such cUSD, USDT and USDC use their assets for goods and services payments as if using fiat currencies.
2/ We have built a web application that supplements our dApp to facilitate cross-payments.
Verifiable transactions on-chain
https://celoscan.io/address/0x3eaab84b42f9fcf2a9b3f2fdb83572b4153ee958#tokentxns
Future plans & development
Objective 1
Expand the merchant payments service to Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana.
Timeframe
Q3 2024 - Q4 2024 (July 2024 - January 2025)
Current Status (July 2024)
We are conducting in-depth market research in Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana;
We are evaluating local partnerships, payment gateways, and integration needs for Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana
We are assessing the technical and financial feasibility of launching in Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana.
In the next 2 years, we are planning to have rolled out our merchant payments services on Celo mainnet across 6 African nations.
Objective 2
Add support for USDT and USDC assets to our dApp and web application.
Timeframe
Q3 2024 (July 2024 - October 2024)
Current Status (July 2024)
We are developing user interface enhancements to accommodate the new asset options.
We are coordinating with relevant stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation and support.
Use of funds received
1/ Integrate Celo USDT and USDC on Pretium Finance
Product Goal
Enable use of Celo USDT and USDC on our merchant payments on MiniPay dApp and web application for Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana.
Tasks
Developed backend APIs that link our core payments infrastructure with frontend interfaces.
Develop APIs that will settle transactions on local currencies for merchants / enablers.
Implement notifications and email alerts for payment notifications

2/ Build and launch merchant payments products for Nigeria, South Africa and Ghana.
Product Goal
Develop frontend interfaces (dApp & web) and backend APIs that support payments at merchant point using Celo cUSD, USDT and USDC.
Tasks

• Design and develop frontend interfaces for payments at merchant points in 3 new countries.
• Link frontend with backend payment processing APIs for accepting crypto assets and settle payments.
• Implement notifications and email alerts for payment notifications
  3/ Marketing and Communication Plan
  Product Goal
  Conduct marketing campaigns to increase brand awareness of the new products.
  Tasks
  Develop three articles announcing the launch of the product in the three new countries;
  Develop a list of FAQs for the three new countries;
  Design 10 social media graphics for each country that will accompany the launch of the product;
  Develop 6 video demos of real life use cases of customer journey from customer’s perspective. Two videos for each country;
  Develop a two months social media calendar content, short LinkedIn and Twitter posts with accompanying graphics
  Two months marketing campaign rewarding 3 daily top spenders of each of the three countries
  Proposed Budget
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pc6NcWUKsDzkKu1wXZ5pSKeHWxGKxI1Htbsd75RQdV0/edit?gid=0#gid=0
  Team
  Derrick Bundi (CEO / CTO)
  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrick-bundi
  X (Formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/_derrickbundi
  Prior Experience
  Derrick boasts of 6 years of experience in developing financial service tools in the Web2 and Web3 space that have fueled growth of multiple financial startups. These tools have played a pivotal role in enhancing financial inclusion across sub-saharan Africa. Among the tools and services Derrick has developed is a blockchain-powered liquidity platform for mobile money agents, enabling businesses to access wealth stored as digital assets in the form of small business loans, repayable with interest.
  Chris Meme (Chief Product Officer)
  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-m-a05a07134/
  Prior Experience
  Chris is a well-versed product and project management professional with 8 years in project management and at least 4 years leading product development across fintech, last mile payments and healthtech products. He has led product and project development digital financial services products in the Web2, Web3 space and healthtech products from behavioral research and design to deployment and post-deployment monitoring in Kenya and across Africa through research tool design, data reporting, risk management, budget formulation and expense tracking, fundraising and leading strategy. He is leveraging the same skills in building Pretium Finance.
  Faith Kinyua (Chief Financial Officer)
  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/faith-kinyua-0aa046190/
  Prior Experience
  Faith brings a wealth of experience in financial analysis and risk management boosting over 5 years of experience. With a keen eye for detail and a proactive approach, she excels in assessing creditworthiness, negotiating terms, and ensuring compliance. She has fuelled growth of multiple financial service companies in Kenya and beyond.