A South African fintech startup is headed to the global stage. Fintura, an AI-powered accounting platform for professionals, has won the South African chapter of the Startup World Cup, one of the most prestigious global competitions for startups and emerging tech ventures.
The win secures Fintura a coveted spot in the Grand Finale in Silicon Valley, where it will compete against other regional winners from over 20 countries for global exposure, investment opportunities, and the ultimate startup bragging rights.
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Backed by angel investor and former Kalon Venture Partners CEO Clive Butkow, Fintura is the first South African startup in recent years to win a regional leg of the competition with a fintech product built specifically for digitising professional services in emerging markets.
“This win validates the massive opportunity in rethinking how accounting and compliance services are delivered across Africa,” says Butkow, now Managing Partner of Conducive Capital. “Fintura isn’t just a platform—it’s solving real, daily pain points for accountants who are drowning in fragmented, outdated tools.”
A Unified Platform Built for Practitioners, by Practitioners
Founded by Bernice Christine Houy, a seasoned accountant with over a decade of experience, Fintura was born from frustration, juggling multiple platforms for billing, compliance, tax, HR, and audit tasks without a unified system.
The result is South Africa’s first AI-powered accounting platform that brings together every core business function of a professional practice in one seamless dashboard. It’s built to reduce admin, drive efficiency, and ensure compliance across accounting firms of all sizes.
“We’ve built what we wish existed,” said Bernice. “Our goal is to empower accounting professionals with smarter tools so they can focus on strategic work, not paperwork.”
Co-founded with Reece Bailey, Fintura now joins a select group of African startups pushing the boundaries of innovation and proving that some of the most compelling ideas are born outside the traditional tech capitals.
Global Validation for SA-Born Innovation
Often dubbed the “Olympics of Startups”, the Startup World Cup is hosted by Pegasus Tech Ventures, attracting more than 100 regional entries globally. Previous winners have raised millions in follow-on funding, and the platform has become a launchpad for high-growth ventures solving real-world problems.
“Innovation doesn’t only happen in Silicon Valley,” says Butkow. “It’s happening here in South Africa, solving problems that matter—especially in professional services, where digitisation is long overdue.”
Fintura’s success at the regional finals reflects a broader trend: the rise of vertical SaaS and AI-driven solutions in Africa. As startups shift from consumer-facing apps to B2B tools with measurable impact, investors are taking note and founders like Bernice and Reece are showing what’s possible with domain knowledge, grit, and product-market fit.
