Nelly Chatue-Diop grew up in Cameroon, a place where most people relied on traditional ways to save and invest. From an early age, she was curious about how systems worked, from computers to markets, and this curiosity guided her steps.
After earning a scholarship from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she studied at the École Supérieure de Chimie Physique Électronique de Lyon, and later pursued an MBA at HEC Paris, including an exchange program at London Business School. These experiences gave her a global view of business, finance, and technology.
But what truly set Nelly Chatue-Diop apart was her drive to connect this knowledge to people often left out of financial opportunities. She envisioned a world where ordinary Africans, from city workers to rural farmers, could save, invest, and grow their wealth using the same tools that global investors used.
This vision would later shape Ejara, her groundbreaking fintech platform, and solidify her place as a trailblazer in Francophone Africa.
From Data Expert to Entrepreneurial Trailblazer
Before founding Ejara, Nelly built a strong career in data and technology across Europe. She worked as a software developer in London, then returned to France, where she established the pricing and data departments at Groupe Casino, Darty, and Betclic. Her work required understanding business strategies, customer behavior, and market trends.
Her excellence did not go unnoticed. She won the “Femme Engagée” award in 2013 and was named one of Europe’s top ten data directors in 2018. In 2020, CDO Magazine recognized her among the most influential women in data leadership, and she joined the top 100 Global Data Visionaries. Each recognition reflected her commitment to detail, precision, and problem-solving, qualities that would become crucial in her entrepreneurial journey.
By the time she co-founded Ejara, Nelly had mastered both the technical and business sides of data, preparing her to tackle one of the most challenging problems in African finance: accessibility. She knew that building a platform was not enough; she needed to create one that people could trust and use.
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Building Ejara: Making Crypto Accessible
In 2020, Nelly Chatue-Diop co-founded Ejara with Baptiste Andrieux to create the first non-custodial blockchain-based investment platform in Francophone Africa. Unlike custodial wallets, where a company holds your assets, Ejara gave users complete control of their investments. This approach not only increased security but also empowered users to take charge of their financial decisions.
She focused on simplicity. Ejara worked seamlessly on basic smartphones, even in remote areas, and offered local-language interfaces. Nelly also understood that technology alone wouldn’t drive adoption. She introduced financial education through bite-sized videos, community workshops, and offline forums. Users could learn how to invest safely, understand risk, and manage savings effectively.
Her vision was clear: crypto and digital investments shouldn’t feel exclusive or intimidating. They had to be tools that everyday people could use to improve their lives, whether they were urban gig-workers, small-scale farmers, or women in rural communities.
Scaling the Dream Across Francophone Africa
Ejara grew fast, but the growth reflected careful planning and real impact. The company raised $2 million in 2021 and an additional $8 million in 2022, attracting major investors like Bpifrance, Circle, and Ledger founder, Pascal Gauthier. In less than 14 months, Ejara expanded its user base from 8,000 to over 70,000 across nine countries, including Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Senegal.
Nelly placed a strong emphasis on inclusion. About 40% of Ejara users were women, significantly higher than the average for crypto platforms, and the company set a goal to reach 50%. She made sure the platform reached underserved populations, from rural savings groups to informal urban workers, teaching responsible investment practices and fostering trust.
Through this approach, Ejara became more than a fintech platform. It became a community where financial education and empowerment went hand in hand with investment opportunities. Each new user was a testament to Nelly’s belief that financial tools should serve the people, not the other way around.
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Creating a Legacy of Empowerment
Nelly Chatue-Diop leaves behind a legacy of empowerment, innovation, and inclusion. She proved that fintech could be designed for people who had never had access to traditional banking. Her focus on education, responsible investing, and ethical growth set a standard for the region and inspired a new generation of women entrepreneurs.
Her words capture her philosophy: “Our vision is to create a world where Africans are no longer consumers of technology but rather shareholders.” Nelly showed that with determination, knowledge, and respect for users’ realities, it is possible to transform industries while creating tools that people actually use.
Though she passed away in January after a battle with illness, her work continues to inspire, not because of the challenges she faced, but because of the solutions she built and the doors she opened.
By connecting technology, education, and finance, Nelly helped Francophone Africa take its place in the global investment landscape. Her legacy reminds us that meaningful impact is measured not by headlines, but by how many lives are touched and empowered.
Follow Her Vision
Discover more stories of Africans shaping industries and communities by following RefinedNG. Learn from leaders like Nelly Chatue-Diop, whose innovations created opportunities for ordinary people to achieve extraordinary growth. Engage, share, and be inspired by the impact of vision, courage, and action. Nelly’s story is a blueprint for building tools that serve people, leaving a legacy that will continue to influence Francophone Africa and beyond.