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§ Private Profile · Johannesburg, NA - South Africa, South Africa
VALR is a technology company.
VALR has raised $51.5M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at VALR.
VALR has raised $51.5M in total across 2 funding rounds.
VALR operates a digital asset trading platform, facilitating the buying, selling, storing, and transferring of various cryptocurrencies. The company offers a secure and high-performance environment designed to make engagement with digital assets and advanced financial tools more accessible to a broad user base. Its technical approach focuses on providing robust infrastructure for the evolving crypto economy.
The company was co-founded in 2018 by Farzam Ehsani, who leads as CEO, and Badi Sudhakaran, Chief Product Officer. The foundational insight stemmed from a recognition of the global need for a more inclusive and borderless financial system. Ehsani's prior experience, including his role as Blockchain Lead at Rand Merchant Bank and the FirstRand Group, informed the development of a comprehensive digital asset platform.
VALR’s platform serves a diverse clientele, from individual retail traders entering the cryptocurrency market to more sophisticated investors. The company's overarching vision is to construct a global financial system that transcends traditional boundaries, connecting every individual with high-performance finance and fostering an equitable financial landscape for all.
Key people at VALR.
VALR has raised $51.5M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $50.0M Series B in February 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2022 | $50M Series B | Pantera Capital | Cadenza Capital Management, Draper Associates, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Jump Crypto, Krillion Ventures, Sunset Ventures, Symbolic Capital, UpHonest Capital, Mark Cuban, Michael Dunworth, 4DI Capital, Alameda Research, Avon Ventures, Bittrex, CMT Digital, Coinbase Ventures, Distributed Global, GSR, Third Prime | Announced |
| Feb 28, 2019 | $1.5M Seed | Bill Shihara | — | Announced |
VALR has raised $51.5M in total across 2 funding rounds.
VALR's investors include Pantera Capital, Cadenza Capital Management, Draper Associates, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Jump Crypto, Krillion Ventures, Sunset Ventures, Symbolic Capital, UpHonest Capital, Mark Cuban, Michael Dunworth, 4Di Capital.
VALR is Africa's largest cryptocurrency exchange by trade volume, founded in 2018 and headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.[1][2][5] It builds a comprehensive crypto trading platform offering spot trading, spot margin, perpetual futures, staking, lending, OTC services, API for high-frequency traders, subaccounts, and payment solutions like VALR Pay, serving over 1.5 million users and 1,800 corporate/institutional clients globally.[1][2][5] VALR solves accessibility barriers to crypto trading by providing seamless on-ramps via partnerships (e.g., Checkout.com for 150+ fiat currencies), regulatory compliance (FSCA license in South Africa, approvals in Europe and Dubai), and high-performance markets, targeting retail, institutional, and high-frequency traders amid rising Bitcoin prices above $85,000.[1][2][4] Growth momentum is strong: user base doubled in 2024 to over 1 million, $55 million raised (including a record $50 million Series B in 2022 from Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures, F-Prime/Fidelity), and over $15 billion in processed volume.[1][3]
VALR was founded in 2018 in Johannesburg as a spot-only crypto exchange, quickly evolving into Africa's top platform by trade volume.[1][2] Key investors like Pantera Capital, Coinbase Ventures, GSR, and F-Prime (Fidelity affiliate) provided $55 million in funding, with the $50 million Series B in 2022 marking Africa's largest crypto raise.[1][3] The idea emerged to bridge crypto access in underserved African markets while expanding globally, adding products like margin trading, futures, staking, lending, OTC, and advanced APIs to meet international demand.[1][2] Pivotal moments include surpassing 1 million users in 2024 amid Bitcoin highs, partnerships like Checkout.com for fiat on-ramps, and Circle for USDC/EURC minting, alongside regulatory wins in South Africa, Europe, and Dubai.[1][2][4]
VALR rides the global crypto bull market, with Bitcoin surpassing $85,000 and renewed institutional interest post-2024 halving, positioning it as a key gateway for African and emerging-market adoption.[1] Timing aligns with regulatory clarity (e.g., South Africa FSCA, Europe/Dubai approvals) amid fragmented global rules, enabling expansion beyond spot trading to derivatives and fiat ramps—critical as crypto on-ramps remain a friction point.[1][2] Market forces like rising trade volumes (e.g., 1,636% growth spikes) and partnerships (Checkout.com, Circle) favor VALR's hybrid retail-institutional model, influencing Africa's startup ecosystem by providing liquidity/tools for fintechs and boosting continent-wide crypto infrastructure.[1][3][4] As Pantera-backed, it amplifies VC impact, processing $15B+ volume while humanizing finance through its mission for a "just financial future."[2]
VALR's trajectory points to further global scaling, leveraging 1.5M+ users and product expansions into more derivatives, payments, and regions like the Middle East/Asia.[1][2] Trends like tokenized assets, stablecoin adoption, and AI-driven trading will shape it, with regulatory tailwinds (e.g., full VARA in Dubai) accelerating institutional inflows amid projected crypto market growth.[1][4] Influence may evolve from African leader to top-50 global exchange, deepening VC ties for acquisitions or Web3 integrations—cementing its role as the Pantera-backed powerhouse democratizing crypto access.[1][3]
