J
oe Kinvi, former head of finance at Touchtech Payments, joined the Irish startup in 2017 on a reduced salary and negotiated stock options to make up the difference. Eighteen months later, Stripe acquired the company, converting his equity into shares that allowed him to leave his job and start a side project. This eventually led to the founding of Borderless, a platform helping Africans in the diaspora collectively invest in startups and real estate back home.

    Since launching in beta last year, Borderless has processed over $500,000 in transactions. Kinvi's goal is to make it easier for diasporans to invest in productive assets, as billions of dollars are sent back home each year but mostly go into unproductive areas. His journey began with Hoaq, an investment club formed during the pandemic that pooled small checks from local and diasporan angels into African startups.

    However, they faced numerous challenges, including opening a bank account, currency mismatches, and regulatory requirements. To manage this complexity, Hoaq used membership dues to hire a lawyer and eventually built light automation into its workflow. This experience laid the foundation for Borderless, which provides the backend infrastructure for diaspora collectives to onboard members, accept cross-border payments, and deploy capital securely.

    Today, over 100 communities are on Borderless' waitlist, with more than 10 startups and two real estate projects backed in Kenya since its launch. The platform operates under U.K. regulatory cover, allowing it to market investment opportunities without violating securities laws. Kinvi sees room to expand into other asset classes, including film and diaspora bonds.

    To establish trust among investors, Borderless routes funds directly to verified sellers or escrow accounts, eliminating the risk of informal investments through family or friends. The platform earns revenue through transaction fees, membership dues, and FX spreads, with plans to layer on remittance products and asset management tools in the future.

    Kinvi's mission for Borderless is not just about returns but also about identity and providing a secure way for Africans in the diaspora to invest back home. However, scaling will require robust identity verification, fraud detection, and legal tooling to avoid becoming a target for bad actors.