The valuation of OPay, a leading fintech company in Nigeria backed by Sequoia Capital and SoftBank, surged to nearly $3 billion by early 2025; that's about 30% since the company raised $400 million in Series C funding in 2021, according to a corporate filing by Opera—an early OPay investor—in 2024. This round was led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, along with participation from Sequoia Capital China, Redpoint China, Source Code Capital, and others.
Although OPay’s valuation has increased subsequently over time. The Opera’s filings in December 2024 reported a 9.4% stake value in OPay at approximately $2.75 billion. Another securities filing in early 2026 shows that Opera has increased its stake in the company to 9.7% and values it at $294.6 million, implying a $3.1 billion valuation for OPay.
OPay is now worth $3.1 billion in early 2026, and that changes the fintech leaderboard in Africa. The current valuation also solidifies the fintech's standing as one of the unicorn companies in Africa. The valuation growth underscores how OPay dropped everything app—that is, from ride-hailing to food delivery—to focus on a full payments pivot. The company is now processing $12 billion monthly transactions.
In addition to that, Nigeria’s digital payments boom and growth in mobile payments and digital financial services across Africa are also fuelling the rise of a new crop of financial technology companies.
The Opera Group acquired Paycom Nigeria Limited—a Nigerian mobile money operator established by Telnet Group in 2009—in 2018 and rebranded it to become OPAY in the same year after securing a fresh CBN-issued mobile money operator (MMO) licence. Paycom was originally operated under a CBN-issued mobile payment licence.
But after Opera acquired a controlling stake in late 2017 and rebranded the business in 2018, the newly named OPay Digital Services Limited got the licence under the Mobile Money Operator category. The licence authorised OPay to conduct mobile‑money operations such as electronic payments and wallet services in Nigeria.
As a result of the acquisition, the Opera Group had a stake in the company. However, Opera’s stake gradually reduced, eventually declining to 6.4% by 2021. But the stake later surged in 2023 to 9.4% after it sold its Asian fintech subsidiary—Nanobank—to OPay in return for equity in the company.
After OPay acquired Nanobank from Opera Group, the Opera Group told investors its 9.4% stake in the fintech was valued at $253 million, according to an April 24 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
It implies OPay has a valuation of $2.7 billion, compared to its previous funding round, which valued the startup at $2 billion. Opera had previously estimated the value of its stake at $269 million as of December 2023 but later revised that figure in updated filings. According to the company, the adjustment reflected a lower valuation based on a smaller financing deal that occurred in late 2023.
In addition to that, OPay's valuation trajectory is also fuelled by investor confidence in its ability to scale rapidly in Africa's underbanked markets. It also reflects the untapped potential of Africa’s digital economy, where mobile-first financial services are wiping out traditional banking models off the ground. Also, backing from global giant investors like SoftBank and Sequoia Capital signals strong institutional belief in OPay’s long-term profitability and operational model, especially in high-growth, low-penetration regions.
Notably, OPay’s valuation still climbed despite Africa’s funding slowdown in 2024. This suggests strong internal fundamentals and resilience in a challenging macro environment. The company’s valuation momentum continues even as regulators in Nigeria and other African countries tighten oversight of digital financial services—a sign that investors view OPay’s model as adaptable and ready to be compliant.
OPAY valuation or net worth in 2026
A 2026 securities filing shows Opera values its 9.7% stake at $294.6M, implying OPay is now worth a $3.1 billion valuation. The valuation puts OPay ahead of Flutterwave ($3B), Moniepoint ($1B), and Paystack ($200M), which are other strong financial technology institutions in Nigeria.
