Clea, a Nigerian cross-border payments startup has launched Vendor Payments, a new feature designed to help businesses pay international suppliers, vehicle auction platforms and shipping companies directly through its platform, as it expands beyond foreign exchange and cross-border transfers into broader trade finance infrastructure.
The launch comes as the company reports strong early growth. Clea says it processed more than $20 million in transaction volume within six months of emerging from stealth in December 2025. The new Vendor Payments feature has already been adopted by more than 50 businesses during its pilot phase, highlighting demand for simpler ways to settle overseas supplier invoices.
The feature enables businesses to pay supported vendors, including U.S. vehicle auction platforms Copart and IAA, directly from their Clea accounts. Customers select a vendor, enter payment references such as buyer numbers, lot numbers or invoice details, and authorize the transaction. Because vendor details are preconfigured within the platform, payments can be completed without manually entering beneficiary banking information. Clea said it plans to add more suppliers and payment destinations over time.
The company said the launch reflects its strategy of building a single platform for African businesses managing international trade. By integrating supplier payments alongside cross-border transfers, Clea aims to reduce the operational complexity businesses face when sourcing goods from overseas markets.
“African businesses are increasingly trading across borders, but managing international supplier payments remains unnecessarily fragmented,” said Sheriff Adedokun, Founder and CEO of Clea. “We’re building more than a payments platform. We’re building the financial infrastructure businesses need to trade globally with confidence.”
Initially, Vendor Payments is available to eligible verified Clea business customers making U.S. dollar payments to selected suppliers in the United States. Businesses can fund their Clea accounts in Nigerian naira, convert funds into foreign currency within the platform and complete international payments through a single workflow.
The launch places Clea among a growing group of African fintech firms expanding beyond remittances and foreign exchange into integrated business banking and trade infrastructure. As cross-border commerce continues to grow, platforms are increasingly competing to offer businesses end-to-end services ranging from payments and foreign exchange to invoice management and supplier financing.
Clea said future updates will expand its global vendor network, allowing businesses to discover approved suppliers, manage invoices, build trusted vendor relationships and automate recurring international payments through a unified platform.
