PalmKash joins the Keyo Network to bring biometric payments to Africa
We’re excited to announce that PalmKash has joined the Keyo Network to bring “pay with a wave” technology to Africa. PalmKash’s innovative payment platform is a first of its kind in the region’s economy, creating the opportunity for anyone to access convenient and secure electronic payments.
“We were inspired to address the challenges of high levels of cash-based in-person transactions, fragmented digital payments systems, and the challenges of identification, authentication, and authorisation in the digital payments ecosystem in Africa,” says Nicolas Nangs, CEO of PalmKash.
A higher unbanked population and challenges with smartphone access have made the adoption of mobile payments in Africa slower than in other parts of the world, but that’s changing fast in part due to innovative solutions like PalmKash. Leveraging Keyo’s proprietary biometric identity infrastructure, PalmKash is building a unified payment platform. Users of the system don’t need a smartphone or access to formal banking to make payments, relying instead on an encrypted scan of their palm to take the place of a credit card or smartphone app.
The innovative system is being rolled out to retail store counters in Rwanda, and will be expanding to sporting venues and schools throughout 2023. PalmKash is part of the Keyo Network, the partner program that allows any business around the world to rapidly adopt palm biometric technology and launch biometrically authenticated products and services in their own markets.
“In search of an inclusive, non-intrusive and consent-based solution we decided on adopting Keyo’s palm scanning technology,” Nangs said. “Keyo is the only company that had the powerful infrastructure and privacy-first design that could support our vision.”
The Keyo Network powers biometrically authenticated applications in different industries all over the world. Over 15,000 Keyo devices are already in use, allowing patients to check in for hospital appointments in the US, employees to unlock office doors in Mexico, visitors to sign in to buildings in Chicago, and more.
The Keyo x PalmKash partnership is only the beginning. We’re excited to watch the talented team at PalmKash continue to pioneer applications and experiences that usher in a new era of convenience and financial inclusion.
