Championing Entrepreneurship

FinTech unicorn Flutterwave was founded on one audacious dream: to see African entrepreneurs take the global stage. One problem: Africans are separated from each other and the world by dozens of unconnected banks, currencies and mobile wallets. By building bridges between financial systems, Flutterwave provides one easy-to-use payment platform for the entire continent. We captured their spirit in a vibrant identity that champions entrepreneurs and their dreams.

The Fintech scene is dominated by green and blue: too phlegmatic for Flutterwave. FinTech aesthetics are in stark contrast to the dreams of the African entrepreneur, which are bright, vivid and colorful. With a new brand story centered around self-made success, we positioned Flutterwave more within the creator economy and outside of the FinTech scene.  

During the corona-crisis, Flutterwaves’ butterfly logo-mark became a mark of trust for African entrepreneurs across the continent. We elevated the butterfly and made it the hero of the new identity. We simplified the butterfly in two ellipses that can exist in every color. Apart they represent the forces of commerce: supply and demand. When the two ellipses (supply and demand) meet, they represent the entrepreneur. And as entrepreneurs can appear in many shapes and sizes, the butterfly can do too. All the motion elements are based on actual wing movement of a butterfly. 

The butterfly and ellipses are at the base of every brand asset of Flutterwave, whether used in animation, illustration or photography. We collaborated with illustrator Milena Bucholz to navigate users throughout different stages of entrepreneurship. Easy to isolate and pair with the identity’s shape language, the outspoken illustrations are abstractions of the core values and services of Flutterwave. 

The result is an edge to the identity. From selling services to happy customers, Bucholz her illustrations lend a hand to tell an entrepreneur’s story.