Adhere by Smartcomply has partnered with Mastercard following its selection as a Mastercard Engage partner.
The agreement provides financial institutions that work with Mastercard access to Adhere's fraud detection and compliance technology through the Engage partner network. The arrangement extends the reach of a product developed in Africa into Mastercard's network, which spans more than 210 countries and territories.
Adhere is an artificial intelligence-based fraud prevention system designed to identify anomalies and patterns in digital transactions. The product was built in response to fraud risks in African financial markets, where payment systems and compliance requirements have evolved quickly alongside rising digital adoption.
The partnership places Adhere among firms approved through Mastercard's Engage programme, which connects technology partners with banks, fintech groups and other financial institutions. Smartcomply provides a route to a broader customer base beyond its home markets.
Fraud prevention has become a central issue for payment companies and lenders as digital commerce grows and criminal tactics become more sophisticated. Financial institutions have been under pressure to strengthen transaction monitoring and compliance controls while avoiding friction for customers.
Traditional fraud systems have often relied on fixed rules and historical data, which can struggle to keep pace with changing attack patterns. Smartcomply said Adhere uses an approach that continuously updates its analysis in real time to spot suspicious activity before losses occur.
Smartcomply also presented the Mastercard relationship as a sign of growing international recognition for financial technology developed in African markets. Start-ups and software groups across the continent have increasingly argued that experience in high-growth, complex payment environments can produce tools suited to global use.
Mastercard's Engage programme helps the payments group identify and work with specialist technology providers in areas such as security, compliance and digital services. Inclusion can simplify procurement for financial institutions already using Mastercard's network and products.
That matters for companies such as Smartcomply because partnerships with large global payments groups can shorten sales cycles and add credibility when entering new regions. It also gives banks and fintechs another option as they look for tools to tackle fraud, money-laundering risks, and broader compliance demands.
Gbemisola Osunrinde, Chief Executive Officer of Smartcomply, commented on the deal in a company statement.
"This partnership with Mastercard profoundly validates our vision to redefine fraud prevention globally. We've meticulously engineered our AI to tackle the most complex fraud challenges, first in Africa, and now, with Mastercard, we are poised to extend that same unparalleled security and trust to financial ecosystems worldwide. This collaboration is a powerful testament to African innovation leading the charge on a global scale," Osunrinde said.
Smartcomply said the partnership will help it support banks, fintechs and other financial institutions across several continents. It added that the collaboration is focused on fraud prevention and compliance risk management in digital financial services.
The announcement reflects a wider pattern in the payments industry, where global card schemes and financial networks are looking to specialist firms for tools that address fast-changing threats. Rather than building every fraud and compliance product internally, large networks increasingly rely on partner ecosystems to offer banks and merchants a broader range of services.
For African technology companies, those ecosystems can provide a path into global markets that would otherwise be difficult to access. Smartcomply is seeking to use a product shaped by local fraud challenges as an entry point into financial institutions operating far beyond the continent.
One of the main points highlighted by Smartcomply is Mastercard's reach, with the company operating in more than 210 countries and territories.