Cardtonic CEO Emmanuel Sohe Shares Blueprint for Sustainable Revenue at Web Summit Vancouver 2026

Lagos, Nigeria, June 5th, 2026, FinanceWire

Cardtonic, a leading African fintech platform serving over 1.8 million active users across Nigeria and Ghana, announced the participation of its Chief Executive Officer, Emmanuel Sohe, in the The New Go-To-Market Blueprint: Building Predictable Revenue in 2026 panel session at Web Summit Vancouver 2026. The global tech conference is held between May 11 and 14 at the Vancouver Convention Centre, Canada.

Sohe was among the invited operators who shared practical, experience-backed insights on building predictable and sustainable revenue. What made Cardtonic’s story stand out is that the company reached this scale without raising a single dollar of institutional seed capital.

Building Predictable Revenue in an Emerging Market

Sohe opened his contribution by putting the challenge in context. “If you are from an emerging market where I am from, where trust, infrastructural constraints, and regulatory complexity make it a bit difficult to predict your revenue, you are quick to learn that you need more than just a blueprint to scale in the market,” he told the audience.

For Cardtonic, operating in a volatile macroeconomic environment forced a level of structural discipline that most well-funded startups never develop. Growth was tied to actual customer demand rather than vanity metrics like total downloads, page views, or registered user counts.

That discipline is visible in how the business scaled: from a manual gift card trading operation to a multi-product super-app offering virtual dollar cards, NFC contactless cards, eSIMs, bill payment services, and a gadget store, all funded by cash-flowing utility rather than outside capital.

[L to R: Graeme Barlow, CEO, Iversoft; Edmon Moren, CEO, LicenseSpring; Emmanuel Sohe, CEO, Cardtonic; Issmaeel Lawendy, CEO, MoldRx; Session Moderator]

Three Things Cardtonic Says Every Product Needs

Sohe outlined three practical requirements he believes any product must meet to generate predictable revenue, particularly in the African market.

“One, your product needs to be innovative. What are you bringing to the market? Can your users depend on it? You can come up with all of the frameworks and models you need, but without an innovative product, there’s a high chance that you’ll still fail. Two, pricing is a big deal back home in Africa. People are very careful about their one cent. So your pricing also has to be competitive. Third, your tech needs to be agile. Your engineering velocity is almost proportionally related to your revenue velocity,” Sohe said.

The Role of Product in Revenue Strategy

The panel also explored whether siloed departments hurt or help a startup’s ability to generate consistent revenue.

Sohe’s answer was direct: the product is what ties everything together. “When you have a growth, tech, finance, and marketing team all doing separate work, the product is what unifies everyone,” he said.

His recommendation was to create a unified KPI that mirrors the product’s performance, so every team is pulling in the same direction rather than optimising for separate outcomes.

Focus on What Happens After Acquisition

Sohe closed his session with a challenge to founders on where they place their attention. “Most founders obsess over user acquisition. But what you should obsess over is what happens after the user acquisition. Where do you go from there? And what do you want to do differently?”

That shift in focus, from acquiring users to retaining and growing them, reflects the broader theme of the session: in today’s funding climate, investors are paying closer attention to companies with clear paths to profitability. Sustainable growth has become the real competitive advantage.

Cardtonic’s presence at Web Summit Vancouver and the practical lessons Sohe contributed make a strong case for why African fintech operators are increasingly relevant in global conversations about building businesses that last.

About Cardtonic

Cardtonic is a fast-growing fintech super-app enabling payments beyond borders through alternative channels such as virtual dollar cards and digital assets. The platform serves more than 1.5 million users, providing frictionless access to global payments, secure gift card exchange, international bills, and digital connectivity via eSIMs.

With a strong culture of discipline, speed, and customer trust, Cardtonic gives Africans the freedom to transact globally without relying solely on limited traditional banking rails. For more information, users can visit www.cardtonic.com

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