The axis of financial decision-making.
AXIS FINANCE supports institutions, corporates and private investors in structuring, financing and executing their financial transactions across West Africa.
A finance house built for complexity.
West African economies lack neither projects nor capital. What they lack are intermediaries able to bring the two together with the rigour, transparency and execution that meet international standards.
AXIS FINANCE was established in Conakry to occupy that position. A public limited company under OHADA law with full institutional governance, it brings market intermediation, financial engineering, economic research and technology infrastructure together under a single signature.
Four practices, one cross-cutting expertise.
Each practice addresses a distinct moment in the life of a transaction. Together, they cover the entire financial value chain.
Capital Markets
Brokerage, placement and syndication, custody, portfolio management, investment advisory.
Access the market, with method → IIAdvisory & Structuring
Structuring, project finance, PPPs, capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring.
From idea to closing → IIIResearch & Information
Sector and macroeconomic research, credit analysis and rating, economic intelligence, data.
Decide on facts → IVFinancial Technology
Digital platforms, systems for financial institutions, secure portals, compliance by design.
The infrastructure of modern finance →Islamic Finance — the thread running through all four practices →
We never advise on what we have not studied ourselves.
Extracts from our analytical work. Reliable economic data is scarce in West Africa — that scarcity raises the cost of capital and distorts decision-making.
Where the financing chain breaks
Share of files declined, by cause · internal analysis
Reading. A file is rarely rejected for lack of a viable project. It is rejected for lack of engineering — precisely the point at which we intervene. Illustrative data, to be replaced with the final study's results before launch.
Median time to close a transaction
In months, by deal type · West Africa
Reading. The gap is not driven by speed of execution but by fewer documentary back-and-forths with lenders. Illustrative data, to be replaced before launch.
A mandate ends at disbursement, not at the delivery of a report.
Five stages, one unvarying discipline. Each produces a written, dated and binding deliverable.
Diagnosis
Written, dated and shared conclusions. No structuring work begins on an implicit understanding of the need.
Modelling
Downside scenarios before upside scenarios. Internal sensitivity testing comes first.
Structuring
The file is written from the standpoint of whoever will have to say yes. A good structure is a financeable structure.
Execution
Negotiation, documentation, satisfaction of conditions precedent, closing.
Reporting
Formal reporting, contractual periodicity, full traceability of due diligence performed.
Three non-negotiable principles.
Rigour.
We do not present a file we have not modelled ourselves. Every transaction we carry is put through our own committees before it is put to a third party.
Independence.
Our advice is not the commercial extension of a product. We are paid for our judgement — including when that judgement is to recommend against acting.
Execution.
A transaction only exists at closing. We remain engaged through disbursement, registration and the satisfaction of conditions precedent.
Six structural differences.
Not claimed qualities, but characteristics of construction that a third party can verify.
An integrated value chain.
Analysis, structuring, brokerage and technology execution under a single signature — a rare configuration in the Guinean market, where these functions are typically spread across independent players.
A dual culture, local and international.
Rooted in Conakry, with a close understanding of West African dynamics, and documentation and modelling standards that meet international lenders' expectations.
Governance built for scrutiny.
Full OHADA structure, specialised committees, a formalised authority matrix, statutory audit — in other words, a firm auditable from day one.
Integrated Islamic finance expertise.
Access to liquidity pools that conventional players in the region do not know how to mobilise, under the supervision of an independent Shariah Board.
Proprietary research.
We do not recycle other people's analysis. The Research practice is the intellectual foundation of the other three.
Technology infrastructure we own.
Our systems are designed and controlled in-house — a condition for confidentiality and continuity.
Who we serve.
Seven segments, distinct needs, a single point of entry. Roman numerals refer to the relevant practices.
| Segment | Needs covered | Practices |
|---|---|---|
| States and public institutions | PPP structuring, infrastructure financing, sovereign issuance, strategic advisory | III |
| Large corporates and groups | Capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, project finance | II |
| Financial institutions | Securities placement, technology solutions, research, ratings | IIVIII |
| Institutional investors | Mandate management, asset allocation, market access | I |
| Family offices and high-net-worth individuals | Portfolio management, wealth structuring, private investment | III |
| Structured SMEs and mid-caps | Financial engineering, pre-raise preparation, debt structuring | II |
| Development finance institutions and donors | Instrument structuring, sector studies, local intermediation | IIIII |
A counterparty auditable from day one.
No serious financial institution, no international investor, no development lender enters into a relationship with a counterparty whose compliance framework cannot be demonstrated.
An AML/CFT framework aligned with FATF recommendations and GIABA directives, documented KYC procedures, segregation of advisory, brokerage and research activities, and a technical architecture secure by default.
- AML/CFT framework (FATF · GIABA)In place
- KYC procedures and risk classificationIn place
- Conflicts of interest registerIn place
- Data encryption and access segregationIn place
- Business continuity planIn place
- Regulated activity licencesIn progress
Activities subject to licensing are carried out only once the required authorisations have been obtained, or through duly licensed partners.
KANU — one app, endless possibilities.
The first product launched by AXIS FINANCE: a digital wallet bringing payments, transfers, savings and market access together in a single app.
Your money, finally under control.
Pay, transfer, save, invest and protect your assets — from a fee-free account opened in minutes.
- Pay
- Transfer
- Invest
- Access the market
- Protect your assets
- And much more
Download the KANU app
Recent publications.
West Africa's financial engineering gap: diagnosis and paths to resolution
Inaugural issue of AXIS FINANCE's quarterly publication.
Project financing in Guinea: what the OHADA framework changes for security interests
A legal and financial reading of recent developments applicable to project finance structures.
Islamic finance: the untapped depth of regional liquidity pools
An overview of Sukuk, Murabaha and Musharaka instruments available to West African issuers.
A transaction to structure? A decision to inform?
Our teams meet by appointment in Conakry.
