PRESS RELEASE

May 25, 2026 • International Africa Day 

DUBLIN, Ireland / LIMBE, Cameroon / HANGZHOU, China, May 25, 2026 — 18 years ago today, a 16-year-old boy in Yaoundé lost his father to a hospital bill his family could not pay on time. Today, on Africa Day 2026, Cédric ATANGANA answers that loss with a platform: MOBILE MONEY®, the invitation-only Super App for Africa, launching today and fully opening to the public on June 25, 2026 at mobilemoney.co, developed by AC Shining Stars Management Ltd (Dublin, Ireland) and MOBILE MONEY SARL (Limbe, Cameroon) in strategic partnership with Alibaba Group through Alibaba Global Initiatives, AliExpress integration, and Cainiao Smart Logistics for last-mile delivery across Africa. 

 

MOBILE MONEY® is an e-commerce super infrastructure that combines e-commerce, efficient international and local logistics, local and international payment systems, and all the social elements that fuel Africa's informal economy, at scale.

The Platform

MOBILE MONEY® unifies seven pillars in a single, premium, identity-verified experience:

1. Kongossa — a social network celebrating African culture;

2. Habari Chat — end-to-end encrypted messaging with in-conversation payments and AI;

3. WeShopUp® — a B2C marketplace powered by AliExpress, supporting all payment methods and doorstep delivery via the Alibaba Group's robotics Cainiao Smart Logistics;

4. BILLIONS — the world's first AI-powered B2B marketplace connecting Africa's 1.6B Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) consumers and producers, China's 1.4B consumers under the Chinese goverment Africa-to-China zero tariff commitment, and 9M EU diaspora sending €47B home annually — targeting 3 billion+ consumers on one platform;

5. Virtual Bank Cards — for international online payments;

6. Rek! — biometric KYC and RekCode verified digital identity;

7. MOBILE MONEY® Premium Pass — a one-time payment granting full ecosystem access, including insurance, tontines, savings, Jollof food delivery, and travel services.

The Alibaba Partnership 

Through Alibaba Global Initiatives and direct AliExpress integration, WeShopUp® gives African consumers access to global supply chains and African merchants a sovereign channel into China's 1.4B-consumer market — now zero-tariff for 53 African countries under the April 2026 Chinese goverment Africa-to-China zero tariff commitment and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework. Cainiao Smart Logistics, Alibaba's global logistics arm with established infrastructure hubs in Rwanda and Ethiopia, ensures reliable last-mile delivery from factory to doorstep across the continent. 

This is not e-commerce. This is economic sovereignty. A trade infrastructure legacy. 

"On May 25, 2008, my father didn't die from an illness. He died because of a failing healthcare, commerce, and payment system. MOBILE MONEY® isn't just an app. It's the solution I owed him—and the infrastructure Africa has needed for a generation. That's why we decided to dedicate a portion of our revenues to providing free basic healthcare and health insurance to as many African families as possible. Every single transaction that you will make with us will save a life somewhere in Africa."

— Cédric ATANGANA, Chairman at AC Shining Stars

"Partnering with resilient and courageous entrepreneurs like Cédric and supporting his mission is the exact purpose of what we do at Alibaba. We want to support high-impact innovations and burning flames that bring light and warmth to millions of people's hearts — and it is a pleasure to support this project."

— Chandee ZHUANG, Alibaba Global Initiatives Advisor

About AC Shining Stars Management Ltd

AC Shining Stars Management Ltd (ACS) is an Irish FinTech and intellectual property company (CRO 703071), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. ACS owns the internationally registered trademark MOBILE MONEY® (WIPO ROM.1318304, 37 jurisdictions, Classes 9/36/38) and is the developer and publisher of the MOBILE MONEY® Super App. Founded by Cédric ATANGANA, laureate of the SWIFT Innotribe Africa Award (2016), the VivaTech Prix Emmanuel Macron (2018), and recognized by the United Nations (UNCTAD). acshiningstars.com 

About Alibaba Group

Alibaba Group is one of the world's largest technology companies, with global operations spanning digital commerce, cloud computing, logistics, and fintech. Through Alibaba Global Initiatives — with active infrastructure hubs in Rwanda and Ethiopia — Alibaba is committed to making global trade accessible to entrepreneurs and consumers across emerging economies. AliExpress, Alibaba's global B2C marketplace, serves buyers in over 200 countries and territories. aliexpress.com

Key Facts

Trademark | MOBILE MONEY® — WIPO ROM.1318304 • 37 jurisdictions
Announcement | May 25, 2026 — International Africa Day • 18th anniversary of founder's founding motivation
Full public release | June 25, 2026 • Invitation-only until then • Android (iOS coming soon)
Access | www.mobilemoney.co • Request invitation online
Partnership | Alibaba Group • Alibaba Global Initiatives • AliExpress • Cainiao Smart Logistics • WeShopUp®
Market | 54 African nations + China + African diaspora • 3B+ addressable consumers via BILLIONS
Company | AC Shining Stars Management Ltd • CRO 703071 • Dublin, Ireland

Company | MOBILE MONEY SARL • Limbé, Cameroon

Media contact: [email protected] • www.mobilemoney.co

MOBILE MONEY® WIPO 1318304 • WeShopUp® • © AC Shining Stars Management Ltd

This press release has been approved by Alibaba Group prior to distribution.