Rae Imasiku: How DeepWell Plans to Redefine Diaspora Remittance Market

DeepWell Capital’s Chief Executive, Rae Imasiku, is on a mission to transform how Africans abroad send money home—and what that money becomes. In this interview, he argues that while Africa has successfully solved challenges around payments, it has yet to solve prosperity. Remittances, he says, flow endlessly into day-to-day survival with little long-term value created for senders or their families. He explains how DeepWell’s model uses AI-guided systems, transparent processes, and regulated partnerships to turn everyday remittances into structured, wealth-building opportunities. Dike Onwuamaeze brings the excerpts

Africa has solved payments.  It has not solved prosperity. Across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Uganda everywhere fintechs have removed friction in sending money but have left untouched the far harder problem: building wealth consistently at scale. The infrastructure is there; the demand is there. What’s missing is the system that translates everyday financial behaviour into long-term economic power. That’s the gap DeepWell exists to close.

 What lessons have you learnt from recent regulatory actions affecting major fintechs in Nigeria?

Regulators don’t move to slow innovation. They move to prevent chaos. Recent actions across Nigeria and other markets reinforced one truth: Compliance isn’t a department. It’s a culture. We build DeepWell with that in mind: transparent data flows, verifiable processes, licenced partners, and a structure where regulators can see the mechanics clearly. We operate with them, not around them.

What inspired the creation of DeepWell Capital, and what gap in the fintech or remittance market are you specifically trying to solve?

Two realities created DeepWell: Africans abroad send billions every year, money that disappears into day-to-day survival. My family and I sent money back home and rarely built anything for our own future. People sacrifice everything to support their home, yet end up with nothing to show for it. DeepWell exists to break that cycle. We’re building the first system where supporting your family and building your own future happen in the same motion.

How does DeepWell’s AI Steward work in practical terms to convert remittances into investments automatically?

We don’t share proprietary details. DeepWell’s AI Steward is an intelligent companion that helps users turn everyday remittances into the foundation of their wealth-building journey. It guides. It protects. It supports. And it only acts with the user’s explicit instruction. No complexity. No financial expertise required. Just clear, intelligent steps forward.

Fintech competition in Nigeria is intense—what is DeepWell’s strategy to differentiate and scale sustainably?

We’re not a faster remittance company. We’re not a cheaper wallet. We’re not another fintech pushing the same product with new colours. DeepWell is a new category. We convert the largest financial habit in the African diaspora sending money home into a wealth engine. Every other platform optimises the transaction. We optimise the outcome. We scale through: Diaspora networks, embedded partnerships, regulatory first expansion, AI-driven customer guidance, and value proposition competitors cannot imitate without rebuilding their companies from scratch. This isn’t a product wedge, it’s a behavioural wedge.

The diaspora remittance market is worth billions of dollars annually. What specific advantages does DeepWell offer Africans abroad compared to existing platforms on the continent?

DeepWell turns remittances into a dual benefit: Support your family today and build your future at the same time. On the other hand, senders get: Automatic personal wealth-building pathways, transparent fees, AI-guided financial clarity that feels human and not technical. Receivers get: instant access, shared goals, better stewardship of funds, no platform on the continent delivers value to both sides of the remittance journey simultaneously. That’s our advantage.

What types of investment products or asset classes will users be able to access through the platform?

We stay within regulated, low-risk, partner-backed options: Cash-equivalent savings, fixed-income instruments, goal-based savings products, and long-term regulated vehicles through licensed financial institutions. We provide structure, not speculation. Safety first. Growth second. Simplicity always.

What makes DeepWell different from traditional money transfer or diaspora investment channels?

Traditional transfers by only moving money. Traditional investments. DeepWell builds wealth through behaviour people already have. Sending money becomes the gateway to long-term stability, not just a monthly expense. That’s the shift.

What regulatory licences have you secured, both in Nigeria and internationally, to operate as a fintech and investment facilitator?

We operate through a combination of: Licenced payment partners, regulated financial institutions, cross-border compliance frameworks, jurisdiction-specific authorisations where required, and every market has its own compliance architecture. We respect that reality and build inside it. Specific licence details are shared privately with regulators and institutional partners.

Some customers worry about hidden fees in fintech services. How does DeepWell ensure pricing transparency?

Radical clarity. Every user sees the rate, the fee, the exact amount delivered, there are no hidden spreads, no dark corners, no fine print and trust is earned through transparency, not marketing.

How will you manage customer complaints, disputes, or failed transactions to avoid the frustrations common with many Nigerian fintechs?

We design for zero abandonment: Real-time monitoring, 24/7 human-backed support, automated escalation workflows, clear SLAs with our regulated partners, and if something goes wrong, the user should feel protected because they are.

 What security guarantees can you provide first-time users who may still be hesitant about AI-powered financial platforms?

We provide industry-leading safeguards such as bank-level encryption, regulated custody through licenced partners, fraud detection systems, independent reviews and strict privacy controls, AI cannot move money without explicit user authorisation.

DeepWell targets both senders abroad and receivers in Africa how do you plan to simplify onboarding for non-techsavvy users?

Our design principle is straightforward: If your parents can use WhatsApp, they can use DeepWell. We use: conversational onboarding, simple, human language, guided steps, minimal cognitive load, AI that explains instead of overwhelms, culturally intuitive user flows, technology disappears and clarity remains.