By Juliet Umeh 

Nigeria’s Egoras Technologies is set to launch a business-focused smartphone designed to give small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, direct access to capital markets, in a development that could reshape business financing and market participation in the country.

The device, known as the Cube Phone, is integrated with ContisX, a new securities exchange that has received approval in principle from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Nigeria and is expected to go live in September 2026.

Positioned as an all-in-one business operating system, the Cube Phone combines payments, artificial intelligence tools, business management functions, and capital market access within a single platform. Users will be required to create a ContisX-linked smart account on the device, enabling access to embedded financial services and market infrastructure.

At the core of the innovation is its direct integration with ContisX, a full-service exchange designed to operate alongside existing platforms such as the Nigerian Exchange Group, with the aim of expanding access to capital formation. 

Through this integration, SMEs will be able to raise funds, issue financial instruments, and participate in securities markets directly from their mobile devices.

The approval-in-principle granted by the SEC represents an early milestone in Nigeria’s capital market licensing process, allowing ContisX to proceed with final operational and compliance requirements ahead of its planned launch. The clearance also signals growing regulatory openness to new financial infrastructure aimed at deepening inclusion and broadening market participation.

Egoras said the Cube Phone is designed to address one of the most persistent challenges facing SMEs in Nigeria—limited access to finance. By embedding fundraising tools directly into a mobile device, the company aims to reduce reliance on traditional financing channels, which often involve high costs, lengthy documentation, and institutional bottlenecks.

A key feature of the platform is the ContisX Economic Instrument, a primary-market funding tool that allows SMEs to raise working capital by issuing instruments linked to future economic output. The structure is expected to provide faster access to funding compared to conventional equity or debt processes.

According to the company, the system continuously tracks business activity through integrated payment systems and operational data generated on the device. 

This enables ContisX to assess performance and progressively determine eligibility for larger capital access over time.

Chief Executive Officer of Egoras Technologies said the innovation is aimed at bridging the structural financing gap confronting small businesses.

“Every SME’s biggest problem is capital,” he said. “With this phone, once a business owner sets it up, a ContisX smart account is created automatically, enabling them to issue securities directly into the capital market.”

He added that the system leverages real-time business performance data to support funding decisions.

“As the business grows and performs, the system tracks that and determines when it can move from raising small amounts to accessing larger capital pools,” he said.

Beyond financing, the Cube Phone comes with a pre-installed AI Business Suite designed to support core business operations. The suite includes tools for legal documentation and regulatory compliance, financial management and tax calculations, basic software development functions, and human resources management.

Egoras said data processed on the device will be encrypted using on-device private keys and stored on blockchain infrastructure, limiting third-party access. The device will also operate under a zero-rating arrangement with Airtel Nigeria, eliminating data charges for business activities conducted through the CubeOS platform, including payments, AI tools, and applications.

The integration of ContisX is expected to introduce a parallel layer of capital market infrastructure in Nigeria, potentially expanding financing options for businesses at a time when stakeholders are seeking innovative solutions to deepen financial inclusion and support enterprise growth.