Algeria-Based Volz Raises US$5 Million To Scale Its Travel Platform Across Africa

Volz, an Algerian traveltech platform that makes flight booking more accessible through local payment methods, has closed a 600 million Algerian Dinar funding round (nearly US$5 million), which has been said to be the largest funding round raised by an Algerian startup in dinars.

Founded by Mohamed Abdelhadi Mezi and Hacene Seghier in Blida, Algeria, in 2023, Volz is a traveltech platform that enables travelers to book flights in dinars with online or cash-on-delivery payment options. It claims to have posted over 1,000 percent growth in a single year, built on a service model tailored to local realities, including dinar-based payments, cash-on-delivery options, multi-airline booking, and strong customer support. 

Tell Group, an Algiers-based investment group, led the investment in Volz, with participation from Algerian industrial conglomerate Groupe Industriel Babahoum Algérie (GIBA). The investment, which was announced at the African Startup Conference held in Algiers in December 2025, marks the first successful exit for the Algerian Startup Fund (ASF), a government-backed venture fund that had backed Volz and now achieved a return of more than 3.35x on its initial investment. 

In an interview with Inc. Arabia, Mezi explained how the investment represents a milestone for both Volz and the Algerian tech ecosystem at large. "This exit is a strong validation—for Volz and for the ecosystem—that venture-backed startups in Algeria can scale and deliver returns,” he said. “It sends a clear signal to private capital. Investors like Tell Group and GIBA were attracted by our traction, our model, and our deep market understanding, and the fact that we solved a real pain point at scale in a complex market." 

That model, Mezi added, was built on Volz’s founding vision. “Our mission is simple: give power back to the traveler by making flight booking accessible, reliable, and convenient in markets where it wasn't—through local and innovative payment methods, strong tech, and a seamless user experience," he said. 

Achieving that goal, however, meant addressing fundamental market challenges such as fragmented payments, as well as building up user trust and designing a user experience to suit the needs of local audiences. "We addressed them with hybrid payment models (e-payment and cash on delivery), heavy focus on reliability, and close partnerships,” Mezi added. “The opportunity is huge: a new way for Algerian travelers to pay their plane ticket, strong demand, and the ability to build category-defining products from day one.” 

Now, with the new capital in place, Volz aims to deepen its footprint in Algeria through new product launches while pushing into additional markets across North and West Africa. The company is also developing a corporate offering designed to help businesses optimize travel management and operations. 

When asked about advice he'd give other founders building tech solutions in underserved markets, Merzi urged a focus on the basics. "Start with a real local problem, build solutions adapted to on-the-ground realities, and execute relentlessly," he said. "Don't copy-paste global models you may see in other markets; focus on testing and validating before scaling." 

Pictured in the lead image are Mohamed Abdelhadi Mezi and Hacene Seghier, co-founders of Volz. Courtesy of Volz.