The East African buy-now-pay-later platform Lipa Later has appointed Tom Gong as its new Chief Technology Officer, effective March 2022. Gong, a co-founder of AliExpress and former Google executive, brings experience from his role as CTO of the e-commerce platform, which grew into a major cross-border transaction hub.
Gong's career includes founding Wanda eCommerce (Feifan) in 2012 to modernize shopping mall operations under Wanda Group, the world's largest commercial real estate company. He previously led Google Wallet development from 2007 to 2009 and most recently worked at AllDragon, a SaaS provider for retail centers. His academic background includes advanced degrees from Columbia University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
The appointment follows Lipa Later's $12 million funding round in January 2022, aimed at expanding its services across Africa. The company, established in 2018, uses data analytics and machine learning to offer instant credit solutions without traditional documentation requirements.
Gong stated, "Africa's growing middle class and young population present significant opportunities. Lipa Later is positioned to help consumers access goods through flexible payment plans, and I'm eager to build technology that serves this market."
Lipa Later's CEO Eric Muli emphasized, "Tom's global tech expertise will strengthen our systems as we expand across African markets. His leadership adds critical momentum to our growth strategy."
The platform partners with retailers including Carrefour, Apple, and Samsung, targeting over 1 billion people across the continent.
