From Afrobeats Stages to App Stores: Katy Founder Builds One App for People Platforms Overlook

Former Blu Nation CEO Marvin Mvondo, who staged shows with Rema, Davido and Mr P, launches SplashArk to help informal sellers and creators get paid.

KATY, TX, UNITED STATES, October 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Marvin Mvondo spent more than a decade in the music business before turning to technology. As CEO of Blu Nation, a record label and entertainment company distributed through Roc Nation Distro, he produced Afrobeats and Afropop artists and organized festivals, concerts and events with Africa’s top acts, including Rema, Davido and Mr P of P-Square, across the United States, England and Africa.

Now the Cameroonian-born US citizen and Microsoft-certified cloud engineer has launched SplashArk, a free app from Katy, Texas, that gives small sellers, service providers and creators one place to sell, take bookings, go live and get paid.

Three problems, seen up close

Mvondo says the idea came from three things he saw first-hand.

The first is talent that stays invisible. With roots in Cameroon, Mvondo knows how many skilled tailors, braiders, cooks and musicians have what customers want but stay in the informal economy, because the big platforms were never built for them and a structured business costs money they do not have. The International Labour Organization estimates that 83.1% of all employment in Africa was informal in 2024.

“Talent isn’t the problem. Access is,” Mvondo said. “Most of the platforms people sell on were never designed for them, so they stay informal and unseen.”

The second is creators squeezed by middlemen. In entertainment, Mvondo saw that unless an artist is already a star, most of the money goes to promoters and gatekeepers, and there are few simple tools for making a living from talent.

“I watched talented people pay middlemen for the right to get paid,” he said. “You shouldn’t have to be a giant to make a living from your talent.”

The third is the rise of the many-hats worker. With today’s economy and the rise of AI, one person is often a teacher, a content creator and a small-business owner at the same time. Bankrate’s 2025 survey found that 27% of US adults have a side hustle.

One app instead of five

SplashArk combines a storefront for physical and digital products, a booking calendar with deposits across 35 service categories, and live selling with tickets, pay-per-view and tips. Customers pay in the app by card through Stripe or by mobile money through PawaPay, and payments are held until delivery, with disputes reviewed by people. WINTA, a built-in AI assistant, helps with pricing and customer questions. The app works in English and French in more than 30 countries.

A bridge for the diaspora

According to the Migration Policy Institute, the sub-Saharan African immigrant population in the United States has tripled since 2000, reaching 2.5 million in 2024. Many stay closely connected to family, customers and communities on both sides of the Atlantic. Supporting both card payments and mobile money, and both English and French, is central to SplashArk’s design.

“One person can be a teacher, a creator and a business owner before lunch,” Mvondo said. “They shouldn’t need five apps to run it.”

SplashArk is free on Google Play, the App Store and the web at splashark.com, and launches on Product Hunt on October 7.

About SplashArk
SplashArk, Inc. is a technology company founded in 2023 and based in Katy, Texas. SplashArk is a free app (Android, iOS and web) where small sellers, service providers and creators sell products, take bookings, go live and get paid by card or mobile money, with payments held until delivery. It is available in English and French in more than 30 countries. Learn more at splashark.com.

Marvin Mvondo
SplashArk Inc
mvondo@splashark.com
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