Accion

Accion is a global nonprofit organization founded in 1961 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It focuses on increasing access to financial tools and services for underserved individuals and small businesses to promote financial inclusion. Accion catalyzes financial service providers to deliver affordable, high-quality solutions at scale, thereby helping communities thrive. The organization supports innovative fintech startups through its investment initiative, Venture Lab, which invests in early-stage companies that enhance financial access and improve service quality. Venture Lab provides both capital and strategic support, facilitating growth and operational efficiency for its portfolio companies. By engaging industry leaders and regulators, Accion challenges the financial sector to become more inclusive, ultimately working towards a world where everyone has the opportunity to improve their financial well-being.

Matthieu Albrieux

Investment Officer

Tahira Dosani

Managing Director, Accion Venture Lab

Shannon Dwyer

Investment and Portfolio Associate

John Fischer

Chief Investment Officer

Rachel Morpeth

Senior Associate, Global Investments

Livingston Parsons

Chief Financial Officer

Alex Qian

Investment Professional

Paul Rasmussen

Investment and Portfolio Associate

Michael Schlein

President and Chief Executive Officer

Radhika Shroff

Deputy Chief Investment Officer, Gateway Fund, Accion Global Investments

Coryell Stout

Investment Professional

Past deals in Kenya

Lami

Seed Round in 2021
Developer of a digital insurance platform intended to integrate insurance into businesses. The company's platform allows easy integration across sectors to offer insurance products through a seamless digital experience, providing clients with automated underwriting, speeding up claims, reducing claims ratios, and increasing profitability.

Apollo Agriculture

Series A in 2020
Apollo Agriculture, founded in 2015 and based in Nairobi, Kenya, focuses on providing financial and technical support to smallholder farmers in emerging markets. The company offers farming loans to help farmers purchase essential inputs such as fertilizer, seeds, and crop insurance, along with access to expert consultations via mobile technology. By utilizing agronomic machine learning and remote sensing, Apollo tailors its services to individual farmers, assessing credit risk and customizing packages based on satellite and soil data, as well as crop yield models. This approach not only enhances the effectiveness of farming practices but also aims to significantly increase yields and profits for farmers.

Apollo Agriculture

Seed Round in 2016
Apollo Agriculture, founded in 2015 and based in Nairobi, Kenya, focuses on providing financial and technical support to smallholder farmers in emerging markets. The company offers farming loans to help farmers purchase essential inputs such as fertilizer, seeds, and crop insurance, along with access to expert consultations via mobile technology. By utilizing agronomic machine learning and remote sensing, Apollo tailors its services to individual farmers, assessing credit risk and customizing packages based on satellite and soil data, as well as crop yield models. This approach not only enhances the effectiveness of farming practices but also aims to significantly increase yields and profits for farmers.

Umati Capital

Seed Round in 2014
Umati Capital (Kenya) Limited is a non-bank financial institution established in 2012 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. The company specializes in providing innovative financial solutions, particularly credit and payment technologies, to sectors such as agri-business supply chains, retailer value chains, and fast-moving consumer goods manufacturers. It aims to enhance access to finance for small-scale suppliers, trading companies, and industrial processors through its proprietary technology and branchless financial services. Additionally, Umati Capital offers a lending platform that includes invoice discounting and other working capital solutions tailored for small and medium-sized enterprises in East Africa, enabling them to secure necessary funding for growth.

Kopo Kopo

Series A in 2013
Kopo Kopo Inc. is a merchant services platform based in Nairobi, Kenya, that facilitates mobile payment acceptance and provides additional services to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Established in 2010, the company leverages the M-PESA platform to help businesses, ranging from salons to restaurants, transition from cash-based transactions to digital payments. Kopo Kopo's secure platform enables real-time processing and analysis of mobile payments while offering a comprehensive online dashboard for managing transactions and settling funds directly into bank accounts. Additionally, the company provides targeted promotional and loyalty tools, enhancing customer engagement and supporting businesses in their growth. Kopo Kopo also offers a suite of tools for merchant acquirers, including banks and mobile network operators, further contributing to the advancement of digital economies in East Africa.