#60: M-Kopa - How the asset financing platform is providing access to consumer products across Kenya & Africa

Afrobility: Africa Tech & Business

Overview: Today, we’re going to talk about M-Kopa, the African asset financing platform. We’ll explore the M-Kopa story across 5 areas:

1. African electrical power context
2. M-Kopa's early history
3. Product & monetization strategy
4. Competitive positioning & exit options
5. Then we'll end with our views on its overall outlook.

This episode was recorded on Jan 15, 2023

Companies discussed: M-Kopa, Safaricom (M-Pesa), d.light, Zola Electric, Transsion, Samsung, Nokia (HMD global), Airtel, MTN, Mobisol, Carbon & Fairmoney

Business concepts discussed: Rural electrification, Payment infrastructure, Pay-as-you-go Solar, Off-grid energy, asset financing, credit scoring, risk assessment & renewable energy

Conversation highlights:

• (05:45) - Africa electricity access context
• (09:45) - Kenya electricity access context
• (14:55) - M-Kopa early history
• (16:55 ) - Founders’ background
• (25:07) - Other ideas before M-Kopa and M-Kopa launch
• (28:44) - Launch strategy - partnerships, sales and distribution
• (32:05) - Fundraising, Growth, Geo Expansion, Team
• (54:01) - Product strategy and how the product works
• (1:06:04) - Monetization strategy
• (1:14:16) - Competition and options for exit
• (01:29:50) - Olumide’s overall thoughts and outlook
• (1:38:06) - Bankole’s overall thoughts and outlook
• (1:48:08) - Recommendations and small wins

Olumide’s recommendations & small wins:

• Interested in investing in Africa Tech with Olumide: Read about Adamantium fund & contact me at [e-mail]
• Founders looking for funding: If you're a B2B founder working on Education, Health, Finance or food, please contact me for funding at [e-mail]
• Recommendation 1: Descript: We use it for afrobility and even though I didn't initially think we needed it, it's grown on me. Especially now that I'm using it more aggressively for my personal finance book (myfiredom.com) editing
• Recommendation 2: Dances with wolves movie. So so good!
• Small win 1: Hung out with mum during thanksgiving break. It was cool!
• Small win 2: New years day with friends in London. It was nice!

Bankole’s recommendations & small wins:

• Recommendation: Building an AI Chatbot off Podcast Transcripts
• Small win: Happy to be back home after months of travelling in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa
• Other content: M-Kopa Solar Is Making a Profit on Poor Africans

Listeners: We’d love to hear from you. Email [e-mail] with feedback!

Founders & Operators: We'd love to hear about what you're working on, email us at [e-mail]

Investors: It would be great to link up with you. Contact us at [e-mail]

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