Lidya is the future of finance for small businesses in frontier markets. Their goal is to help great business owners access financing and build a credit score through an easy and inspiring lending process. Launched in 2016, the company is on a mission to close a $4 trillion SME credit gap worldwide. Businesses who are looking for $500 USD to $50,000 in working capital are able to apply online or via their mobile phone and get a decision rapidly. To assess credit risk, Lidya uses close to 100 data points to evaluate businesses, build a credit score unique to each business, and disburse loans in 24 hours or less. They use mobile-first technology, fantastic customer experience, and proprietary credit scoring algorithms to help African businesses and individuals open an account online in 15 minutes, manage receivables and cash flow, access credit needed to grow their businesses, and build credit scores that unlock higher credit limits and affordable rates.
Location: Nigeria, Lagos, Itirin
Employees: 51-200
Total raised: $8.15M
Founded date: 2016
Investors 4
| Date | Name | Website |
| - | Unreasonab... | unreasonab... |
| - | Musha Vent... | mushaventu... |
| - | Tekton Ven... | tektonvent... |
| - | Bamboo Cap... | bamboocp.c... |
Funding Rounds 2
| Date | Series | Amount | Investors |
| 23.05.2018 | Series A | $6.9M | - |
| 05.04.2017 | Seed | $1.25M | - |
Mentions in press and media 23
| Date | Title | Description |
| 22.01.2021 | Wave Out, OZÉ In: How a Ghana-based fintech wants to change SME financing | Small and medium businesses across Africa often have a hard time getting loans; OZÉ, a Ghana-based fintech startup, wants to change that. In Nigeria, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for 96% of businesses and 84% of employment. T... |
| 17.09.2020 | A conversation with Tunde Kehinde of Lidya on finance and the digital divide | Small and medium businesses have been some of the hardest hit in the COVID-19 pandemic. And all that has been as true in emerging markets as it has been for SMBs in the developed world. Tunde Kehinde has had a front-row seat witnessing and ... |
| 13.03.2020 | Coronavirus Will Be Even Worse For Low-Income People And Businesses, But Fintechs Can Help | As the world reacts to the novel coronavirus — now officially a pandemic according to the World Health Organization — many countries are beginning to suggest ways to help the citizens hurt by the virus. Quantitative easing to bolster the st... |
| 04.09.2019 | Accion Venture Lab to invest at least $4.5m in African fintechs with new fund | Accion Venture Lab, the seed investment initiative of US-based non-profit Accion, has launched a new $23-million fund aimed at fintech startups that focus on financial inclusion. The seed investment initiative announced the launch of the ne... |
| 04.09.2019 | Accion Venture Lab to invest at least $4.5m in African fintechs with new fund | Accion Venture Lab, the seed investment initiative of US-based non-profit Accion, has launched a new $23-million fund aimed at fintech startups that focus on financial inclusion. The seed investment initiative announced the launch of the n... |
| 16.08.2019 | Nigeria-based Lidya to offer Nigerian SMEs Access to Loans within 48 Hours | Lidya, a credit facilitator startup that is based in Nigeria creates access to credit facility for SMEs in the country, within 48 hours. Founded in 2016 by Ercin Eksin and Tunde Kehinde, the startup leverages technology and credit-scoring s... |
| 24.05.2019 | Leading African FinTechs To Take Center Stage At Africa Tech Summit London | Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new... |
| 17.12.2018 | Are these the 10 biggest disclosed African tech startup deals of 2018? [Updated] | A whole lot of money. That’s what over 60 African tech startups raised this year. While not every startup wanted to disclose how much they raised, those that did made quite a packet — over $178-million going on data from 48 venture capital... |
| 17.12.2018 | Are these the 10 biggest disclosed African tech startup deals of 2018? [Updated] | A whole lot of money. That’s what over 60 African tech startups raised this year. While not every startup wanted to disclose how much they raised, those that did made quite a packet — over $178-million going on data from 48 venture capital ... |
| 05.09.2018 | Goodwell launches new Africa-focused €20m fund aimed at inclusive economy | Dutch impact investor Goodwell Investments has announced that it has launched Goodwell IV, a €20-million fund for investments in the inclusive economy in Sub-Saharan Africa. In a statement today (5 September), the impact investor said the ... |
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