Yango Ventures has made its second investment from the $20 million Africa-focused fund it unveiled this year, taking a stake in Zanifu, a Kenyan fintech that provides working-capital financing to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The funding amount was not disclosed, but the deal follows Yango Ventures’ first investment in BuuPass, the mobility-ticketing platform, underscoring the fund’s early focus on digital infrastructure for everyday commerce.
Founded by Steve Biko and Sebastian Mithika, Zanifu plugs a persistent gap for small retailers and distributors who are often shut out of formal bank credit. Through its embedded-lending model and data-driven underwriting, the company advances short-term inventory loans—typically up to about $2,000—that are repaid from ongoing sales. By integrating with supplier networks and point-of-sale flows, Zanifu minimizes friction for merchants while improving visibility on repayment risk.
The traction is notable for a market defined by thin files and high informality: Zanifu says it has disbursed more than $60 million in financing to 15,000+ SMEs and achieved two consecutive months at breakeven. Those milestones matter in today’s funding climate, where investors are rewarding ventures that can prove unit economics and route to profitability, not just top-line growth.
Yango Ventures framed the investment as a bet on real-time, high-impact financial rails for the continent. The firm—part of the international tech group Yango—launched its $20 million vehicle in 2025 to back companies at the intersection of fintech, B2B SaaS, and e-commerce enablement. Its approach blends capital with hands-on operational support, aiming to help portfolio companies scale across borders. Yango’s broader operating footprint, including ride-hailing in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Dubai, provides complementary market knowledge and potential distribution touchpoints.
Zanifu’s model also aligns with a larger macro imperative. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), about 65 million formal micro, small, and medium enterprises in developing markets face an annual financing shortfall of $5.2 trillion. In Africa, where supply chains are fragmented and transaction data sparse, lenders often struggle to price risk. Zanifu tackles that problem by underwriting against real operating data—inventory turns, order histories, and repayment behavior—rather than traditional collateral. For merchants, the payoff is the ability to keep shelves stocked, smooth cash cycles, and grow basket sizes without resorting to expensive informal credit.
For Yango Ventures, the deal extends a thesis that digital rails for mobility and commerce only reach full potential when paired with accessible finance. If BuuPass digitizes how people and goods move, Zanifu strengthens the ability of the smallest businesses to fund the goods themselves. Together, the portfolio hints at a strategy to back critical, API-friendly infrastructure that can be reused across markets.
With fresh backing, Zanifu plans to deepen its product stack, expand its distribution partnerships, and enter additional African markets where SME retailers are numerous but under-served. As lenders worldwide re-evaluate risk and capital becomes more selective, the company’s recent breakeven signal—and its focus on embedded, data-rich lending—could prove a durable advantage.
Editor’s note: Yango Ventures did not disclose the investment size. This marks the fund’s second disclosed deal in 2025 after its investment in BuuPass.
