Branch raises Ksh500m, issues 10 millionth loan in Kenya

Branch International recently announced their largest commercial paper issuance to date, raising Ksh500 million. This is the third time the financial services firm has issued commercial paper, following a Ksh350 million issuance in 2018 and a Ksh200 million issuance in 2017.

All commercial paper issuances have been arranged by the Centum-owned advisory firm, Barium Capital. This latest investment will be used to continue to expand Branch’s services in Kenya.

“It’s very exciting to be serving millions of Kenyans and providing them with access to
essential financial services,” commented Daniel Szlapak, Head of Global Operations for
Branch. “The huge growth and success in the Kenya market has positioned the
company for strong global expansion,” he added.

Since launching in 2015, Branch has established itself as a key player in Kenya’s digital
lending space. They are also a leading digital financial services provider in Nigeria,
Tanzania, and Mexico, and will launch in India this year.

Branch’s approach to commercial paper issuance has been largely ground breaking. It
was one of the first early-stage technology companies to successfully raise debt in the
local market.

Speaking after the close of the issue, Teresia Muthoni, the Managing Director of Barium
Capital said, “We continue to be impressed by Branch’s approach to credit management
despite the very competitive Kenyan mobile lending space which for us remains the
fundamental test of issuer quality. This, coupled with the caliber of Branch’s leadership
team, is what has allowed the firm to access the private capital markets much earlier
than other companies in their industry and position themselves for the spectacular
growth they’ve achieved to date.”

Previously, the firm garnered more than Ksh7.1 billion from top international investors,
including the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation and Andreessen
Horowitz. The latter is one of Silicon Valley’s top venture capital firms, whose previous
investments have included Airbnb, Instagram, and Facebook.

In addition to the new capital, Branch is also announcing that it has now issued its 10
millionth loan in Kenya. This is a key milestone for the firm, whose mission is to expand
financial access to the 70% of customers worldwide who, according to the World Bank,
are underserved by traditional financial institutions. Branch issues tens of thousands of
loans per day and has disbursed more than Ksh25 billion in Kenya. According to
customer surveys, most Branch loans are used for small business start up costs and
ongoing business investment.

“It’s very exciting to be serving millions of Kenyans and providing them with access to
essential financial services,” commented Daniel Szlapak, Head of Global Operations for
Branch. “The huge growth and success in the Kenya market has positioned the
company for strong global expansion,” he added.

Unlike traditional institutions, Branch gives people an opportunity to build credit despite
limited banking history. Branch leverages best-in-class data science to unlock financial
access for people around the world, while keeping costs and default rates low. Its
algorithms process thousands of data points to create personalized loan options in a
matter of seconds. The firm’s first product offering is lending, but it plans to expand into
savings and payment products in the future