Nigerian fintech startup KiaKia has launched a first lending investment mobile app that allows users to invest in the funding of secured personal and business loans originated, underwritten and booked by the startup, and earn interest income.
Launched in 2016, KiaKia makes direct and peer-to-peer consumer and SME loans accessible and obtainable for underbanked and unbanked Nigerians through its online proprietary credit scoring and risk assessment algorithm.
Since launching, the company has facilitated, structured, originated and disbursed over NGN4.5 billion as personal and business loans to individuals and MSMEs across Nigeria. Until now, its peer-to-peer (P2P) lending investment service has been exclusive to high-income individuals, but it is now opening it up to any individual with a legitimate source of funds via its new app.
The app, which is simple to use, secure, and offers a Halal option, was created in response to growing demand from both businesses and funders. Olajide Abiola, KiaKia co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO), said a P2P lending and investment platform like KiaKia was optimised to deliver value.
“We offer the opportunity to put your money to work, by efficiently aggregating funds, carefully matching and securely disbursing them to credit-worthy borrowers, allowing lenders and funders to directly enjoy interests and profit sharing,” he said.
“Traditional financial institutions alone cannot meet the credit needs of economically active individuals and the real sector. This is why there is the need to ethically and creatively leverage crowd resources to bridge this critical gap. What we have done is to simply reimagine systems that have worked for other societies and adapt the same to our unique social and economic dynamics and realities, riding on the record and strength of performance in the past four years.”
The app is available in the Google Play Store, and KiaKia hopes to release the iOS version in the next two weeks.