Lidya, Loan App Founded by Nigerian, Tunde Kehinde, Raises N3.41billion

Lidya, Loan App Founded by Nigerian, Tunde Kehinde, Raises N3.41billion

  • Over N3.41 billion was raised by Nigerian financial technology company, Lidya, as the company's total funds obtained in last four years reach N6.78 billion
  • The new capital was raised from investors such as Bamboo Capital Partners, Accion Venture Lab and Flourish Ventures, and uMunthu Fund, owned by Alitheia Capital
  • Lidya, which has continued to attract capital from several local and foreign investors, was created by former Africa Courier Express employees, Tunde Kehinde and Ercin Eksin

PAY ATTENTION: Join a community of CEOs, founders, and decision-makers: subscribe for a free monthly business newsletter Digital Talks and succeed BIG!

Lidya, a Nigerian loan app for small and medium businesses, has raised additional funds, as its total fundraising hit N6.78 billion ($16.5 million) in about three years.

The lending startup recently conducted a pre-Series B funding round, which led to Lidya raising N3.41 billion ($8.3 million) through several investors led by Alitheia Capital, through its investment arm, uMunthu Fund.

Read also

Chioma Okotcha, Uche Nnadi raises N411.49 million to assist other small businesses

It was also gathered that Bamboo Capital Partners, Accion Venture Lab and Flourish Ventures also contributed to the capital raised by Lidya.

Tunde Kehinde, founder of Lidya, secured N3.41 billion from several local investors
Co-founder of Lidya, Tunde Kehinde. Photo: Lidya
Source: Instagram

Aside from this recent funds obtained, in a 2017 seed round, Lidya received $1.3 million, and a year after, during a Series A funding, the company raised $6.9 million.

Who funded Lidya, and why

Lidya was founded by Nigerian, Tunde Kehinde and Ercin Eksin, after they got the idea while working for logistic firm, Africa Courier Express (ACE).

Kehinde and Eksin were inspired by the struggles of small businesses in obtaining financial support - some of these enterprises were clients of ACE.

The duo who were part of founding executives of Jumia Nigeria, went on to establish their lending platform in 2016 despite the existence of competitors, who they believe can't provide all the loan demanded by small businesses.

Today, they have disbursed over $3 million for over 25,000 loan demand. They offer credit in the range of $500 to $50,000 within 24 hours.

Read also

Chisco Express founder target his father's $25 million worth of transportation property

Two Nigerians who raised funds for small businesses

In related news, Legit.ng had previously reported that two Nigerians, Chioma Okotcha, Uche Nnadi and Zach Bijesse, established Payhippo to assist small businesses get funds.

They recently raised N411.49 million from several local investors such as Ventures Platform, Future Africa, Launch Africa, Sherpa Ventures, DFS Lab and others.

This capital is expected to boost the operation of Payhippo, and ensure they have the capacity to continue providing financial assistance to SME.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Khadijah Thabit avatar

Khadijah Thabit (Copyeditor) Khadijah Thabit is an editor with over 3 years of experience editing and managing contents such as articles, blogs, newsletters and social leads. She has a BA in English and Literary Studies from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Khadijah joined Legit.ng in September 2020 as a copyeditor and proofreader for the Human Interest, Current Affairs, Business, Sports and PR desks. As a grammar police, she develops her skills by reading novels and dictionaries. Email: khadeeejathabit@gmail.com