M-KOPA (M for Mobile, Kopa meaning borrow in Swahili) is a UK-headquartered fintech enterprise recognized by its distinctive green and white brand colors, symbolizing growth, trust, and sustainable progress.
The colors reflect the company’s dual commitment to financial inclusion and green energy innovation across Africa.
Launched commercially in 2012, the company provides affordable smartphones and digital financial products through a pay-as-you-go model tailored for low-income earners.
Today, M-KOPA operates in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa, with its head office in London, United Kingdom.
M-KOPA Founders and Ownership
M-KOPA was founded in 2010 in Nairobi by Jesse Moore, Nick Hughes, and Chad Larson, who formally launched the company in 2011.
Hughes, who previously co-founded M-Pesa at Vodafone, collaborated with Moore, his former colleague and fellow MBA student at Oxford University.
Larson, a banker and Oxford alumnus, joined them in developing the innovative mobile-based financing model.
The company was incubated by Signal Point Partners in 2011, with early investments from Richard Branson, Generation Investment Management, Blue Haven Initiative, and LGT Venture Philanthropy, an investment vehicle of the Princely Family of Liechtenstein.
Under the leadership of Chief Executive Officer Jesse Moore, M-KOPA has grown to become one of the most impactful financial technology companies on the continent.
Business Model and Products
M-KOPA provides smartphones and financial services using a daily repayment system that mirrors the cash flow patterns of customers who earn on a day-to-day basis.
The model allows clients to pay an initial deposit of KSh 3,500 (approx. US$35) followed by daily installments of KSh 50 (approx. US$0.50) for one year via M-Pesa.
This approach enables individuals with limited financial access to own smartphones while simultaneously building a credit history.
Also Read: M-KOPA Makes Major Comeback With Ksh 1.2 Billion Profit
The company leverages AI-driven analytics and payments data to create long-term digital credit profiles.
M-KOPA’s services include:
- Digital loans and savings
- Insurance products
- Affordable digital subscriptions
- Smartphone financing
In addition, M-KOPA Labs, the company’s research and development unit, pilots new technologies and extensions to the core platform.
Market Expansion and Partnerships
By 2015, M-KOPA had powered over 150,000 households across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, recording more than 10,000 mobile payments daily. The company reported over $40 million in revenue that same year.
As of 2024, M-KOPA had extended over $1.5 billion in credit to more than five million customers, employing 3,000 staff members and 30,000 sales agents across its markets.
The company partners with leading organizations, including Safaricom, Mastercard, and Solinc East Africa, to enhance access to mobile money services, manufacturing, and product distribution.
M-KOPA Service Centers in Kenya
M-KOPA has an extensive physical presence across Kenya, with service centers located in major towns including Nairobi, Kisumu, Eldoret, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kitale, Bungoma, and Kisii.
Its offices are strategically located near key transport and business hubs to ensure accessibility for customers.
Mkopa service centers in Kenya are as follows:
| Service Center | Physical Address |
| Awasi | Awasi town |
| Bomet | Opposite Junction Medical Clinic along Guba Road |
| Bondo | Opposite Junction Medical Clinic along Guba road |
| Bumala | Wima Plaza along Kisumu-Busia Highway |
| Bungoma | Bigem Plaza along along Bungoma-Mumias road |
| Busia | Busia town, adjacent to Barclays Bank |
| Eldoret | Kenol / Kobil Petrol Station along Kenya – Uganda Road, Eldoret Town |
| Emali | Mbilo Building, Opposite Mombasa Bus Stage |
| Embu | Grace Plaza, next to Shell Petrol station |
| Garissa | Bayusuf Building along Biashara Street in Garissa Town inside Fargo Courier Shop |
| Homabay | Near the main Terminus Opposite Total |
| Isiolo | Isiolo town, Opposite Wabera Primary School |
| Iten | Discovery building behind Post Bank |
| Kabarnet | Kabarnet town, Opposite Lelbatai Building |
| Kadongo | Kadongo town along the Kisii-Kisumu road |
| Kajiado | Kajiado town, next to KCB Bank |
| Kakamega | Opposite Mama Watoto Supermarket along Canon Awaro Street |
| Kamukuywa | Kamukuywa Market Center Opp Kitale bus stage |
| Makutano | Makutano town, next to Kapenguria Supermarket |
| Mbale | Mbale town, next to the G4S office, Mbale, along the Kisumu-Kakamega road |
| Kapsabet | Next to the orange house along the Kapsabet-Kisumu highway |
| Karatina | Nawama Flats Karatina Town Behind Eco Bank (Fargo Courier Outlet), Kenya |
| Sori | Hi Five building next to the Co-operative Bank along Main Street |
| Katito | Daima Lane Complex, next to KWFT along Kisumu – Homabay road |
| Kehancha | Kehancha town is at the stage next to Kehancha Municipal Market |
| M-KOPA Kericho | Kericho – Pb lint enterprises bookshop Opposite Kenya Women |
| Keroka | Paradise House building, next to the Diplomat hotel |
| Kilifi | Kilifi town, next to the orange shop |
| Kipkaren | Kipkaren Hudson Associates, Kipkaren Center, along the Eldoret-Webuye road |
| Kisii | Near Kisii level 5 along hospital road |
| Kisumu | Shop no 13, Next to Guardian Bus Park, Kisumu |
| Kitale | Tanabaka house, along Kenyatta Avenue |
| Kitengela | Kitengela town inside the Kobil Petrol Station |
| Kitui | Next to Magunas Supermarket Kitui along Kibwezi-Kitui Road |
| Kombewa | M-KOPA, Kombewa |
| Lodwar | Next Naivas Supermarket along Lodwar – Lokichogio Road |
| Loitoktok | Main Street next to Equity Bank |
| Luanda | Luanda town opposite Equator Hospital |
| Machakos | Machakos town, opposite Kenyatta Stadium |
| Malaba | Jamia Mosque, Malaba Town (Fargo Courier Outlet), Kenya |
| Malindi | Malindi town, opposite Fairdeal shop |
| Maralal | Malet Plaza Opposite Equity Bank Maralal Town, Kenya |
| Mariakani | Mariakani Visage Mobile Com Ltd, Mariakani town, next to Mombasa stage, next to Mariakani filling station |
| Matunda | Matunda town, Opposite the Precious Petrol Station |
| Matuu | Matuu Town, opposite the Dancing Spoon Hotel |
| Maua | Maua Town, Kaciongo area, next to Kensilver booking office |
| Mbita | Mbita town, next to the KCB Bank |
| Meru | Meru town main stage next to Nkundi Plaza |
| Migori | Migori View Point Lodge House, Ground floor, next to Wells Fargo Offices, along Isebania Kisii highway |
| Molo | Molo town is next to Wells Fargo Offices |
| Mombasa | Kengeleni, opposite Cooperative Bank of Kenya |
| Mpeketoni | Along Good Shepherd Rd, opposite Lamu County Offices |
| Muhoroni | Muhoroni town, opposite Kobil Petrol Station |
| Mumias | Mumias town, next to the Cooperative Bank |
| Mwingi | Mwingi town, next to Mutemi Hardware |
| Loita Street CBD | Opposite GPO Along Loita Street, Nairobi Town |
| M-KOPA Naivasha | Maryland building, next to Kenya Power offices along Mama Ngina road |
| Nakuru | Equator Building, Opposite Ukwala Supermarket along Kenyatta Lane |
| Narok | Narok Town, opposite Barclays Bank |
| Nyahururu | Ol Kalou road next to Nyahururu Hospital |
| Siaya | Opposite Post Office, Siaya Town |
| Thika | Thika Town, along Kenyatta Highway, Opposite Tuskys Chania |
| Ukunda | Biashara Plaza along Ukunda-Ramisi Road |
| Voi | Next to Musila shop in Voi Town (Fargo Courier Outlet), Kenya |
| Webuye | Next to the Kenya Power Office, Webuye, Kenya |
| M-KOPA Wote | Mbithinguue Umba & Sons Building, next Opposite Cooperative Bank |
Awards
M-Kopa has received recognition from various institutions. It won the Bloomberg New Energy Finance Award 2014 as well as two awards from the Financial Times for Technology in Sustainable Finance and Excellence in Sustainable Finance, both in 2013.
Also Read: Women Lead in Buying M-KOPA Phones: Here is Why
In 2015, M-Kopa was recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the Top 50 Companies Changing the World and won the Zayed Future Energy Award 2015.
In February 2016, it was recognized as the Best Mobile Innovation for Emerging Markets at the Global Mobile Awards.
M-Kopa was named on MIT Technology Review’s 2017 list of 50 Smartest Companies in June 2017. In March 2016, it emerged boldest at the Financial Times Arcelor Mittal – Boldness in Business Awards in the developing markets category.
Fast Company listed M-Kopa in the 2018 Edition of the World’s Most Innovative Companies, and number four out of 10 in Africa. The company was also named among the global Cleantech 100 companies in 2019.
In addition, M-Kopa was listed in the Financial Times “Africa’s Fastest Growing Companies” rankings three years in a row in 2022, 2023, and 2024. The company was also included in the TIME100 Most Influential Companies list in 2023 and 2024.
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