Ed Partners
Ed Partners Africa is a Kenyan non-banking financial institution founded in 2018 that provides tailored loan products and complementary school management technology to affordable private schools across Kenya, serving 400+ schools and 120,000+ students.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersWestlands, Kenya
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ed Partners does
Ed Partners Africa Ltd is a Kenyan non-banking financial institution founded in 2018 that provides tailored credit and complementary education technology to affordable private schools in Kenya. The company's core offering is a portfolio of six loan products—School Development (up to Kshs 20M), School Upgrade (up to Kshs 7M), Transport (up to 95% financing over 60 months), WASH, School Techy (up to Kshs 7M over 36 months), and Working Capital (up to Kshs 1M)—with dynamic repayment schedules aligned to school fee collection cycles. Beyond credit, Ed Partners operates a proprietary School Management System (SMS) for school operations and the Ilearn digital learning platform delivering KICD-approved Competency Based Curriculum content, together extending the company from lender into integrated education services.
The business model combines interest income and fees on the loan portfolio with subscription-like revenue from SMS and Ilearn. Distribution is sales-led through a five-branch branch network in Kenya (Nairobi HQ, Nakuru, Meru, Kisumu, Nyeri) staffed by relationship managers, augmented by digital channels including SMS short-code (23694), WhatsApp, web inquiries, social media, and participation in industry events such as the AMFI-K Financial Inclusion Conference. The customer base consists of 400+ affordable private schools impacting 120,000+ students, and the company has raised approximately $13.4M in cumulative capital since 2021 from impact investors (Acumen, I&P, Zephyr) and DFI partners (Oikocredit, US DFC). Adam Kasaine, formerly CEO of Letshego Kenya, was appointed CEO in January 2024, and the company is co-founded by David Fitzherbert and Lydia Koros.
Ed Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ed Partners
- Legal name
- Ed Partners Africa Ltd
- Website
- https://edpartnersafrica.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Ed Partners Africa is a Kenyan non-banking financial institution founded in 2018 that provides tailored loan products and complementary school management technology to affordable private schools across Kenya, serving 400+ schools and 120,000+ students.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ed Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Sector Lending
- NAICS
- Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Education Line of Credit (Education LOC) (FSAKAEAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- In-School Tuition & Fee Financing (Short-term/Bridge) (FSAKAEAG), Billing, Tuition, Fees & Payments (including Cafeteria/Meal Accounts) (EDAFAEAN)
Keywords
Where Ed Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Westlands
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices5 records
Markets served
Ed Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- School Loan Interest and Fees: Ed Partners Africa generates revenue through interest charged on loans provided to private schools. The company offers various loan products including school development loans, upgrade loans, transport loans, technology loans, WASH loans, and working capital facilities. Interest rates and fees are charged on the principal loan amounts with repayment schedules tailored to school business models.
- Technology and Service Fees: Revenue is generated from the School Management System and digital learning platform (Ilearn) provided to schools, potentially through subscription or service fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | School Development Loan - Up to Kshs 20,000,000 |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | School Upgrade Loan - Up to Kshs 7,000,000 |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Transport Loan - Up to 95% Financing for 60 months |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | School Techy Loan - Up to Kshs 7,000,000 for 36 months |
| Unit Pricing | Annual | School Working Capital Loan - Up to Kshs 1,000,000 |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | School WASH Loan - Variable amounts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ed Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ed Partners Africa provides tailored loan facilities to affordable private schools in Kenya covering infrastructure development, facility upgrades, school transportation, WASH facilities, technology adoption, and working capital. Repayment schedules are aligned with school fee collection cycles, and lending is supported by a 3-day approval process, relationship managers across five branches, and bundled non-financial services including school management training and curriculum advisory. The company additionally distributes a School Management System (SMS) and the Ilearn digital learning platform to schools.
Product overview
Ed Partners Africa operates as a non-banking financial institution offering a portfolio of six financial products (School Development Loan, School Upgrade Loan, Transport Loan, School WASH Loan, School Techy Loan, and School Working Capital Loan) alongside two technology offerings: the School Management System (SMS) and Ilearn digital learning platform. The financial products are designed to support school infrastructure, transportation, technology adoption, hygiene facilities, and operational needs, while the SMS and Ilearn platforms provide non-financial solutions for school operations and digital learning.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EDUPLUS: A change agent program for transforming education in Africa, aligned with EPAL's strategic purpose of impacting lives through education financing through 6 social impact pillars.
Products and services
- School Development Loan Loan facility for affordable private schools to fund infrastructure development including Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) and Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) facilities, with maximum loan amount up to Kshs 20,000,000 and multi-year repayment aligned to school fee cycles.
- School Upgrade Loan Loan facility for private schools to renovate and improve school facilities and aesthetics, with maximum loan amount up to Kshs 7,000,000 on a multi-year repayment schedule.
- Transport Loan Financing solution for schools to acquire new or used school buses or vans, offering up to 95% financing over a 60-month period with repayment aligned to school business models.
- School Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Loan Loan facility to fund WASH infrastructure at schools, including construction of toilets, septic tanks, water tanks, boreholes, and water connectivity, with variable loan amounts and multi-year repayment.
- School Techy Loan Technology financing facility for schools transitioning to digital operations, with maximum loan amount up to Kshs 7,000,000 over a maximum period of 36 months.
- School Working Capital Loan Working capital loan facility for schools to address operational needs such as repairs, salary payments, and supplier costs, with maximum loan amount up to Kshs 1,000,000 on an annual billing cadence.
- School Management System (SMS) Comprehensive school management platform that streamlines operations from enrollment to performance tracking, enabling paperless administration, real-time fee tracking, simplified parent communication, and one-click reports for data-driven decisions, designed for private schools in Kenya.
- Ilearn Digital Learning Platform Digital learning platform providing KICD-approved Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) educational content and learning management capabilities for schools adopting digital learning.
Quantifiable outcome
- 120,000+ students impacted across 400+ schools
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ed Partners
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Ed Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Ed Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ed Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- ManageBac: School management and learning platform used internationally including in East Africa. Adjacent competitor to Ed Partners' SMS and Ilearn products for schools seeking digital administration tools.
- Kiva: Global crowdfunding microlending platform with significant education sector exposure in East Africa. Ed Partners schools could be comparable borrowers/beneficiaries, and Kiva represents alternative education financing capital.
Direct peers
- Musoni Kenya: Kenyan microfinance institution using mobile-first technology to provide loans and financial services to underbanked segments. Competes for similar borrowers in Kenya with comparable digital lending infrastructure.
- Lendable Inc. US/Kenya-based lending platform focused on financing for high-impact sectors including education in East Africa. Provides credit to educational institutions and similar end-customers with comparable loan structures, making it the closest direct competitor.
- Pezesha: Kenya-based digital lending marketplace connecting SMEs with multiple lenders. Overlaps with Ed Partners in extending credit to small businesses including educational institutions in Kenya and East Africa.
- Fedena (Badejo Technologies): School management software platform serving schools across multiple markets. Directly competes with Ed Partners' School Management System (SMS) product for the same customer base of K-12 schools seeking administrative software.
- Dignify (formerly Avenews): Provides financing and working capital solutions to small businesses in Kenya and East Africa, including the education sector. Competes with Ed Partners in extending credit to schools and similar SMB segments.
Broad incumbents
- Branch International: Large digital lending platform operating in Kenya and other emerging markets. While broader in target customer base than Ed Partners, it competes for the underbanked Kenyan SMB and consumer lending opportunity.
- Tala (formerly InVenture): Major mobile lending platform active in Kenya providing credit to underbanked consumers and small businesses. Operates in adjacent digital lending space with similar customer demographics.
- Standard Chartered Kenya (Education Financing): Large commercial bank with education sector lending products in Kenya. Represents the traditional banking alternative that Ed Partners positions against, given that affordable private schools lack collateral to access commercial bank credit.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ed Partners social profiles
Digital presenceEd Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ed Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Ed Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ed Partners M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ed Partners
What does Ed Partners do?
Ed Partners Africa provides tailored loan facilities to affordable private schools in Kenya covering infrastructure development, facility upgrades, school transportation, WASH facilities, technology adoption, and working capital. Repayment schedules are aligned with school fee collection cycles, and lending is supported by a 3-day approval process, relationship managers across five branches, and bundled non-financial services including school management training and curriculum advisory. The company additionally distributes a School Management System (SMS) and the Ilearn digital learning platform to schools.
Is Ed Partners a public or private company?
Ed Partners is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Ed Partners founded?
Ed Partners was founded in 2018. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Ed Partners based?
Ed Partners is headquartered in Westlands, Kenya, in the Africa region.
How does Ed Partners make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. School Loan Interest and Fees are the primary driver. The others are technology and Service Fees.
Who are Ed Partners's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are ManageBac and Kiva. Direct peers are Musoni Kenya, Lendable Inc., Pezesha, Fedena (Badejo Technologies) and Dignify (formerly Avenews). Broad incumbents are Branch International, Tala (formerly InVenture) and Standard Chartered Kenya (Education Financing).
Does Ed Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ed Partners.
What industry is Ed Partners in?
Ed Partners's product category is Education Sector Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAEAH, Education Line of Credit (Education LOC), with a secondary code of FSAKAEAG, In-School Tuition & Fee Financing (Short-term/Bridge). Its NAICS code is 522 and its SIC code is 6159.