I&M Bank

What I&M Bank does

I&M Group PLC is a publicly listed banking and financial services group headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, operating across five East African markets (Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Mauritius) through 119 branches serving more than 1 million customers. The group reports a KES 743 billion asset base, KES 323 billion in loans and advances, and KES 512 billion in customer deposits as of its 2025 disclosures. The bank serves retail consumers, SMEs, and corporate clients with core deposit, lending, treasury, and trade finance products, alongside specialized offerings including digital FX trading, merchant payment integration, and green finance facilities. Regional subsidiaries outside Kenya contribute 24% of group performance, providing geographic diversification across the East African Common Market.

The company's technology stack centers on a digital-first banking platform with mobile and internet banking channels, supported by proprietary products such as I&M FX DIRECT (a corporate treasury and foreign exchange trading platform offering algorithmic limit and stop-loss orders, real-time streaming currency rates, and 24/7 mobile access for corporate clients). Ecosystem partnerships with Visa, Mastercard, and Airtel Money extend payment infrastructure reach into the SME and consumer segments via USSD and mobile app integrations. The bank reports 98% of transactions processed through digital channels, indicating an advanced digitization position relative to regional peers.

I&M Group's revenue model combines interest income from its KES 323 billion loan portfolio with a growing non-interest income stream from fees, forex transactions, and digital services. For FY2025, the group reported revenue of KES 60.3 billion (up 19% year-over-year), profit before tax of KES 24.2 billion (up 22%), and non-interest income of KES 14.4 billion (up 31%). Capital sourcing has historically included development finance institutions (BII $50M exited in 2023, AfricInvest $26.7M in 2024) and concessional partners (Sida $30M green facility in 2026), with the group additionally participating in syndicated infrastructure deals such as Rwanda's Project Zorro telecom tower consortium financing.

Name

I&M Bank

Legal name

I&M Group PLC

Website

https://imbank.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

I&M Group PLC is a publicly listed East African banking group headquartered in Kenya, operating 119 branches across five countries and serving 1M+ retail, SME, and corporate customers with digital banking, FX trading, and merchant payment services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (52211), Commercial Banking (522110), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Cash Management & Treasury Services (FSAMAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Account & Balance Services (Operating accounts, statements, eBAM) (FSABAIAD), Treasury & Risk Management Solutions (FX/MM, hedging, TMS integration) (FSABAIAE)

Keywords

• Retail banking
• Corporate banking
• SME lending
• Foreign exchange trading
• Digital payments

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Interest Income on Loans and Advances: Traditional banking interest income from lending operations. I&M Group reported loans and advances of KES 323B as part of its KES 743B asset base.
2. Non-Interest Income: Fee income, forex trading, and transaction-based revenue. For 2025, non-interest income surged 31% to KES 14.4 billion, driven by digital transformation and increased transaction volumes.
3. Deposits and Customer Accounts: Customer deposits totaling KES 512B form a major funding source for the bank's lending and investment activities.
4. Regional Subsidiary Operations: Revenue from regional subsidiaries in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Mauritius contributing 24% of overall group performance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

I&M Bank is a regional banking and financial services group operating across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Mauritius with 119 branches and over 1M customers. It offers retail and corporate banking, SME lending, treasury and FX trading via the I&M FX DIRECT digital platform, merchant payment acceptance, and green finance facilities. Approximately 98% of transactions are processed through digital channels including mobile and internet banking.

Product overview

I&M Bank operates as a diversified financial services group offering a unified banking platform with multiple digital channels. The core product portfolio includes digital/mobile/internet banking (supporting 98% of all transactions), corporate treasury services via I&M FX DIRECT, SME banking with specialized lending and merchant payment solutions, and green finance facilities. The bank serves retail customers, corporations, and SMEs across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Mauritius through both traditional branch network (119 branches) and digital channels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• I&M FX DIRECT: Digital platform for corporate treasury and foreign exchange trading in Kenya, offering real-time streaming currency rates, algorithmic limit and stop-loss orders, and 24/7 mobile accessibility.
• I&M Green Finance Facility

Products and services

• Mobile Banking Mobile banking services enabling retail and corporate customers to conduct transactions, view balances, and access banking services via mobile devices; part of the bank's 98% digital transaction volume.
• Internet Banking Online banking platform providing customers with account management, transactional capabilities, and financial services access through the web.
• Digital Banking Platform Core digital banking platform enabling retail and corporate customers to conduct banking activities through digital channels, accounting for 98% of all transactions.
• I&M FX DIRECT Digital platform for corporate treasury and foreign exchange trading offering algorithmic limit and stop-loss orders, real-time streaming currency rates, and 24/7 mobile accessibility for business clients.
• SME Banking Services Banking services tailored for small and medium enterprises including digital payment acceptance and business financing solutions.
• SME Lending Lending products specifically targeting small and medium-sized enterprises across East Africa, supported by international development capital.
• Green Finance Facility $30 million sustainable finance facility for climate-aligned projects including renewable energy, clean transportation, green buildings, and circular economy initiatives, backed by Sida.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of transactions processed through digital channels
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MastercardcoreTechnology or Integration · 18 June 2026Mastercard partnered with I&M Bank as part of its SME Confidence Index initiative, with I&M Bank among the five key banking partners (Safaricom, KCB Bank, I&M Bank, NMB Bank, Diamond Trust Bank) to expand digital payment acceptance across Kenya's SME sector. The partnership contributed to a 45% increase in Mastercard's acceptance network across Africa.
• University of Technology and Arts of Byumba (UTAB)minorOthers · 27 March 2026I&M Bank Rwanda and UTAB signed a partnership aimed at uplifting campus life, students, and teacher welfare. The agreement was formalized between I&M Bank Rwanda CEO Benjamin Mutimura and UTAB Vice Chancellor Father Gilbert Munana.
• Bank of Kigali PlccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2026I&M Bank participated as a member of a Rwandan banking consortium supporting Paradigm Tower Ventures' acquisition of Ishara Towers Rwanda Ltd and its 1,467 telecom tower sites. Bank of Kigali acted as Lead Arranger alongside BRD, BPR, I&M Bank, Ecobank and Access Bank, bringing together over 90% of Rwanda's banking sector in one of the largest debt syndications in the country.
• BRD (Banque Rwandaise de Developpement)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2026BRD participated as part of the Rwandan banking consortium financing Paradigm Tower Ventures' acquisition of Ishara Towers Rwanda Ltd telecom tower portfolio.
• BPR (Banque Populaire du Rwanda)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2026BPR participated as part of the Rwandan banking consortium financing Paradigm Tower Ventures' acquisition of Ishara Towers Rwanda Ltd telecom tower portfolio.
• EcobankcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2026Ecobank participated as part of the Rwandan banking consortium financing Paradigm Tower Ventures' acquisition of Ishara Towers Rwanda Ltd telecom tower portfolio.
• Access Bank RwandacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2026Access Bank participated as part of the Rwandan banking consortium financing Paradigm Tower Ventures' acquisition of Ishara Towers Rwanda Ltd telecom tower portfolio.
• Paradigm Tower VenturescoreOthers · 27 March 2026Paradigm Tower Ventures (through its acquisition of Ishara Towers Rwanda Ltd) is the entity whose telecom tower acquisition was financed by the Rwandan banking consortium including I&M Bank. The transaction covers 1,467 telecom tower sites.
• VisacoreTechnology or Integration · 15 February 2026I&M Bank and Visa signed a partnership agreement to strengthen digital payment infrastructure and expand Visa-powered products in Kenya. The initiative aims to upgrade payment systems in underserved areas, improve cross-border payment capabilities to support regional trade, and expand secure digital payment access for SMEs and consumers.
• Airtel MoneycoreTechnology or Integration · 10 December 2025Airtel Money and I&M Bank partnered to enable direct merchant payments across Kenya. Airtel Money customers can make payments to I&M Bank's merchant network via USSD and mobile app. The partnership includes a 50% cashback offer and aims to unify mobile money and banking infrastructures for regional digital payment ecosystems.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NCBA Group: NCBA is a Kenyan bank group formed from mergers of NIC, Commercial Bank of Africa, and others, with retail, corporate, and asset management businesses across East Africa. Directly comparable to I&M on commercial banking, SME, and asset-management/mortgage offerings in the Kenyan market.
• Equity Group Holdings: Equity is a leading East African bank with deep agent banking and digital channel penetration and a strong SME/retail focus mirrored at I&M. Both serve SMEs and corporates across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and DRC; Equity has overtaken incumbents through a digital-first model similar to I&M's 98% digital transaction mix.
• KCB Bank Kenya: KCB is Kenya's largest bank by assets and the dominant regional banking group operating in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan. Direct comparison to I&M on both Kenya retail/corporate banking and cross-border East African franchise; KCB is the primary scale competitor named alongside I&M in the Mastercard SME partnership.
• Co-operative Bank of Kenya: Co-operative Bank is a major Kenyan commercial bank with strong retail, SME, and corporate banking franchises and a sizable regional footprint through subsidiaries. Comparable to I&M in product mix, customer segmentation (retail, SME, corporate), and Kenyan market positioning.
• Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) Kenya: DTB is an East African commercial bank with operations in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda, focused on corporate, trade, and SME banking. DTB is named alongside I&M in the Mastercard SME partnership; structurally similar regional commercial bank with comparable customer segments.
• Bank of Kigali: Bank of Kigali is Rwanda's largest commercial bank and acted as Lead Arranger of the Rwandan banking consortium in which I&M participated to finance Ishara Towers. Directly comparable to I&M Bank Rwanda on retail, SME, and corporate banking in Rwanda.

Broad incumbents

• Absa Bank Kenya: Absa Kenya is the local subsidiary of Absa Group (formerly Barclays Africa) and a full-service commercial, retail, and corporate bank in Kenya. Comparable to I&M on corporate banking, treasury/FX, and card/payments; significantly larger balance sheet and broader product suite.
• Ecobank Transnational: Ecobank is a pan-African commercial banking group with presence across 30+ African markets including Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania. Overlaps with I&M on regional corporate, trade, and SME banking and is a co-financing partner on deals such as the Mogo Kenya Sh800m facility.
• Standard Chartered Bank Kenya: Standard Chartered Kenya is the local subsidiary of Standard Chartered PLC, focused on corporate, institutional, and affluent retail banking with strong FX and trade-finance capabilities. Highly comparable to I&M's corporate treasury and FX DIRECT franchise; larger and more globally networked.
• Stanbic Bank Kenya (Standard Bank subsidiary): Stanbic Kenya is the local subsidiary of Africa's largest banking group (Standard Bank) and offers a full commercial, corporate, and investment banking product set. Larger and more diversified than I&M, but overlaps heavily in corporate, FX, and trade finance across Kenya and the wider East African market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/imbankke
• Facebookfacebook.com/imbankke
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/imbankke

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments4 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about I&M Bank