Zidisha
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersSterling, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Zidisha firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Zidisha
- Legal name
- Zidisha, Inc.
- Website
- https://zidisha.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Zidisha industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Peer-to-Peer Microlending
- NAICS
- Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310), Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223)
- SIC
- Loan Brokers (6163), Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)
- akta.pro primary industry
- P2P Small Business / SME Marketplace Lending (FSAKAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Microloans & Working Capital Loans (FSAKAGAA), SME Lending Platforms & Embedded SME Credit (FSAKAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Zidisha is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sterling
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Zidisha business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Philanthropic microlending: Zidisha operates as a direct, transparent philanthropy platform where lenders provide zero-interest loans to entrepreneurs. The platform does not charge interest and functions as a non-profit model. Revenue appears to come from voluntary contributions or platform sustainability mechanisms not explicitly detailed in available sources.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Zidisha product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Zidisha operates a peer-to-peer microlending platform that directly connects individual lenders worldwide with micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries, primarily in Africa. The platform facilitates zero-interest loans with no middlemen taking a cut, supports direct communication between lenders and borrowers, and uses a pay-it-forward model where repaid funds are reinvested in new entrepreneurs.
Product overview
Zidisha operates a peer-to-peer microfinance platform that connects lenders with entrepreneurs in developing countries, primarily in Africa. The core product is the microfinance lending platform featuring zero interest loans, direct person-to-person communication, and a unique pay-it-forward model where repaid funds are reinvested in new entrepreneurs. The platform also includes Gift Cards as an additional offering for users who wish to give the gift of lending. Founded in 2009, the platform has facilitated over 308,000 life-changing projects and $21.3 million in funding.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Zidisha Microfinance Platform
- Gift Cards
Quantifiable outcome
- 308,675 life-changing projects enabled
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Zidisha
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Zidisha technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Zidisha partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship.
- United NationsflagshipZidisha was selected for the inaugural Global Accelerator at the United Nations, recognizing innovative approaches to development and poverty alleviation through direct peer-to-peer microlending.
- Echoing GreenflagshipEchoing Green is one of the world's most prestigious social entrepreneurship awards. Zidisha was selected as a semifinalist from over 3,554 applications in 2012.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Zidisha competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kiva: Kiva is the most direct peer to Zidisha: a nonprofit P2P microlending platform that connects internet lenders with borrowers in developing countries. Both use a marketplace model to fund micro-entrepreneurs, with the key distinction that Kiva operates through local field partners while Zidisha enables direct lender-to-borrower connections.
- Lendwithcare: Lendwithcare (operated by Care International) is a P2P microlending platform that lets individual lenders fund entrepreneurs in developing countries. Like Zidisha, it emphasizes direct person-to-person lending and zero-interest charitable microlending, making it a directly comparable model.
- Babyloan: Babyloan is a European-based P2P microlending platform connecting individual lenders with micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries. Its marketplace lending model and philanthropic positioning make it a close structural peer to Zidisha.
- MYC4: MYC4 was a Denmark-based P2P lending platform focused on African small businesses, directly matching lenders with entrepreneurs in countries like Kenya, Ghana, and Uganda. Despite operational difficulties, it is historically one of the most structurally comparable platforms to Zidisha in the African microlending space.
Regional players
- Milaap: Milaap is a P2P crowdfunding and microlending platform primarily serving Indian micro-entrepreneurs. It operates a similar marketplace model connecting individual lenders with borrowers requiring small loans, but its geographic focus on India differs from Zidisha's African concentration.
Broad incumbents
- GlobalGiving: GlobalGiving is a large nonprofit crowdfunding platform that connects donors with vetted projects worldwide. While not strictly P2P lending, it is a broad incumbent in the person-to-person development finance category that overlaps with Zidisha's philanthropic crowdfunding-adjacent model.
- GoFundMe: GoFundMe is the largest direct-to-recipient crowdfunding platform globally, enabling individuals to raise funds for personal causes, emergencies, and small business needs. It is a broad incumbent in direct person-to-person giving, an adjacent model to Zidisha's philanthropic microlending.
Emerging players
- Wokelo AI: Wokelo is an emerging AI-powered philanthropic and grant management platform serving nonprofits and foundations. While not a direct microlending peer, it operates in the adjacent nonprofit technology and direct giving infrastructure space that supports Zidisha's mission-aligned activities.
- Tala: Tala is a venture-backed digital lender providing microloans to underbanked customers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America via mobile apps. While it lends from its own balance sheet rather than via a P2P model, it directly competes for the same micro-entrepreneur borrower segment in overlapping geographies.
- Branch International: Branch is a mobile lending platform serving underbanked populations across Africa and other emerging markets, offering small short-term loans to individuals and micro-entrepreneurs. It competes for the same end-borrower as Zidisha but uses a venture-funded proprietary lending model rather than P2P.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Zidisha social profiles
Digital presenceZidisha financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Zidisha leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Zidisha funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Zidisha 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 Zidisha
What does Zidisha do?
Zidisha operates a peer-to-peer microlending platform that directly connects individual lenders worldwide with micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries, primarily in Africa. The platform facilitates zero-interest loans with no middlemen taking a cut, supports direct communication between lenders and borrowers, and uses a pay-it-forward model where repaid funds are reinvested in new entrepreneurs.
Is Zidisha a public or private company?
Zidisha is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Zidisha founded?
Zidisha was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Zidisha based?
Zidisha is headquartered in Sterling, United States, in the North America region.
How does Zidisha make money?
One revenue line is on record: philanthropic microlending.
Who are Zidisha's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kiva, Lendwithcare, Babyloan and MYC4. Milaap is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are GlobalGiving and GoFundMe. Emerging players are Wokelo AI, Tala and Branch International.
Does Zidisha have an API?
No public API is recorded for Zidisha.
What industry is Zidisha in?
Zidisha's product category is Peer-to-Peer Microlending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAHAC, P2P Small Business / SME Marketplace Lending, with a secondary code of FSAKAGAA, Microloans & Working Capital Loans. Its NAICS code is 522310 and its SIC code is 6163.