Beem
Beem is a Pan-African omnichannel communication platform that provides SMS, WhatsApp, USSD, Airtime, Mobile Payments, OTP, and AI-powered customer engagement services to enterprises and developers across 25+ African countries via unified APIs and self-service tools.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersDar Es Salaam, Tanzania
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Beem does
Beem is a Pan-African omnichannel communication and customer engagement platform headquartered in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, founded in 2012 by Taha Jiwaji as Bongo Live and rebranded to Beem as it expanded beyond SMS advertising into a full communications stack. The platform provides unified REST APIs and self-service tools spanning SMS, WhatsApp Business, two-way SMS, USSD, Airtime top-up, Mobile Payments, OTP verification, and conversational AI, serving enterprises, financial institutions, and developers across 25+ African countries with direct connections to 60+ mobile network operators. Reported processing scale exceeds 2 billion engagements and 1 billion transactions, with claimed reach to 80%+ of African mobile subscribers, 99.9% platform uptime, and an average 7-second OTP delivery time.
The product portfolio is organized around three surfaces: BeemEngage (self-service marketing platform for SMS and airtime campaigns), BeemMoja (AI-powered customer experience platform with unified inbox, chatbot automation, surveys, bookings, rewards, and live agent chatdesk across WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram), and BeemAPIs (programmatic access to the full communications stack). Technical differentiators include unified omnichannel APIs, generative-AI chatbots with multi-language NLP, TextIt integration for visual USSD and two-way SMS flows, and ISO 27001 plus GDPR compliance.
Beem generates revenue through a hybrid model combining usage-based SMS and airtime consumption, subscription tiers for the Moja platform (Essential at $39/month, Growth at $99/month, Plus at $259/month, and Enterprise custom), per-transaction mobile payments and airtime fees, and professional services for enterprise onboarding. The company is bootstrapped with no external funding raised and remains founder-controlled, distributing through self-serve onboarding, direct enterprise sales, an API-first developer motion, and partner programs (Affiliates, Resellers, Champions, Anza Startups). Customer segments span financial services, technology, healthcare, ecommerce, manufacturing, insurance, and retail, with named enterprise logos including Access Bank Tanzania, CRDB Bank, NALA, SPENN, Toyota Tanzania, Lafarge, Azam TV, Pizza Hut Tanzania, and TransferTo.
Beem firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Beem
- Legal name
- Beem Limited
- Website
- https://beem.africa
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Beem is a Pan-African omnichannel communication platform that provides SMS, WhatsApp, USSD, Airtime, Mobile Payments, OTP, and AI-powered customer engagement services to enterprises and developers across 25+ African countries via unified APIs and self-service tools.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Beem is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dar Es Salaam
- HQ country
- Tanzania
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Beem business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- SMS Messaging Services: Bulk SMS messaging for notifications, promotions, authentication, and alerts with volume-based tiered pricing across 26+ African countries.
- Platform Subscriptions (Moja): Monthly/annual subscription bundles (Essential, Growth, Plus, Enterprise) for AI-powered customer experience platform with chat sessions, integrations, and support.
- API Access & Integration: Developer API access for SMS, USSD, WhatsApp, OTP, Airtime, Mobile Payments with consumption-based pricing and custom enterprise agreements.
- Airtime Top-Up Services: Instant airtime transfer to mobile phone users as top-ups, rewards, or micro-payments across 40+ African networks with transaction fees.
- Mobile Payments Collection: Mobile money collection and checkout gateway enabling real-time fund collection from subscriber wallets in Tanzania with per-transaction fees.
- Professional Services: Custom onboarding assistance, chatbot customization, dedicated account management, and SLA support packages for enterprise customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Essential - USD 39/month |
| Subscription | Annual | Growth - USD 99/month |
| Subscription | Annual | Plus - USD 259/month |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Enterprise - Custom pricing |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Out of Bundle Sessions |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels14 records
Beem product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Beem is a Pan-African omnichannel communication platform offering a unified suite of products including BeemEngage (self-service SMS and airtime marketing campaigns), BeemMoja (AI-powered customer experience platform with WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and SMS), and BeemAPIs (programmatic access to SMS, USSD, WhatsApp, Airtime, OTP, and Mobile Payments). The platform connects businesses across 26+ African countries through 60+ mobile networks, processing over 2 billion engagements.
Product overview
Beem is a Pan-African omnichannel communication platform offering a unified suite of products: BeemEngage (self-service SMS and airtime marketing platform), BeemMoja (AI-powered customer experience platform), and BeemAPIs (programmatic access to SMS, USSD, WhatsApp, Airtime, OTP, and Mobile Payments). The platform connects businesses across 26+ African countries through 60+ mobile networks, processing over 2 billion engagements. BeemEngage serves as the campaign management layer for SMS and airtime, while BeemMoja provides AI chatbot automation, unified inbox, surveys, bookings, and rewards capabilities across WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, SMS, and USSD channels. BeemAPIs enables developers to embed all communication services into their own applications via REST APIs with comprehensive documentation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BeemEngage: Self-service platform for SMS and airtime marketing campaigns, enabling businesses to engage customers across multiple channels.
- BeemMoja
- BeemAPIs
- Moja
Products and services
- Beem Engage Self-service marketing platform for SMS and airtime campaigns. Enables businesses to run multi-channel marketing campaigns, manage contacts, schedule broadcasts, and track campaign performance across Africa.
- Beem Moja AI-powered omnichannel customer experience platform combining WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, SMS, and chat management in a single unified inbox. Features AI chatbots, live agent chatdesk, automated surveys, bookings, and rewards.
- Beem APIs Comprehensive API platform providing programmatic access to SMS, USSD, WhatsApp, Conversational, Airtime, OTP, and Mobile Payments services for developers building communication features into their applications.
- SMS Messaging Bulk SMS messaging service enabling businesses to send promotional, transactional, and notification messages at scale across 26+ African countries with 60+ network connections and instant delivery.
- WhatsApp Business WhatsApp Business API integration enabling rich messaging with notifications, promotions, and authentication capabilities. Connects businesses with over 2 billion WhatsApp users globally.
- Two Way SMS Interactive SMS service enabling real-time two-way conversations via short codes (5-6 digits) and long codes (virtual mobile numbers). Supports keyword-based auto-responses, real-time delivery reports, and integration with TextIt for visual flow design.
- Airtime Transfer Mobile airtime top-up platform enabling instant airtime transfers to any mobile number across 40+ African networks. Supports bulk disbursements, airtime vouchers, and micro-payment use cases.
- USSD Interactive USSD gateway service for menu-based communication accessible on any device without internet. Supports customer registration, lead generation, surveys, account information, and self-care services across African markets.
- Mobile Payments Mobile money collection API enabling real-time payment collection via mobile wallets in Tanzania. Supports eCommerce, field payments, fintech apps, SaaS payments, and recurring billing.
- Verify OTP One-Time Password API providing two-factor authentication and transaction verification via SMS. Handles OTP generation and verification with 7-second average delivery time, customizable expiry, and retry limits.
- WhatsApp API WhatsApp Business API enabling rich messaging with images, gifs, and interactive content. Supports notifications, promotions, and authentication with instant delivery and global reach.
- Conversational API Unified API for omnichannel conversations across WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. Features live agent chatdesk, smart chatbots, automated surveys, and centralized messaging flows with RESTful endpoints.
Quantifiable outcome
- 99.9% platform uptime guarantee
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Beem
Customer profileNamed customers22 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Beem technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
AI capability4 records
Feature12 records
Beem partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF)minorBeem is a proud member of the Mobile Ecosystem Forum, a global organization advancing mobile ecosystem development and standards. This membership provides industry representation and participation in mobile ecosystem initiatives.
- PaystackcorePayment integration with Paystack for processing payments within Moja platform across Essential bundle, enabling seamless in-chat payment collection for African merchants.
- StripecorePayment integration with Stripe for processing payments within Moja platform across Essential bundle, enabling global payment acceptance.
- WhatsApp Business APIcoreOfficial WhatsApp Business API partner providing rich messaging capabilities, business verification, and global reach across WhatsApp's 2+ billion users.
- Facebook & InstagramcoreNative integration with Facebook Messenger and Instagram messaging for unified multi-channel customer engagement through Moja platform.
- 55+ Mobile Network OperatorscoreDirect carrier relationships with 55+ mobile network operators across Africa enabling SMS, USSD, Airtime, and Mobile Payments delivery to 80%+ of African subscribers.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Beem competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Africa's Talking: Africa's Talking is the closest direct peer: a pan-African CPaaS offering SMS, USSD, Airtime, and Payments APIs across multiple African markets with developer-first and enterprise positioning virtually identical to Beem.
- Termii: Termii is a Nigeria-focused CPaaS providing SMS, voice, OTP, and WhatsApp APIs across African markets; it is a direct peer in product scope and target customer (African developers and fintechs), though its geographic anchor is Nigeria rather than East Africa.
- Wati: Wati is a WhatsApp Business API-focused platform offering shared inbox, chatbots, broadcasts, and integrations to SMBs and enterprises; it directly overlaps with Beem's Moja product on WhatsApp-first customer engagement and competes for similar marketing and CX use cases.
Broad incumbents
- Twilio: Twilio is the global CPaaS incumbent offering programmable SMS, WhatsApp, voice, and verification APIs across 180+ countries; it competes with Beem for large enterprise and developer accounts but does not specialize in African mobile-network operator relationships.
- Infobip: Infobip is a global CPaaS leader with strong emerging-market presence, offering SMS, WhatsApp Business, RCS, and mobile payments; it competes with Beem on enterprise CX and omnichannel messaging in Africa as part of a broader global portfolio.
- MessageBird: MessageBird (now Bird) is a global omnichannel CPaaS with strong WhatsApp Business API capabilities; it competes with Beem for enterprise conversational engagement deals, especially through its Flow Builder and AI agents, though its footprint is broader and not Africa-specialized.
- Clickatell: Clickatell is a long-standing global CPaaS and authorized WhatsApp Business API provider offering SMS, WhatsApp, and mobile commerce across 220+ countries; it competes with Beem in the WhatsApp BSP tier and on enterprise SMS routing, particularly across African mobile operators.
- Plivo: Plivo is a global cloud communications platform providing SMS, voice, and WhatsApp APIs with coverage across 200+ countries; it competes with Beem for developer and enterprise CPaaS spend, particularly on SMS and OTP volumes, without Africa-specialized localization.
- Vonage: Vonage (now part of Ericsson) offers a broad CPaaS stack including SMS, voice, video, and WhatsApp APIs for enterprise developers; it competes with Beem for global enterprise messaging workloads but lacks Beem's pan-African MNO and USSD depth.
Others
- Bandwidth: Bandwidth is a North-America-centric CPaaS and communications API provider; it is an adjacent infrastructure player rather than a direct African competitor, but useful as a comparable for enterprise-grade CPaaS unit economics and platform reliability benchmarks.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Beem social profiles
Digital presenceBeem compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Beem financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Beem leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Beem funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Beem 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 Beem
What does Beem do?
Beem is a Pan-African omnichannel communication platform offering a unified suite of products including BeemEngage (self-service SMS and airtime marketing campaigns), BeemMoja (AI-powered customer experience platform with WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and SMS), and BeemAPIs (programmatic access to SMS, USSD, WhatsApp, Airtime, OTP, and Mobile Payments). The platform connects businesses across 26+ African countries through 60+ mobile networks, processing over 2 billion engagements.
Is Beem a public or private company?
Beem is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Beem founded?
Beem was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Beem based?
Beem is headquartered in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, in the Africa region.
How does Beem make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. SMS Messaging Services are the primary driver. The others are platform Subscriptions (Moja), API Access & Integration, airtime Top-Up Services, mobile Payments Collection and professional Services.
Who are Beem's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Africa's Talking, Termii and Wati. Broad incumbents are Twilio, Infobip, MessageBird, Clickatell, Plivo and Vonage. Bandwidth is listed as an others.
Does Beem have an API?
Yes. Beem offers a comprehensive REST API platform providing access to SMS, USSD, Number Verification, Airtime & Mobile Payments. The API enables developers to integrate communication services into their own applications. Key API endpoints include: SMS API (apisms.beem.africa/v1/send), Airtime API (apiairtime.beem.africa/v1/transfer), OTP API (apiotp.beem.africa/v1/request), Conversational API (apichatcore.beem.africa/v1/chatapi). Authentication uses Basic auth with API key and secret key. The platform provides webhooks, test numbers, and comprehensive sample code documentation for quick integration. Developer documentation is at docs.beem.africa.