Ecobiz Sacco

What Ecobiz Sacco does

Ecobiz Sacco Limited is a Kenyan Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization (SACCO) headquartered in Mombasa with a branch in Nairobi, founded in 2013 by Wanjiku Wambugu to extend credit and savings services to underserved economic actors. Its target member base comprises small and medium enterprises (SMEs), micro-SMEs (MSMEs), creatives (the "Msanii" segment), women entrepreneurs (reportedly 70% of supported SMEs), and persons with disabilities (300+ members served). The institution operates three product families—SME Products, MSME Products (sub-branded Bidii and Soko), and Msanii Products—under a co-guarantee lending model in which members can borrow up to three times their accumulated savings against peer accountability.

The operating stack consists of the Ecobiz Mkononi mobile application for member contributions, deposits, and loan servicing, integrated with M-Pesa as the primary payment rail. Member onboarding and engagement are driven through the Ecobiz Show community channel and routed via institutional partnerships with Nyali Capital Ltd, Enicapital Foundation, KNCCI Mombasa, TAI, Strathmore University KSBDC, and the AMSEA Mombasa Chapter. The cooperative carries out combined lending of over Ksh 90 Million through its arrangement with Nyali Capital Ltd.

Ecobiz earns revenue primarily through the spread on internal and partner-funded loan products (interest rates of 7–10% per month on salary advances, 12% p.a. on development loans, and 15% p.a. on emergency and school-fee loans), supplemented by a Ksh 1,550 one-time registration fee (or Ksh 50/month installment option) and a Ksh 1,000 share-capital contribution per member. Go-to-market relies on chamber and foundation partnerships rather than paid marketing, with a team of 51–100 employees of whom 13 are dedicated SME-facing officers.

Name

Ecobiz Sacco

Legal name

Ecobiz Sacco Limited

Website

https://ecobizsacco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ecobiz Sacco Limited is a Mombasa-based Kenyan SACCO founded in 2013 by Wanjiku Wambugu that provides savings and co-guarantee lending to SMEs, MSMEs, creatives, women entrepreneurs, and persons with disabilities via the Ecobiz Mkononi app and M-Pesa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Microfinance / SACCO Banking

NAICS

Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Savings Institutions and Other Depository Credit Intermediation (522180), Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)

SIC

Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153), Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Small Business Banking (Microbusiness/Sole Proprietor) (FSABAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Inclusion & Consumer Empowerment (Banking Access, Credit Building) (BPAGALAJ), SME Business Lending (Term Loans, Lines of Credit, Overdrafts) (FSABABAB), SME Deposits & Business Accounts (Operating, Savings, CDs) (FSABABAC)

Keywords

• Cooperative savings lending
• Microfinance services
• SME financing
• Financial inclusion
• Cooperative banking

Headquarters

HQ city

Mombasa

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Loan Interest Income: Interest charged on various loan products including emergency loans (20% p.a reducing balance), school fees loans (15% p.a reducing balance), development loans (12% p.a reducing balance), and salary advances (7-10% per month on reducing balance). Short-term loan interest at 3.0% flat rate per month shared between AMSEA and Ecobiz Sacco.
2. Membership Fees and Share Capital: Registration fees (KSh 550-1,550), share capital requirements (Ksh 1,000), and processing fees (5% on loans where 2% goes to AMSEA for legal fees and 3% to Ecobiz).
3. Savings Mobilization: Regular monthly savings deposits from members ranging from Ksh 500-1,000 minimum per month, daily savings as low as Ksh 50. Savings form the collateral base for co-guarantee lending.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ecobiz Sacco is a Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization that mobilizes member savings and extends credit to underserved entrepreneurs in Kenya. It offers three product lines (SMEs, MSMEs, Msanii/creatives) including savings accounts, emergency loans, school fees loans, development loans, asset financing, salary advances, and group-based credit under a co-guarantee model where members can borrow up to three times their savings. Free business advisory services and partnerships with organizations like AMSEA, TAI, and Enicapital Foundation complement the financial products.

Product overview

Ecobiz Sacco is a SACCO (Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization) providing financial products and services to underserved entrepreneurs in Kenya. The company operates a platform-plus-products architecture consisting of three main product lines: SMEs Products (for SME employees with savings accounts, emergency loans, school fees loans, development loans, asset financing, and salary advances), MSMEs Products (for daily income traders including Bidii/Soko accounts and loan facilities), and Msanii Products (tailored for artists with Shupavu and Chipukizi accounts). Additional services include membership registration (full and installment options) and a loan application process where members can borrow up to 3 times their savings. The platform emphasizes accessibility with same-day loan applications and free business advisory services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SMEs Savings Products
• Emergency Loan Loan to cover unforeseen circumstances for members. Maximum entitlement is 4 times members' savings with a limit of KES 100,000, payable in 12 months at 15% p.a reducing balance.
• School Fees Loan Loan to pay school fees or exam fees for members or their dependants.
• Development Loan Loan granted for productive purposes requiring supporting documentation as proof of project viability. Requires six-month consistent contribution with a multiplier of three times the deposits.
• TopUp Loan/Refinancing Loan top-up for members with existing development loans who have paid half of the borrowed loan, enabling completion of stalled projects.
• Asset Financing Loan granted to members to acquire various assets for home improvement and business growth. Financing is 2/3 of product market price, maximum repayment 48 months at 12% p.a flat rate.
• Salary Advance/E-Advance Short-term advance with 2-month repayment at 7% per month on reducing balance (50% of net pay); Long-term advance with 6-month repayment at 10% per month on reducing balance (50% of net pay).
• Bidii/Soko Account Account for traders and individuals earning daily income who want to maximize their business potential from daily earnings, including Bodaboda and mama mboga/house helps.
• MSME Savings Account Savings account open to all members requiring weekly contributions to build their savings.
• MSME Loan Products Short-term and long-term credit facilities for working capital. Short-term loan tenure maximum 2 months at 3.0% flat rate per month, long-term loans available after 6 months consistent savings.
• Wasanii Community Financial Empowerment Three savings packages designed for the artist community, considering dynamics like reliability of cash inflow, financial class status, availability of side income, and nature of performance contracts.
• Msanii Shupavu Account Account for artists with non-guaranteed regular income who depend on unpredictable performance contracts. Requires quarterly savings evaluation with minimum Ksh 15,000 per quarter and 60-day withdrawal notice.
• Msanii Chipukizi Account Account for young incoming artists with no steady income source looking to grow with the SACCO. Requires two months' savings of at least Ksh 500 per week to qualify for loans.
• Installment Registration Membership registration paid at KES 50 per month until reaching full registration amount of KES 1,050.
• Full Registration Full membership registration at KES 1,550 paid at once.
• Ecobiz Loan Application Service Loan application service where members qualify for loans up to 3 times their savings, with same-day application and disbursement and approval within 48 hours.
• Livelihood Platform for Persons with Disabilities Inclusive lending platform specifically designed for persons with disabilities, combining wheelchair provision with micro-credit and business advisory services.
• Free Business Advisory Service Free business advisory services provided by Ecobiz Sacco to members and prospective clients, accessible through an appointment booking system with the Founder.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% of supported SMEs are women-owned businesses, demonstrating focus on financial inclusion for women entrepreneurs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Enicapital FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner focused on empowering youth, women, and persons with disabilities to find their true purpose, where acquired wealth is a means not an end. Works to shift mindsets on relationship with money. Provides mentorship and coaching alongside financial support.
• Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KNCCI) - Mombasa ChapterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUmbrella private business member organization where Ecobiz Sacco and Nyali Capital are members. Vice Chairperson of Ecobiz Sacco serves as Director in charge of Women in Business in the County, providing networking and referral opportunities.
• The Accessibility Institute (TAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLatest partner for training and lending to 21 Persons with Disability through the Livelihood Program in Coast and Nairobi regions. Project provides not only micro-credit for business but also wheelchairs and comprehensive financial literacy training before loans are disbursed.
• Strathmore University - Kenya Small Business Development Centres (KSBDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership under KSBDC providing business development support, training, and advisory services to persons with disabilities and other entrepreneurs supported by Ecobiz Sacco.
• Association of Small and Micro-Enterprises (AMSEA) - Mombasa ChaptercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKey channel partner providing member acquisition for MSME products. 20% of AMSEA member registration fees (Ksh 110 of Ksh 550) goes to AMSEA, with 80% to Ecobiz. Interest sharing on loans: 1.25% to AMSEA, 1.75% to Ecobiz. Also 2% of loan processing fees to AMSEA for legal services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Equity Bank Kenya: Kenya's largest bank by customer base with a deep microfinance and SME banking franchise. Competes broadly with Ecobiz on SME lending and savings products but operates at vastly larger scale and offers far broader product range.
• Family Bank Kenya: Mid-tier Kenyan commercial bank with strong MSME and microfinance orientation, including savings products for informal sector customers. Comparable to Ecobiz's MSME/daily-trader segment but with deposit insurance and broader branch infrastructure.
• Co-operative Bank of Kenya: Kenya's cooperative bank with deep SACCO ecosystem integration (Sacco Link). Provides deposit, lending, and payment services to SACCO members and offers the closest incumbent analog to Ecobiz's operating model, though at commercial-bank scale.

Emerging players

• Branch International: Mobile-first digital lender operating in Kenya serving informal and small-business borrowers with instant loans. Overlaps with Ecobiz on MSME target market and speed-of-disbursement value proposition, but lacks cooperative savings infrastructure.
• Tala (mobile lending): Kenyan-originated digital lender offering instant mobile credit to underbanked consumers and micro-entrepreneurs. Targets an overlapping informal-segment borrower base as Ecobiz MSME products, but with a fully digital, app-based model and no community/savings layer.

Direct peers

• Musoni Kenya: Digital-first SACCO and microfinance operator in Kenya offering mobile loan products to SMEs and individuals. Closely comparable to Ecobiz Mkononi app-based GTM and same-day disbursement model, with similar focus on financial inclusion for underserved borrowers.
• Kenya Women Microfinance Bank (KWFT): Kenya's largest microfinance bank serving women entrepreneurs and SMEs with savings, credit, and advisory products. Highly comparable to Ecobiz Sacco's women-focused and MSME-focused segments, though operating at much larger scale as a regulated bank.
• Stima SACCO: One of Kenya's largest SACCOs serving members with savings, loans, and asset financing. Operates the same cooperative model as Ecobiz with comparable product structures (emergency loans, development loans, asset financing) but in a different member segment (energy sector employees).
• Nyali Capital Ltd: Credit-only microfinance partner of Ecobiz Sacco with a combined Ksh 90M+ portfolio serving SMEs, women, youth, and PWDs via AGPO. Highly comparable on product offering and target segments; co-finances Ecobiz's borrowers and operates the same individual and group lending models.

Others

• AMSEA Kenya: Association of Small and Micro-Enterprises Mombasa chapter, Ecobiz's key channel partner for MSME member acquisition. Provides structured member onboarding, group lending infrastructure, and shared revenue on AMSEA member registrations and loan interest.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EcobizS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC-_bGAms_nbX7lEQ-IEhmqg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ecobiz-SACCO-LTD-380364488758082
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecobiz-sacco-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecobizsacco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Ecobiz Sacco