Namba
Namba One is a Kyrgyzstan-licensed mobile e-wallet that combines P2P transfers, ELQR-based QR payments, an integrated international marketplace (One Market), and in-app lending, serving Kyrgyzstan residents plus HoReCa and e-commerce consumer segments.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersOsaka, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Namba does
Namba One, operated by LLC "Regional Payment Systems," is a Kyrgyzstan-based fintech that self-describes as the first national fintech of the country. Founded in 2015, the company operates a mobile e-wallet application that combines peer-to-peer and bank transfers, QR-based payments via its proprietary ELQR (Electronic QR) protocol, utility and mobile-service bill payment, an integrated international marketplace called One Market, and in-app lending. The platform is regulated under three limited banking licenses issued by the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic (the most recent dated 26.08.2021), holds PCI DSS certification, and maintains strategic partnerships with VISA and direct membership in the national payment system ELCART.
The underlying technology is a tiered mobile wallet built around the ELQR payment infrastructure, which connects Namba to other banks and e-wallets in Kyrgyzstan through thousands of acceptance points. The app is distributed via App Store and Google Play, with QR-code-based web acquisition and a partner terminal network for physical wallet top-ups. Users progress through three identity-verification tiers — Basic (registration), Advanced+ (online ID for KR residents), and Pro (offline verification at a Namba office) — each unlocking higher balances (up to 400,000 som available balance and 800,000 som monthly transfer ceiling on Pro).
The business model is freemium at the consumer level with monetization through transaction and payment-processing fees on wallet operations and ELQR transfers, marketplace commissions on One Market (which sources products from Kyrgyzstan, China, the US, and other countries), and lending services within the fintech ecosystem. Customer segments include Kyrgyzstan residents for daily payments and transfers, service-sector and HoReCa workers targeted with instant-payout functionality, and e-commerce shoppers purchasing through One Market. The go-to-market is product-led growth via a self-serve mobile app, with promotional coupons (e.g., 500 soms on first orders above 3,000 soms) used to drive marketplace engagement.
Namba firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Namba
- Legal name
- LLC "Regional Payment Systems"
- Website
- https://namba.kg
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Namba One is a Kyrgyzstan-licensed mobile e-wallet that combines P2P transfers, ELQR-based QR payments, an integrated international marketplace (One Market), and in-app lending, serving Kyrgyzstan residents plus HoReCa and e-commerce consumer segments.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Namba industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Mobile Payments & Digital Wallet
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General-Purpose Digital Wallets (P2P + Merchant) (FSAMAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Super-App Wallets & Mini-Program Payments (FSAMAEAE)
Keywords
Where Namba is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Osaka
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Namba business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Transaction and Payment Processing: Revenue generated from payment processing, money transfers, and transaction fees for wallet operations and QR payments.
- Marketplace Commission: Commission-based revenue from the One Market e-commerce platform featuring international and local products with home delivery.
- Financial Services (Loans): Lending services offered through the platform as part of the fintech ecosystem.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Basic: Free tier with standard features |
| Freemium | Monthly | Advanced+: Mid-tier with increased limits after online identification |
| Freemium | Monthly | Pro: High-tier with maximum limits after offline verification |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Namba product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Namba One is a national fintech e-wallet application for Kyrgyzstan that enables users to transfer money, pay for goods and services domestically and worldwide, make QR-based payments via the ELQR protocol at thousands of acceptance points, pay utility and mobile bills, and top up wallets through partner terminals or bank apps. The platform includes the One Market integrated marketplace offering products from Kyrgyzstan, China, the US, and other countries with home delivery, instant payouts for service-sector and HoReCa industry workers, and access to lending services.
Product overview
Namba One is a single unified fintech platform — a national e-wallet in Kyrgyzstan — that combines core wallet services (transfers, payments, utility payments, mobile services) with a proprietary marketplace called One Market. The platform operates on a tiered membership model with three levels: Basic (registration-based), Advanced+ (online verified), and Pro (offline verified), each unlocking progressively higher balance limits and transfer capabilities. Users can earn and spend bonuses on purchases, access instant payouts for service industry workers, and use QR-based payments through ELQR at thousands of acceptance points across Kyrgyzstan.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- One Market: Marketplace offering thousands of products from Kyrgyzstan, China, the US, and other countries with home delivery
- Namba Market
Products and services
- Namba One E-Wallet A national fintech e-wallet mobile application enabling users in Kyrgyzstan to transfer money, pay for goods and services domestically and worldwide, make QR-based payments via ELQR at thousands of acceptance points, pay utility and mobile bills, top up wallets via partner terminals, earn bonuses on purchases, access instant payouts for HoReCa workers, and apply for loans.
- One Market Marketplace An integrated e-commerce marketplace within the Namba One app offering thousands of products from Kyrgyzstan, China, the US, and other countries at competitive prices with home delivery. Users can earn and spend bonus rewards on purchases.
- Loan Services Consumer lending services accessible through the Namba One platform, allowing users to apply for loans as part of the integrated fintech ecosystem.
Companies that use Namba
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Namba technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature4 records
Namba partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- VISAcoreAssociate member and strategic partner of the VISA payment system. Enables international payment processing and card network connectivity.
- ELCARTcoreDirect member of the national payment system ELCART. Enables domestic payment processing within Kyrgyzstan's national payment infrastructure.
- Partner Banks and E-wallets (ELQR)coreBanks and e-wallets supporting ELQR protocol enabling cross-platform transfers and wallet top-ups through electronic QR payments.
- Partner Terminals NetworkcorePartner terminals across Kyrgyzstan enabling physical wallet top-up locations throughout the country.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Namba competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kaspi.kz: Kazakhstan's flagship super-app combining payments, marketplace, and fintech services. Closest comparable to Namba's wallet + One Market + lending model, serving a similar Central Asian consumer base.
- Optima Bank: Major Kyrgyz bank offering digital wallet and payment services to consumers; competes for the same domestic wallet/transfers customer base Namba targets.
- Mbank Kyrgyzstan: Leading Kyrgyz bank with mobile wallet and payments app; competes directly with Namba One on P2P transfers, bill pay, and card-linked payments inside Kyrgyzstan.
Broad incumbents
- PayPal: Global general-purpose digital wallet for P2P and merchant payments; comparable to Namba's wallet product but operates globally and lacks the integrated marketplace component.
- Tinkoff (T-Bank): Russian super-app bank with mobile wallet, marketplace, and lending products. Comparable as a benchmark for the super-app wallet + commerce + credit model Namba is replicating at smaller scale.
- M-Pesa (Vodacom/Safaricom): Africa's flagship mobile money wallet for P2P, bill pay, and merchant payments; comparable to Namba as a dominant national digital wallet in an emerging market.
Emerging players
- KakaoPay: Super-app wallet integrated with messaging/commerce in South Korea; comparable to Namba One's strategy of combining payments with marketplace and bonuses inside one app.
- Wave (Sénégal): Mobile money wallet offering P2P transfers and merchant payments across West Africa; comparable to Namba as a general-purpose wallet in an emerging/frontier market context.
Regional players
- Halyk Bank: Largest retail bank in Kazakhstan with strong digital and QR payments presence; comparable in product scope (wallet + transfers + merchant acquiring) but operating in a different geography.
Others
- ELCART: National payment system operator in Kyrgyzstan and a direct integration partner of Namba; adjacent infrastructure provider rather than a competitor, but useful benchmark for domestic rails reach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Namba social profiles
Digital presenceNamba compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Namba financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Namba leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Namba funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Namba 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 Namba
What does Namba do?
Namba One is a national fintech e-wallet application for Kyrgyzstan that enables users to transfer money, pay for goods and services domestically and worldwide, make QR-based payments via the ELQR protocol at thousands of acceptance points, pay utility and mobile bills, and top up wallets through partner terminals or bank apps. The platform includes the One Market integrated marketplace offering products from Kyrgyzstan, China, the US, and other countries with home delivery, instant payouts for service-sector and HoReCa industry workers, and access to lending services.
Is Namba a public or private company?
Namba is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Namba founded?
Namba was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Namba based?
Namba is headquartered in Osaka, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Namba make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Transaction and Payment Processing is the primary driver. The others are marketplace Commission and financial Services (Loans).
Who are Namba's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kaspi.kz, Optima Bank and Mbank Kyrgyzstan. Broad incumbents are PayPal, Tinkoff (T-Bank) and M-Pesa (Vodacom/Safaricom). Emerging players are KakaoPay and Wave (Sénégal). Halyk Bank is listed as a regional player. ELCART is listed as an others.
Does Namba have an API?
No public API is recorded for Namba.
What industry is Namba in?
Namba's product category is Mobile Payments & Digital Wallet. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMAEAA, General-Purpose Digital Wallets (P2P + Merchant), with a secondary code of FSAMAEAE, Super-App Wallets & Mini-Program Payments. Its SIC code is 6199.