Recolte

What Recolte does

Recolte Limited is a Nairobi-headquartered trade finance intermediary that issues bid bonds, performance bonds, and advance payment guarantees to small and medium enterprises bidding on public and private sector tenders in East Africa. The company also arranges contract financing, LPO financing, and invoice discounting through its dedicated financing arm RecoSIB (recosib.co.ke), and brokers contractors' all-risk insurance, WIBA cover, letters of credit, and project management services. Its core product set spans the full procurement-to-delivery lifecycle, allowing the same client to secure tender eligibility, mobilize awarded contracts, and discount receivables from a single counterparty.

The company operates a capital-light intermediary model: it does not itself underwrite bond risk but channels issuance through a network of financial institutions and insurance partners, earning transaction fees and managed-services spreads. A core technology differentiator is registration as an approved digital guarantee issuer on Kenya's e-Government Procurement (e-GP) portal, with integration into IFMIS, enabling electronic submission and verification of bid securities and guarantees inside the public tendering workflow. Distribution is sales-led and direct, with physical offices in Nairobi (Upper Hill) and Kampala (Uganda), supported by phone, email, and an online inquiry channel. Marketing emphasizes content (a regularly updated blog), social media, and engagement with Kenyan procurement bodies including KISM, KNCCI, NCA, KeNHA, and KURA.

Recolte is privately held, founded in 2015 in Kenya, led by CEO Betty Karimi (15+ years trade finance experience) with a small executive team (COO Peter Gacheru, CFO James Wagura, CTO Raphael Kinoti), and reports serving over 5,000 SMEs across East Africa. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quoted per transaction based on contract value and risk profile; no external institutional funding rounds have been disclosed in the source material.

Name

Recolte

Legal name

Recolte Limited

Website

https://recolte.co.ke

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Recolte Limited is a Nairobi-based trade finance intermediary issuing bid bonds, performance bonds, advance payment guarantees, and contract, LPO, and invoice financing — via its RecoSIB arm — to SMEs, contractors, and suppliers bidding on public and private tenders across Kenya and Uganda.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Finance Services

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)

SIC

Short-Term Business Credit Institutions (6153)

akta.pro primary industry

Receivables Management (Collections, Lockbox, EIPP) (FSABAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Recommerce, Trade-In & Buyback Collection (TLAAALAM)

Keywords

• Trade finance solutions
• Bid bond issuance
• Performance bond issuance
• LPO financing
• SME working capital

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Bid Bond Issuance: Recolte issues bid bonds to SMEs and contractors bidding on government and corporate tenders, charging a fee or premium for the guarantee. This is a core product facilitating tender participation.
2. Performance Bond Issuance: Recolte issues performance bonds post-contract award, providing financial guarantees that contractors will complete projects as agreed, charging fees for issuance.
3. Advance Payment Guarantee Issuance: Recolte provides advance payment guarantees enabling contractors to access up to 80–90% of contract advance payments from employers, charging guarantee fees.
4. Contract Financing: Short-term working capital financing provided to businesses awarded confirmed contracts, covering materials, labour, logistics, and operational expenses. Repaid as the contract generates revenue. Facilitated through RecoSIB (recosib.co.ke).
5. LPO Financing: Financing tied to Local Purchase Orders, enabling suppliers to access cash flow to purchase inventory and fulfil customer orders. Short-term, focused on goods supply.
6. Invoice / Certificate Discounting: Recolte advances a percentage of invoice value against unpaid customer invoices, helping businesses overcome cash flow delays between invoicing and payment receipt.
7. Insurance Products (Contractors All Risk Insurance, WIBA): Recolte offers Contractors All Risk Insurance covering material damage and third-party liability, and WIBA (Worker's Injury Benefits Act) compliance coverage, acting as an intermediary with insurance partners.
8. Letter of Credit Services: Recolte facilitates letter of credit issuance for domestic and international trade transactions, providing secure payment guarantees for importers, exporters, and contractors.
9. Project Management Services: Expert-driven project management solutions for businesses handling construction, procurement, or large-scale tenders, providing end-to-end support from planning to execution and delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Recolte provides trade finance solutions to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), contractors, and suppliers engaged in public and private sector procurement. Its core offerings include bid bonds, performance bonds, advance payment guarantees, contract financing, LPO financing, invoice/certificate discounting, letters of credit, contractors all-risk insurance, and project management services, facilitating the end-to-end lifecycle from tender bidding through contract execution and delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bid Bonds Financial guarantees issued during the tender/bidding process to assure buyers or government agencies that the bidder will honor the terms of their tender. If the bidder fails to proceed after winning, the procuring entity is compensated through the bond. Targeted at SMEs, contractors, and suppliers bidding on government and corporate tenders.
• Performance Bonds
• Advance Payment Guarantees
• Contract Financing
• LPO Financing
• Invoice / Certificate Discounting
• Letter of Credit
• Contractors All Risk Insurance
• Project Management

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000+ SMEs have successfully used Recolte's trade finance solutions to win and execute contracts across Africa.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• SHEconomyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecolte's website links to SHEconomy (sheconomy.co.ke), a platform serving women-owned SMEs in Kenya. The link appears in Recolte's primary navigation, suggesting a marketing or referral partnership that channels women entrepreneurs (potentially AGPO/Youth, Women, PWD enterprises) toward Recolte's trade finance services.
• KeNHA (Kenya National Highways Authority)minorOthersRecolte references working with and being accepted by major Kenyan government agencies including KeNHA (Kenya National Highways Authority), KURA (Kenya Urban Roads Authority), NEMA, and KETRACO. Recolte's bid bonds and guarantee products are formatted and accepted by these agencies as part of their tender requirements.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lendable: Kenya-focused invoice discounting platform that advances working capital against unpaid invoices. Direct overlap with Recolte's invoice/certificate discounting product and Kenyan SME contractor/supplier segment.
• Pezesha: Kenyan fintech providing invoice discounting and supply chain financing to African SMEs and suppliers. Closely comparable to Recolte's invoice discounting and contract financing products and East African SME customer base.
• Kopo Kopo: Kenyan fintech providing working capital advances to SMEs via M-Pesa integration. Comparable Kenyan SME working capital focus and short-term credit intermediation model.
• TradeDepot: Africa-focused fintech providing working capital and inventory financing to small retailers and suppliers. Comparable working capital and SME financing model to Recolte's LPO and contract financing offering.

Emerging players

• Tau Payments: African trade finance and cross-border payments platform targeting SMEs. Comparable emerging trade finance infrastructure for African SME importers/exporters.
• Branch International: Pan-African digital lender offering working capital and SME loans via mobile. Adjacent SME financing competition in Kenya and broader East Africa.
• Wapi Pay: African cross-border trade and payment platform for SMEs and traders. Partial overlap with Recolte's letter of credit and cross-border trade finance offerings for East African SMEs.

Broad incumbents

• KCB Bank Kenya: Largest Kenyan bank by customer base, providing corporate bonds, performance guarantees, bid securities, and SME financing at scale. Key incumbent in the trade finance space where Recolte positions itself.
• Equity Bank Kenya: Large Kenyan commercial bank offering SME loans, bid bonds, performance guarantees, and LPO financing. Represents the entrenched incumbent that Recolte competes against for SME trade finance customers.
• African Guarantee and Economic Cooperation Fund (FAGACE): Multilateral development institution providing guarantee facilities to African banks and SMEs. Overlaps with Recolte's bid bond and performance guarantee offering at a much larger institutional scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/RecolteLimited
• Facebookfacebook.com/recoltelimitedke
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/recolte-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/recoltelimited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Recolte