iMartGroup
iMartGroup is a Tanzanian software and hardware solutions company that operates a Bulk SMS gateway and a multi-product portfolio including LipaPay payments, iHost web hosting, a School Management SaaS, and iMartConnect ISP services. It serves telecom operators, government agencies, financial-technology firms, schools, and SMEs across Tanzania with SMS, payments, hosting, and custom development.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersDar Es Salaam, Tanzania
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What iMartGroup does
iMartGroup Ltd is a Tanzanian private software and hardware solutions company founded in 2014 and headquartered in Dar es Salaam, with a secondary office in the USA. The company operates a multi-product platform-plus-services model anchored on Bulk SMS, offered via API, SMPP, and a self-serve web portal (smsportal.imartgroup.co.tz), alongside a simplified consumer-facing oneClick SMS service. Around this communications core, iMartGroup has built a portfolio that includes LIPA / LipaPay (a payment system for mobile money, VISA, MasterCard, and bank disbursements), a tiered School Management SaaS (Startup to Premium, Tsh180,000-600,000/month), iHost web hosting (Tsh11,000-55,000/month tiers), the forthcoming iMartConnect ISP, biometric and database management services, telecom value-added content services, and a marketing communications agency.
The technology stack is a cloud-based SMS gateway with API and SMPP connectivity, payment processing rails integrating mobile wallets and card networks, and custom application development capabilities. Distribution combines a self-serve online portal and reseller accounts for SMBs and individuals with direct inside-sales engagement for enterprise and government clients requiring custom integration. iMartGroup reports 80+ active Bulk SMS customers, 35+ projects completed with government and private-sector clients, 8 regions served nationally, and two client awards. Named customers include Vodacom Tanzania, Airtel Tanzania, Zantel, ZSSF (government), Mondia, Egatee, Kilakona, and Rahisi.
The revenue model is a blend of usage-based pricing for SMS (Tsh11-22 per SMS, with promotional Tsh10 deals), recurring subscriptions for hosting and school management, professional services for custom application development, and recurring telecom VAS revenue. Headcount is 11-50 employees, no funding rounds are disclosed, and ownership is founder-operated with no institutional backers evident in the source material.
iMartGroup firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- iMartGroup
- Legal name
- iMartGroup Ltd
- Website
- https://imartgroup.co.tz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- iMartGroup is a Tanzanian software and hardware solutions company that operates a Bulk SMS gateway and a multi-product portfolio including LipaPay payments, iHost web hosting, a School Management SaaS, and iMartConnect ISP services. It serves telecom operators, government agencies, financial-technology firms, schools, and SMEs across Tanzania with SMS, payments, hosting, and custom development.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
iMartGroup industry classification
Industry- Product category
- SMS Communication & Payment Software
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- iPaaS & Workflow Automation (BPAMAOAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Application Integration & API/Middleware Services (BPAEAAAF), iPaaS (Cloud Integration Platforms) (HDAEAIAB)
Keywords
Where iMartGroup is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dar Es Salaam
- HQ country
- Tanzania
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices3 records
Markets served
iMartGroup business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- SMS Services: Usage-based SMS pricing where customers pay per message sent. Special promotional pricing available (Tsh.11/SMS for packages of 50,000+ SMS). Additional free SMS credits offered with qualifying purchases.
- School Management Software: Subscription-based SaaS model with tiered pricing (Tsh180,000-600,000/month) based on service level and support options. Includes system setup, training, and ongoing support.
- Web Hosting Services: Monthly subscription hosting packages ranging from basic (Tsh11,000) to corporate (Tsh55,000) tier. Includes domain registration, email setup, and storage allocation based on tier.
- Custom Application Development: Professional services for building custom applications and systems for businesses, with dedicated expert teams assigned to each project.
- Telecom VAS Services: Value-added services for telecom providers including content services delivered through SIM card utility enhancements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Bulk SMS from Tsh.11/SMS |
| Subscription | Monthly | Startup Package - Tsh180,000/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business Package - Tsh435,000/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Premium Package - Tsh600,000/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Basic Hosting - Tsh11,000/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Hosting - Tsh30,000/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Corporate Hosting - Tsh55,000/month |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
iMartGroup product offering
Product offeringCore offering
iMartGroup is a Tanzanian software and hardware solutions company that operates a multi-product portfolio centered on communication, payment processing, and enterprise software. Its core offering is the Bulk SMS Service platform, supporting API, SMPP, and a self-serve portal for mass messaging across Tanzanian networks. Complementary offerings include the LIPA/LipaPay payment processing system, the School Management System, web hosting (iHost), ISP services (iMartConnect), custom application development, and telecom value-added services for operators.
Product overview
iMartGroup is a Tanzanian software and hardware solutions company operating a multi-product portfolio centered around communication services, payment processing, and enterprise software. The core offering is the Bulk SMS Service platform, which supports API, SMPP, and portal-based access for SMS delivery. This SMS platform is complemented by OneClick SMS (simplified access) and the SMS Portal (account management). The payment vertical includes LIPA/iMartWakala (comprehensive payment system) and LipaPay (online payment platform) supporting mobile money, VISA, MasterCard, and bank transfers. Enterprise software includes the School Management System (with financial and payment features) and APPs & System Development (custom development). Infrastructure services cover Hosting Services (iHost) and ISP Services (iMartConnect). The company also provides telecom value-added services and marketing communication agency services. The product architecture functions as a platform-plus-services model, with the SMS and payment platforms serving as primary revenue drivers and complementary services expanding market reach.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LipaPay: Online payment management platform supporting mobile payments, card payments (VISA & MasterCard), disbursements to mobile wallets and bank accounts.
- iHost
- iMartConnect
- oneClick SMS
- School Management System
- LIPA iMartWakala
Products and services
- Bulk SMS Service Primary SMS messaging platform enabling bulk text message delivery via API, SMPP, or user-friendly web portal, targeting businesses needing to reach customers across Tanzania networks with promotional pricing from Tsh.11/SMS.
- OneClick SMS Service Streamlined SMS service accessible at smsservice.imartgroup.co.tz, designed for quick and simple message sending with minimal configuration required for SMB and individual users.
- SMS Portal Self-service web portal for managing SMS campaigns, user accounts, pricing, and support, available at smsportal.imartgroup.co.tz with client and reseller account options.
- LIPA Payment System (iMartWakala) Comprehensive online payment management platform supporting mobile payments, card payments (VISA and MasterCard), and disbursement to mobile wallets and bank accounts.
- LipaPay Payment platform enabling instant online payments, integrated with the broader LIPA payment ecosystem for transaction processing.
- Hosting Services (iHost) Web hosting solutions for businesses ranging from small enterprises to large corporations, with monthly subscription packages from Basic (Tsh11,000) to Corporate (Tsh55,000) tiers including domain registration and email setup.
- Apps & System Development Custom application and system development services, building tailored software solutions for client business needs with dedicated expert teams assigned to each project.
- School Management System End-to-end school management platform covering financial management, cash deposit control, online banking services, and mobile payment services, available in Startup (Tsh180,000), Business (Tsh435,000), and Premium (Tsh600,000) monthly tiers.
- Telecom Services Value-added telecom services providing content services to telecommunications providers in Tanzania, including local and international content delivery and SIM card utility enhancements.
- ISP Services (iMartConnect) Internet Service Provider services providing connectivity solutions for Tanzanian customers through the iMartConnect brand.
- Marketing Communication Agency Branding and marketing communication services to help companies establish strong brand identity and effective positioning.
Quantifiable outcome
- Services delivered ahead of schedule (award recognition)
Companies that use iMartGroup
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
iMartGroup technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature4 records
iMartGroup partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Meta PlatformscoreIntegration with Meta and WhatsApp Business Platform for authentication, permission management, and WhatsApp Business messaging services. The platform uses Meta and Facebook login for account management and business integrations.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
iMartGroup competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Eskimi: African digital advertising and messaging platform focused on programmatic, SMS, and omnichannel campaigns for African brands. Comparable to iMartGroup on African enterprise messaging and telco integrations, but anchored in advertising rather than transactional SMS.
- Hubtel: Ghana-based messaging, payments, and SMB commerce platform with strong mobile-money integrations. Comparable to iMartGroup on the SMS-plus-mobile-money SMB stack, but operating primarily in Ghana rather than Tanzania.
Direct peers
- Clickatell: Pioneer of A2P SMS globally with a strong African footprint, offering WhatsApp Business, SMS, and chat commerce APIs. Comparable to iMartGroup as a multi-channel messaging API provider serving African telcos and enterprises via API/SMPP.
- Cellulant: African payments and digital commerce platform operating across multiple East African countries. Comparable to iMartGroup on the mobile-money aggregation, telco-integration, and emerging-market SMB-stack combination.
- Termii: Nigeria-headquartered CPaaS providing SMS, voice, WhatsApp, and verification APIs to African enterprises. Comparable to iMartGroup on Bulk SMS API for African enterprises, multi-channel messaging, and growing telecom operator relationships.
- Africa's Talking: Africa-focused CPaaS offering SMS, USSD, voice, and payment APIs across multiple East African markets. Directly comparable to iMartGroup on Bulk SMS via API/SMPP, target customer (African telcos, fintechs, governments), and emerging-market mobile-money integration.
Broad incumbents
- Interswitch: Pan-African payments and digital commerce incumbent with broad enterprise and government footprint across Nigeria and East Africa. Comparable to iMartGroup on payment aggregation and government/enterprise customer profile, but at significantly larger scale.
- Infobip: Global CPaaS incumbent offering SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, and voice APIs at scale with established telecom operator relationships. Comparable to iMartGroup on the Bulk SMS + WhatsApp + telco-channel stack, but operating globally rather than Tanzania-only.
- MessageBird (Bird): Amsterdam-headquartered omnichannel CPaaS with strong emerging-market WhatsApp Business and SMS offering. Comparable to iMartGroup on the multi-channel messaging API plus WhatsApp Business positioning, but with global reach.
- Twilio: Global developer-focused CPaaS leader providing programmable SMS, WhatsApp, and voice APIs. Comparable to iMartGroup on API-first messaging for developers and enterprises, but with vastly broader geographic and channel coverage.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
iMartGroup social profiles
Digital presenceiMartGroup financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
iMartGroup leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
iMartGroup funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
iMartGroup 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 iMartGroup
What does iMartGroup do?
iMartGroup is a Tanzanian software and hardware solutions company that operates a multi-product portfolio centered on communication, payment processing, and enterprise software. Its core offering is the Bulk SMS Service platform, supporting API, SMPP, and a self-serve portal for mass messaging across Tanzanian networks. Complementary offerings include the LIPA/LipaPay payment processing system, the School Management System, web hosting (iHost), ISP services (iMartConnect), custom application development, and telecom value-added services for operators.
Is iMartGroup a public or private company?
iMartGroup is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was iMartGroup founded?
iMartGroup was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is iMartGroup based?
iMartGroup is headquartered in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, in the Africa region.
How does iMartGroup make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. SMS Services are the primary driver. The others are school Management Software, web Hosting Services, custom Application Development and telecom VAS Services.
Who are iMartGroup's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Eskimi and Hubtel. Direct peers are Clickatell, Cellulant, Termii and Africa's Talking. Broad incumbents are Interswitch, Infobip, MessageBird (Bird) and Twilio.
Does iMartGroup have an API?
Yes. iMartGroup provides API and SMPP connectivity for their Bulk SMS messaging platform. The API allows programmatic access to send SMS messages. For non-technical users, an all-in-one portal is available as an alternative to API integration. The platform supports WhatsApp Business messaging services and business communication integrations with Meta platforms.
What industry is iMartGroup in?
iMartGroup's product category is SMS Communication & Payment Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAOAB, iPaaS & Workflow Automation, with a secondary code of BPAEAAAF, Application Integration & API/Middleware Services. Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7370.