Mawingu
Mawingu Networks is a Kenyan-headquartered internet service provider delivering affordable fixed-wireless and fiber broadband to rural and peri-urban households, SMEs, schools, and clinics across 31+ Kenyan counties and 9 Tanzanian regions, following its 2024 acquisition of Habari.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Mawingu does
Mawingu Networks Limited is a privately held internet service provider founded in 2012 in Nanyuki, Kenya, and headquartered in Nairobi. It delivers fixed-wireless and fiber-based broadband to rural and peri-urban households, small and medium businesses, schools, and healthcare facilities in geographies underserved by mainstream Kenyan and East African operators. The company positions itself as the largest ISP in Kenya dedicated exclusively to rural and peri-urban markets, operating across 31+ Kenyan counties and, following the November 2024 acquisition of Habari, across 9 Tanzanian regions.
The company operates a hybrid network comprising solar-powered base stations (200+ towers), an expanding fiber backbone (370 km, up from 85 km), fixed wireless last-mile links, and — most recently — Starlink low-Earth-orbit satellite integration via a flagship Microsoft-Starlink rural connectivity partnership deploying 450 community hubs. Customer premises equipment (radio, router, POE adapter) is owned by Mawingu under a refundable deposit model. Product lines include MAX residential plans (20/30/40 Mbps, KES 2,500–4,500/month) and BIZ business plans (fixed-site packages, bespoke solutions, and value-added services such as public IP and managed firewall), supported by a Selfcare portal and 24/7 WhatsApp/phone support. A wholly-owned nonprofit subsidiary, Mawingu Foundation, runs digital-inclusion programs with ATC Kenya, the Internet Society Foundation, and ACWICT.
The business model is subscription-based recurring revenue from residential and SME customers, supplemented by one-time equipment deposits and enterprise VAS contracts. GTM is direct-to-consumer via field technicians, website, WhatsApp (0111 194000), and phone, combined with a 'buy-and-build' M&A strategy to acquire and consolidate local ISPs in target markets — exemplified by the $15 million Habari Tanzania deal. As of late 2025, Mawingu reports 35,000+ connected homes and businesses, 380 employees, and an explicit target to impact 1 million East Africans by 2028. Cumulative institutional funding includes a KSh 1.12 billion raise (2023), a $15 million debt-and-equity package for Habari (Nov 2024), and a $20 million strategic equity investment from Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Fund II (Oct 2025).
Mawingu firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mawingu
- Legal name
- Mawingu Networks Limited
- Website
- https://mawingu.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Mawingu Networks is a Kenyan-headquartered internet service provider delivering affordable fixed-wireless and fiber broadband to rural and peri-urban households, SMEs, schools, and clinics across 31+ Kenyan counties and 9 Tanzanian regions, following its 2024 acquisition of Habari.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mawingu industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Rural Wireless Internet Services
- NAICS
- Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (517112), Satellite Telecommunications (51741)
- SIC
- Computer Communications Equipment (3576)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) CPE (LTE/5G/mmWave) (HDAFAIAE), Fiber Backhaul to Towers & Small Cells (Fronthaul/Midhaul/Backhaul) (HDAIAKAK)
Keywords
Where Mawingu is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nairobi
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices3 records
Markets served
Mawingu business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Home Internet Subscription (MAX Plans): Monthly recurring subscription fees for residential WiFi internet service with unlimited data and varying speed tiers (20/30/40 Mbps)
- Business Internet Subscription (BIZ Plans): Monthly recurring subscription fees for business internet including fixed site packages (shared to dedicated), bespoke solutions, and value-added services (public IP, extension management, managed firewall)
- Installation and Equipment: One-time refundable deposit for customer premises equipment (CPE) including radio, router, POE adapter, and mounting bracket; installation fees may apply; equipment remains property of Mawingu
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | MAX 20 - Up to 20 Mbps for homes |
| Subscription | Monthly | MAX 30 - Up to 30 Mbps for homes (Popular) |
| Subscription | Monthly | MAX 40 - Up to 40 Mbps for homes |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Mawingu product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mawingu is a Kenyan internet service provider delivering affordable, unlimited high-speed WiFi to rural and peri-urban households and businesses. It offers home WiFi plans (MAX Internet) at 20-40 Mbps and business internet plans (BIZ Internet) over a hybrid network of solar-powered towers, fixed wireless, and fiber. The company recently expanded into Tanzania via the Habari ISP acquisition and integrates Starlink satellite connectivity for last-mile rural reach.
Product overview
Mawingu is a rural and peri-urban internet service provider delivering affordable, reliable internet through a combination of wireless, fibre, and green-energy infrastructure. The company operates a multi-tiered product portfolio anchored by MAX Internet (home WiFi plans at 20-40 Mbps) and BIZ Internet (business connectivity with enhanced support). Enterprise add-ons include Fixed Site Internet, Bespoke Solutions, and Value Added Services (public IP, managed firewall, extension management). The company expanded into Tanzania via the 2024 acquisition of Habari Tanzania and participates in the Microsoft-Starlink Rural Connectivity Initiative deploying satellite-enabled internet at 450 community hubs. Mawingu Foundation drives digital inclusion through partnerships with ATC Kenya, Internet Society Foundation, and ACWICT, focusing on schools, healthcare facilities, and community learning centres. A customer Selfcare Portal enables account management and payments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MAX Internet: Home WiFi internet plans offering speeds up to 40 Mbps for households
- BIZ Internet
- Mawingu Foundation
Products and services
- MAX Internet Home WiFi internet subscription plans providing unlimited data at 20, 30, or 40 Mbps for residential customers in rural and peri-urban Kenyan communities, with free installation and 24/7 support.
- BIZ Internet Business internet subscription plans offering reliable, high-speed connectivity for SMEs and enterprises, with options for shared-to-dedicated bandwidth, public IP, managed firewall, and 24/7 support.
- Fixed Site Internet Enterprise-grade unlimited internet packages offering shared to dedicated bandwidth configurations for businesses requiring consistent, reliable connectivity.
- Bespoke Solutions Customized internet solutions tailored to match specific present and future business connectivity requirements for enterprise clients.
- Habari Tanzania Internet service provider serving rural and peri-urban households and businesses across Tanzania (Arusha, Dodoma, Iringa, Manyara, Mara, Kilimanjaro, Mwanza, Morogoro, Shinyanga), acquired by Mawingu in November 2024.
- Mawingu Foundation Nonprofit digital inclusion arm that partners with stakeholders to deliver connectivity and digital skills programs to underserved schools, clinics, and community hubs across Kenya.
Quantifiable outcome
- More than doubled user base between 2022 and 2024
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Mawingu
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mawingu technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Mawingu partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Microsoft and StarlinkflagshipMawingu leading Kenya deployment of Microsoft-Starlink rural connectivity initiative, deploying and integrating connectivity across 450 community hubs in rural and peri-urban regions nationwide. Combines Starlink's LEO satellite capability with Mawingu's established rural broadband infrastructure.
- Workonline CommunicationscorePartnership with tier one transit provider providing low-latency transit and scalable technical support across Mawingu's hybrid network of solar-powered towers and fixed wireless solutions.
- ATC Kenya (American Tower Corporation)coreThree-year Digital Communities initiative to transform access to digital opportunities in underserved parts of Kenya. Combines ATC's telecommunications infrastructure with Mawingu's community engagement expertise to create sustainable, locally anchored digital access hubs. Pilot of 10 sites expanding across Kenya.
- Internet Society FoundationcorePartnership providing affordable internet connectivity in Wajir County, enabling schools, businesses, and households to participate in Kenya's digital economy. Supports connectivity in remote regions as part of Mawingu's digital inclusion mission.
- ACWICT (African Centre for Women in Information and Communication Technology)coreDigital Skills for Underserved Communities initiative in Garissa and Wajir Counties, equipping local educators and healthcare professionals with digital tools and knowledge. Training of Trainers workshop reaching 200+ participants in Garissa and 115 in Wajir.
- SARNet (Semi-Arid Resilience Network)minorCommunity-based organization partner in Garissa County mobilising participants and coordinating success of digital skills training programs under the ACWICT partnership.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Mawingu competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Wananchi Group (SimbaNet / Zuku): East African converged internet and Pay TV provider (Zuku Fiber, SimbaNet) with home and enterprise broadband. Wananchi overlaps with Mawingu's BIZ Internet and Fixed Site products but focuses on urban and peri-urban customers, not rural specialist connectivity.
- Safaricom: Kenya's dominant mobile operator and home fiber provider (Safaricom Home), serving both urban and increasingly rural customers. While Safaricom offers overlapping connectivity, it is a broad incumbent with a much wider portfolio (mobile voice/data, M-Pesa) rather than a rural-specialist ISP.
- Telkom Kenya: Kenyan fixed-line and mobile operator providing home fiber and SME connectivity. As an incumbent carrier with national reach, Telkom competes for the same household and SME broadband wallet share Mawingu targets, especially in peri-urban catchments.
- Liquid Intelligent Technologies (Liquid Telecom): Pan-African fiber and wholesale connectivity provider operating backbone networks across East and Southern Africa. Liquid provides backhaul and enterprise connectivity that overlaps with Mawingu's BIZ and Fixed Site offerings, but is a much larger incumbent focused on wholesale and urban enterprise.
Direct peers
- Tizeti: Nigeria-headquartered solar-powered fixed-wireless ISP offering unlimited home internet to residential customers in West Africa. Tizeti shares Mawingu's solar-tower, low-ARPU, mass-market model and is the most operationally comparable African peer in the same rural/underserved category.
- Poa Internet: Nairobi-based low-cost fixed-wireless ISP serving underserved Kenyan households with capped monthly plans. Poa is Mawingu's closest head-to-head competitor in the value-tier residential connectivity segment, using a similar WiFi/mesh distribution model in lower-income Nairobi neighborhoods.
- Habari Node (now Mawingu Tanzania): Arusha-based Tanzanian ISP that was acquired by Mawingu in November 2024. Operated as a stand-alone entity for over 25 years delivering rural connectivity across Tanzania; now functions as Mawingu's Tanzania subsidiary and is the most direct in-country comparable.
Regional players
- iWayAfrica: Pan-African satellite and VSAT ISP focused on enterprise and SME connectivity in markets where terrestrial broadband is limited. iWayAfrica is comparable in its use of alternative last-mile technology (satellite) to reach underserved customers, though it serves a different geography mix.
Emerging players
- Starlink (SpaceX): SpaceX's LEO satellite broadband service now available direct-to-consumer in Kenya. Starlink is both a partner (Microsoft–Starlink initiative led by Mawingu) and an emerging competitive threat that could disintermediate local ISPs in remote areas where terrestrial buildout is uneconomic.
Others
- Atlas AI: Not a direct competitor, but an adjacent digital-inclusion analytics platform operating in African and emerging markets. Included as a thematic comparable for rural-connectivity investment theses and impact-measurement business models relevant to investors evaluating Mawingu.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Mawingu social profiles
Digital presenceMawingu financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mawingu leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Mawingu subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Mawingu funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mawingu 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 Mawingu
What does Mawingu do?
Mawingu is a Kenyan internet service provider delivering affordable, unlimited high-speed WiFi to rural and peri-urban households and businesses. It offers home WiFi plans (MAX Internet) at 20-40 Mbps and business internet plans (BIZ Internet) over a hybrid network of solar-powered towers, fixed wireless, and fiber. The company recently expanded into Tanzania via the Habari ISP acquisition and integrates Starlink satellite connectivity for last-mile rural reach.
Is Mawingu a public or private company?
Mawingu is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Mawingu founded?
Mawingu was founded in 2012. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Mawingu based?
Mawingu is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, in the Africa region.
How does Mawingu make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Home Internet Subscription (MAX Plans) is the primary driver. The others are business Internet Subscription (BIZ Plans) and installation and Equipment.
Who are Mawingu's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Wananchi Group (SimbaNet / Zuku), Safaricom, Telkom Kenya and Liquid Intelligent Technologies (Liquid Telecom). Direct peers are Tizeti, Poa Internet and Habari Node (now Mawingu Tanzania). iWayAfrica is listed as a regional player. Starlink (SpaceX) is listed as an emerging player. Atlas AI is listed as an others.
Does Mawingu have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mawingu.
What industry is Mawingu in?
Mawingu's product category is Rural Wireless Internet Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIABAE, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) Broadband Providers, with a secondary code of HDAFAIAE, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) CPE (LTE/5G/mmWave). Its NAICS code is 517112 and its SIC code is 3576.