Kenya’s micro-credit company, Mo De (Mobile Decisioning) emerged a co-winner at the IBM SmartCamp Latin American Regional and is competing to be the IBM Entrepreneur of the Year in NYC., February 7.
Founded in 2009 Julian Kyula, CEO and Josphat Kinyua, CCO and others with a mission to give consumer nano-credit that is linked to utilities such as telecoms and power. The Mo De team has experienced executive committee and multidisciplinary team of more than 70 people with experience in telecoms, technology, hospitality, investment banking and finance. MoDe gives airtime credits of US$ 1 to US$10 credit.
MoDe is participating in the IBM SmartCamp in NYC after being selected among the regional SmartCamp competition in Sao Paolo, Brazil.
Through the competitions MoDe, say they have learned that the only constant in the technology is change and every business to thrive has to anticipate change, be innovate continously and have the right team to do it. The founders also say SmartCamp “has leveled the playing field and made the world a much smaller place.”
They believe that any technology solution out of Africa, “with a little tweak, can be just as relevant in New York, Mexico City or Afghanistan. There is no excuse for companies from emerging markets not to try and go global.” Hinting on taking their services global.
SmartCamp has also been a great networking opportunity and as a result we are in discussions with a number of VCs. We are also in discussions with partners who are already introducing us to new markets in Latin America, Middle East and Southeast Asia.
MoDe won the South African league of the IBM SmartCamp and won themselves a place at the Regional competions in Saolo Paolo.
At the moment MoDe is aming to be IBM SmartCamp’s Entrepreneur of the Year as there solutions transform and enhance the lives of ordinary people. The firm has in the last two and a half years given out over 250 million micro loans worth more than US$170 million and have over 90 million in 15 different countries and say they have transformed millions of lives.
You can follow the competitions on Twitter here, #IBMSmartCamp
