MoneyPhone

Company Description

MoneyPhone is a technology-enabled lender providing working capital to smallholder farmers and MSMEs in Rwanda, using data-driven underwriting and agricultural value chain integration to expand financial inclusion, improve productivity, and drive sustainable income growth.

Countries of Operation

Rwanda

Ownership of Company

European Company

Number of years since incorporated

8

Project Pitch

MoneyPhone is a technology-enabled lender providing working capital to smallholder farmers and MSMEs in Rwanda, addressing the critical financing gap that limits productivity and income growth in agricultural value chains. Our business model is built on short-term, high-velocity lending, offering tailored loans aligned to crop cycles and business cash flows. We originate loans through cooperatives and value chain actors, leveraging embedded relationships to reduce acquisition costs and improve credit discipline. Pricing is structured through interest and fees, with profitability driven by portfolio scale, rapid turnover, and operational efficiency rather than high margins.

Operations are powered by a data-driven digital platform that enables efficient loan origination, monitoring, and collections. Credit underwriting combines field-based insights, cooperative guarantees, and historical repayment data to manage risk in underserved segments.

Since launching in 2023, MoneyPhone has scaled rapidly across Rwanda, serving over 8,000 farmers and disbursing more than 11,000 loans across 13 value chains. The model demonstrates strong repayment performance and is designed to scale sustainably through increased loan sizes, repeat customers, and expanded geographic reach. MoneyPhone’s vision is to evolve into a leading digital financial platform supporting inclusive agricultural growth across Africa.

Team

MoneyPhone is led by a diverse and experienced team combining deep expertise in fintech, credit, and operations, with strong local market execution in Rwanda.

• Leadership: CEO Marthe Paauwe brings strategic vision and fintech leadership
• Strong Local Execution: Country operations led by Jean-Paul Mushumba, ensuring deep market understanding and on-the-ground delivery.
• Credit & Operations Strength: Dedicated credit, risk, and operations teams drive disciplined portfolio management and scalable processes.
• Technology Backbone: In-house engineering team enables a robust, data-driven lending platform.
• Governance & Oversight: Experienced board and independent audit function ensure strong governance and compliance.

A well-balanced team combining strategy, technology, and field execution to scale sustainably

Type of Project

Private Company project

Stage

Growth stage

Annual Revenue (in EUR)

100.000 - 250.000 EUR

Number of employees

1-10

Total Project Cost (in EUR)

1,000,000 - 3,000,000

Financing needs (in EUR)

3,000,000

Type of financing needed

Debt, Equity, Guarantee, Venture Capital

The Company is looking for

Financing, Technical assistance,

Planned allocation of fundraising capital

Expansion (expanding an existing activity)