ApideckTape
← Embedded Finance Index 2026

Kifiya Financial Technology

“Can an AI-powered embedded finance infrastructure company become the operating system for uncollateralized credit and digital financial services across Ethiopia and Sub-Saharan Africa?”

Founded2010
HQAddis Ababa, Ethiopia
FoundersMunir Duri
IndustryFintech / Embedded finance infrastructure
The story

Founded in 2010 as a digital payments and billing infrastructure company for Ethiopia, Kifiya evolved from operating the government's Lehulu utility payment system into a full-stack AI-powered embedded finance infrastructure provider. The company pivoted decisively toward AI-driven credit decisioning and embedded lending after partnering with the Mastercard Foundation to launch the Michu uncollateralized digital lending platform with Cooperative Bank of Oromia in 2022. It now operates as a B2B2C fintech infrastructure company offering banks and non-bank FIs a full suite: AI credit scoring, loan portfolio management, embedded finance rails, Sharia-compliant products, agricultural micro-insurance, and B2B e-commerce — positioning itself as the embedded finance OS for Ethiopia and broader Sub-Saharan Africa.

Last 12 months
2024-05
2025-05
Product timeline
2010
Kifiya Financial Technology founded in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, initially focused on digital payment infrastructure for underserved markets.· pivot
2013
Launched 'Lehulu', a unified billing system for government utility payments (electricity, water, landline) in a public-private partnership with the Ethiopian government.· banking
2017
Partnered with Mastercard to develop a consumer-to-business digital remittance and payment platform targeting the Ethiopian diaspora.· payments
2022
Launched 'Michu' in partnership with Cooperative Bank of Oromia — Ethiopia's first uncollateralized digital lending product powered by Kifiya's Qena AI decisioning platform, backed by Mastercard Foundation.· lending
2024
Announced SAFEE program with Mastercard Foundation committing US$100M to unlock US$300M in bank credit for 477,800+ MSMEs across six Ethiopian banks over five years.· lending
2025
Halal Gebeya (Sharia-compliant digital finance marketplace) named a Top 3 Global Innovation at the 7th Ethical Finance Innovation Challenge & Awards (EFICA) by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank & London Stock Exchange Group.· banking
The stack
1 layer disclosed in Kifiya Financial Technology’s embedded-finance stack
Lending
Michu (uncollateralized digital lending via Cooperative Bank of Oromia)Inventory Credit SolutionsBuy Now Pay Later (BNPL)Invoice FinancingDevice FinancingNano/micro/small working capital loansEquipment financingSharia-compliant credit products
Accounting gap: none

Kifiya Financial Technology — frequently asked

Who founded Kifiya Financial Technology?

Kifiya Financial Technology was founded by Munir Duri and is founded in 2010, headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Benchmark your own stack

Request an embedded finance strategy assessment

Get a read on where your own stack stands against Kifiya Financial Technology and the rest of its category — what they built versus bought, which providers they use, and where the gaps in your own strategy and competitive set actually are.

  • Your category, mappedHow your stack compares to Kifiya Financial Technology and the other companies in its category.
  • Build vs. buyWhere a provider relationship would close a gap faster than building it.
  • A named analyst, not a form replyA short call to scope what's actually worth assessing for you.

No newsletter, no sharing your address. We use this to reach out about the assessment and nothing else.