Ebby Gatamu is addressing Africa’s SME financing gap through Cladfy, a fintech platform that supports microfinance institutions with digital lending tools.
In 2022, Kenyan marketing professional Ebby Gatamu co-founded Cladfy Financial Services to tackle the substantial microfinance gap in Africa. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), despite being crucial to African economies, struggle to access affordable credit, contributing to a global financing gap estimated by the World Bank at $5.7 trillion. Gatamu’s initiative with Cladfy aims to address these significant barriers.
Gatamu’s interest in microfinance stems from her own upbringing in Kenya, where her family owned and operated a small business. She recalls the challenge of securing loans through formal channels, a difficulty faced by many others.
Gatamu was determined to bridge this gap- not by targeting large institutional lenders but by empowering microlenders, microfinance institutions that deeply understand the informal sector but have traditionally lacked the technological tools and financing options needed for efficient, scalable operations. These organisations are often closer to small traders and informal workers but have long encountered hurdles in adopting technology and accessing capital.
Building cladfy
Cladfy was born from the innovator’s partnership with Kibe John Roy Njoka, who brought experience in lending operations and understanding client behaviour. Ebby Gatamu contributed her background in marketing, finance, and digital innovation. Together, they developed a platform designed to automate loan management, credit assessment, and reporting for MFIs.
The system utilises alternative data sources to construct a more comprehensive view of creditworthiness, potentially reducing the reliance on collateral. Through a mobile-enabled dashboard, loan officers can record transactions at the point of service, while lenders receive portfolio and performance reports supported by automated communication tools.
According to figures cited by Cladfy, the platform has facilitated access to over $3 million in working capital for more than 40,000 small businesses since its inception. Many of these are traders, shopkeepers, or motorcycle dispatch riders who are typically excluded from bank lending.
Recognition and support have been gained within the fintech community. It was named a finalist at the 2024 Singapore Fintech Festival and was among the startups selected for the ARM Labs Lagos Techstars Accelerator. Gatamu herself has participated in initiatives such as the International Finance Corporation Female Founder Fellowship.
Beyond her corporate accomplishments, Gatamu personally mentors women-led startups and advocates passionately for financial inclusion. She co-founded Adshop Online, a digital marketing agency, and serves as a mentor with Wentors, a platform supporting women in technology.
Looking ahead, Gatamu’s vision for Cladfy is to become a sort of “Shopify for lenders”, providing an ecosystem where microfinance institutions can expand efficiently while reaching borrowers in the informal economy.
