Nipate
Forum => Kenya Discussion => Topic started by: Nefertiti on October 11, 2017, 10:16:53 AM
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Some good news... Looks like M-KOPA has largespread endorsement of the PAYG business model. This is basically the 'tech' as you will note solar panels and mobile payments have existed for a while. Kes 8B sio mchezo.
http://www.itwebafrica.com/m/news/rY17VRwqN7X8
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Yeap that is huge. Pay-as-you-go energy systems(solar systems) are the way to go. This make energy sources like solar that are hard to distribute viable as business. This what innovation like m-pesa make possible.
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More good news... Shortlist gets $1M for expansion. Now this is a nice innovation that uses big data to screen job applicants upfront. By the time you interview its a real shortlist. Saves everyone's time and money.
Nairobi jobs tech firm gets Sh103m
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 21:18 BY JAMES NGUNJIRI
(http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/image/view/-/4103426/medRes/1616977/-/maxw/960/-/jx9ttc/-/CASH.jpg)
A Nairobi-based employment tech start-up, Shortlist, has received Sh103 million ($1 million) seed funding from a group of US, Indian and Kenyan investors.
The tech start-up with offices in Nairobi, Mumbai and Hyderabad in India launched operations last year.
So far it has worked with over 30 SMEs including M-KOPA, Twiga Foods, Lendable, SunCulture and Greenlight Planet.
The firm screens candidates using predictive chat-based interviews and online competency-based assessments, letting employers skip time-consuming and bias-prone phases of hiring.
The funding came from US-based private equity (PE) firm University Ventures, Indian angel investor Samir Shah of Sattva Capital, Kenya-based seed fund Zephyr Acorn, global impact investor FARM Ventures, and US-based investor Bodley Group.
Shortlist Tuesday said it will use the funds to enhance its data-driven talent screening product which automates applicant vetting using online competency-based assessments.
Shortlist co-founder and chief executive Paul Breloff said the single biggest challenge for growing companies is finding the right talent to scale.
“We believe that both jobseekers and employers deserve a better way to find each other and gauge fitness. We’re thrilled to have a group of investors who share our desire to fix this broken talent marketplace,” he said noting that the mix of expertise across India, East Africa, and the US will add significant strategic value as the firm builds on its early traction.
http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/companies/Nairobi-jobs-tech-firm-gets-Sh103m/4003102-4103418-114elwaz/index.html
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http://www.m-kopa.com/products/
Too expensive compared to kenya power,I think everybody nowadays needs TV,
tv package
125 daily x 30 days = 3750,
If the repayment period?If its one year that is 3750 X 12=45,000 + 3000 deposit=Kshs 48,000/- annually,
I think its expensive,
Without Prejudice.
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Expensive compared to what? Power + TV + rechargeable torch + phone charger USB+ radio... looks pretty cheap in my eyes.
http://www.m-kopa.com/products/
Too expensive compared to kenya power,I think everybody nowadays needs TV,
tv package
125 daily x 30 days = 3750,
If the repayment period?If its one year that is 3750 X 12=45,000 + 3000 deposit=Kshs 48,000/- annually,
I think its expensive,
Without Prejudice.
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Expensive compared to what? Power + TV + rechargeable torch + phone charger USB+ radio... looks pretty cheap in my eyes.
http://www.m-kopa.com/products/
Too expensive compared to kenya power,I think everybody nowadays needs TV,
tv package
125 daily x 30 days = 3750,
If the repayment period?If its one year that is 3750 X 12=45,000 + 3000 deposit=Kshs 48,000/- annually,
I think its expensive,
Without Prejudice.
Expensive compared to what? Power + TV + rechargeable torch + phone charger USB+ radio... looks pretty cheap in my eyes.
http://www.m-kopa.com/products/
Too expensive compared to kenya power and other private vendors,I think everybody nowadays needs TV,
tv package
125 daily x 30 days = 3750,
If the repayment period?If its one year that is 3750 X 12=45,000 + 3000 deposit=Kshs 48,000/- annually,
I think its expensive,
Without Prejudice.
https://www.olx.co.ke/ads/q-solar/
Its expensive compared to everything,
The 8W M-kopa is selling for 21,000 annually retails for less than 5000,
The 20w package they are selling for 48,000,you can buy the tv for 7k,100watt solar,battery,inverter,bulbs,charger for 20k and get more power,
M-kopa is a rip off,it manages to sell these stuff through institutions like ktda,cda,kcda which have hundreds of thousands of farmers while also using cbos,ngos and self help groups to cheat ignorant peasants its a good deal,
Without Prejudice.
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Expensive but people are buying, right?
THis is where another innovator comes in and youll see a price reduction.
Expensive compared to what? Power + TV + rechargeable torch + phone charger USB+ radio... looks pretty cheap in my eyes.
http://www.m-kopa.com/products/
Too expensive compared to kenya power,I think everybody nowadays needs TV,
tv package
125 daily x 30 days = 3750,
If the repayment period?If its one year that is 3750 X 12=45,000 + 3000 deposit=Kshs 48,000/- annually,
I think its expensive,
Without Prejudice.
Expensive compared to what? Power + TV + rechargeable torch + phone charger USB+ radio... looks pretty cheap in my eyes.
http://www.m-kopa.com/products/
Too expensive compared to kenya power and other private vendors,I think everybody nowadays needs TV,
tv package
125 daily x 30 days = 3750,
If the repayment period?If its one year that is 3750 X 12=45,000 + 3000 deposit=Kshs 48,000/- annually,
I think its expensive,
Without Prejudice.
https://www.olx.co.ke/ads/q-solar/
Its expensive compared to everything,
The 8W M-kopa is selling for 21,000 annually retails for less than 5000,
The 20w package they are selling for 48,000,you can buy the tv for 7k,100watt solar,battery,inverter,bulbs,charger for 20k and get more power,
M-kopa is a rip off,it manages to sell these stuff through institutions like ktda,cda,kcda which have hundreds of thousands of farmers while also using cbos,ngos and self help groups to cheat ignorant peasants its a good deal,
Without Prejudice.
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Yes Parkerpen. iMansfield is lost in detail. The reason these things catch my eye is that a properly innovative startup or even big corp is news in Sub Sahara. Obviously all these great solutions - M-KOPA, SunCulture, One Acre Fund, etc - are mzungu-led. But they are welcome to give a hand.
The funding - amount & source - a startup attracts tells you alot about its potential. $100M is good. It even made it on TechCrunch. M-KOPA is a conglomerate of course - Solar is just the start. Compared to other startups like say Seven Seas - 20 year ICT company - that recently sold out big stake for meagre $2M - obviously it's a low potential model.
On to my favorite punchbag... another way besides funding to check high growth is research efforts. For this just check manpower - who are they hiring? Look at any serious firm: AI, ML, neuroscientists. One Acre Fund is looking for Research Analysts. Our great MNC Safcom is looking for API Manager... :D Finally they got round to it. 10 years later. I see they also need a head of e-commerce now. Hope by 2022 they might figure out what AI & ML are all about.
I say iMansfield this is why a proper venture is newsworthy around here. I wonder why we must call out the politicians all the time.
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Yes Parkerpen. iMansfield is lost in detail. The reason these things catch my eye is that a properly innovative startup or even big corp is news in Sub Sahara. Obviously all these great solutions - M-KOPA, SunCulture, One Acre Fund, etc - are mzungu-led. But they are welcome to give a hand.
The funding - amount & source - a startup attracts tells you alot about its potential. $100M is good. It even made it on TechCrunch. M-KOPA is a conglomerate of course - Solar is just the start. Compared to other startups like say Seven Seas - 20 year ICT company - that recently sold out big stake for meagre $2M - obviously it's a low potential model.
On to my favorite punchbag... another way besides funding to check high growth is research efforts. For this just check manpower - who are they hiring? Look at any serious firm: AI, ML, neuroscientists. One Acre Fund is looking for Research Analysts. Our great MNC Safcom is looking for API Manager... :D Finally they got round to it. 10 years later. I see they also need a head of e-commerce now. Hope by 2022 they might figure out what AI & ML are all about.
I say iMansfield this is why a proper venture is newsworthy around here. I wonder why we must call out the politicians all the time.
Three issues:
(a) My point is that the M-kopa package is expensive compared to Kenya power and other solar product retailers.3-4 Times above market price,
(b) M-kopa is using small scale farmers associations to increase penetration:
KTDA (Tea) CDA (Coffee) KCDA (Cotton) HCDA (Horticulture exporters groups for small farmers) CBOs (community based organizations) SHG (self help groups)
These groups of farmers have hundreds of thousands of members across East Africa and though partnership (corruption) with the head of these groupings,they are able to sell their products 3x above market price.
(c) M-kopa Vs Once acre fund_____One acre fund alleviates poverty,It provides 400,000 E.African farmers with sustainable finance,training and markets thus consistent livelihood,M-kopa takes 50 shillings a day from the money once acre fund farmers have earned,Do you see the difference between the two?I wouldn't be surprised if once acre fund has shares in M-kopa,
(d) M-kopa,One Acre fund etc are successful business models,I agree.My issue is with M-kopa product prices which are prohibitive to low income rural livelihoods.Too expensive compared to retail prices and credit terms.
If you have ever been in social enterprise business,You know how much money you can make if you approach a body like KTDA to sell your products,access to over 300,000 farmers who earn bonuses,that is they don't pay daily but their daily charge can be deducted from the bonuses,
Without Prejudice.