News
Watu secures $7 million debt facility from AHL Venture Partners
Asset-financing company Watu has secured a $7 million debt facility from AHL Venture Partners to expand its lending across selected African markets.
By Propel Africa · 2026-09-14
Watu has secured a $7 million debt facility from AHL Venture Partners, Kenyan Wallstreet reported on 14 September. The facility will provide working capital to grow Watu's lending portfolios in selected African markets, rather than funding a single project or acquisition.
Financing the things people earn with
Founded in 2015 by Andris Kaneps, Watu finances assets that help people work and earn: motorcycles, three-wheelers, smartphones and, increasingly, electric motorcycles. Customers pay off the asset over time.
The company now operates in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, DR Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and South Africa, as well as Mexico and Brazil. It has originated more than 7 million loans since launch.
A growing contributor
Car & General, the Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed company that owns nearly 30% of Watu, reported that its share of Watu's profit rose 382% to KSh2.04 billion in the six months to June 2026, up from KSh423 million a year earlier.
AHL Venture Partners, led by chief executive Rosanne Whalley, first began working with Watu in 2022. "AHL has been an important funding partner as Watu has grown across Africa," Kaneps said.
At a glance
- Company: Watu
- Raised: $7 million
- Type: Debt facility for working capital
- Lender: AHL Venture Partners
- Founded: 2015
- Loans originated: More than 7 million
- Markets: Eight African countries, plus Mexico and Brazil