KiWi

KiWi is a fintech company that provides financial solutions to micro-merchants and distributors in Mexico. The company, which is the trading name for the Swiss start-up eBOP SA, has been operating in Mexico since 2015 with the goal of improving financial inclusion.

The company was founded in 2019 by Christian Sinobas, Jorge A Muhlia, and Pablo Ize. It offers a mobile point-of-sale (POS) platform that enables small businesses to accept card payments via a hardware reader connected to a smartphone or tablet. The platform also provides tools for sales and inventory management. A core component of KiWi's business model is using the transactional data gathered from its POS system to analyze a merchant's cash flow and offer pre-approved micro-loans. This data-driven approach allows KiWi to address the lack of reliable financial data for small merchants, a key barrier to obtaining credit from traditional financial institutions.

In addition to payment processing and lending, KiWi offers supply chain financing to distributors, providing loans to their clients to ensure they have the purchasing power for supplies. Merchants using the platform can also offer mobile top-ups and bill payment services, creating additional revenue streams. The company generates revenue through a commission of 3.2% plus VAT per transaction. As of January 2019, KiWi had raised a total of $3.22 million in a Series A funding round led by Polytech Ventures and Investiere.

Keywords: micro-merchant financing, point-of-sale solutions, POS payments, supply chain finance, micro-lending, financial inclusion Mexico, small business loans, digital payments, mobile commerce, fintech, inventory management, emerging markets finance, card readers, bill payments, mobile top-ups