Lelapa

FinTech for Financial Inclusion of African SMEs

  • Stage Prototype Ready
  • Industry Fintech
  • Location Paris, France
  • Currency EUR
  • Founded March 2015
  • Employees 2
  • Incorporation Type Other
  • Website lelapafund.com

Company Summary

It costs an investor the same time and money to invest $500k in an African SME as it does $5mn, due to high transaction costs. This absurd situation has resulted in a $140bn annual financing gap, cutting SMEs out of the African growth story. To solve this, Lelapa has built a digital infrastructure for SME finance that will reduce the cost of investing, making it more viable for investors to make small deals in Africa.

Team

  • Elizabeth Howard
    Co-founder, CEO

    • South African / French
    • 5 Years Experience as Financial Economist in Risk Management R&D
    • Fintech Regulations specialist
    • B.Comm Honours Economics, University of Cape Town
    • M.Phil Economics, Sciences Po
    Stanford University GSB Ignite Programme 2013
    Digital Frontiers Institute/ Fletcher School-Tufts University - Certificate in Digital Money 2016

  • Jerry Crossan
    Co-founder, Head of Business Development East Africa

    • American based in Nairobi for the last 2.5 years.
    • Previously a quantitative research systems engineer for the asset management industry with three experience developing professional grade software.
    • CFA Level III Candidate
    • B.Sc in Computer Engineering & Technological Entrepreneurship, Northeastern University

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