South African fintech startup LittleFish has successfully secured funding from TLcom Capital and Flourish Ventures, enabling the company to further scale its operations and expand its platform, which helps banks serve small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) more effectively. This marks TLcom’s first venture in South Africa, following their prior investments in East and West African markets.
Founded in 2021 by Brandon Roberts and Miod Davith Kahwa, LittleFish aims to bridge the gap between traditional banks and Africa’s 80 million SMEs by offering a comprehensive digital platform. The platform helps banks streamline financial operations, process digital payments, and provide access to credit, all while maintaining strong client relationships through efficient, customer-centric solutions.
With the newly acquired funding, LittleFish is positioned to accelerate its mission of empowering banks in South Africa to leverage fintech solutions. The investment is seen as part of TLcom’s broader strategy to diversify its portfolio across key African markets, as the fintech sector in South Africa continues to attract growing interest from global investors.
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In April 2024, TLcom Capital, which manages over $300 million in assets, completed the final close of its $154 million TIDE Africa Fund II, aimed at early-stage startups across the continent. TLcom has a strong history of investing in prominent African startups like Andela, Twiga Foods, and Kobo360, and their backing of LittleFish further strengthens their foothold in the fintech space.
LittleFish’s partnership with Visa adds a significant advantage, providing the startup with a competitive edge through tie-ins with Visa’s partner banks, and facilitating an even stronger market entry. This latest funding round allows LittleFish to scale its efforts and further bridge the financial services gap for SMEs in Africa.
