Collecting money for a common cause is as old as money, and so is the mismanagement of money collected for common causes.
Like many Kenyans in chamas, using WhatsApp to rally people or simply collect cash for the cousins’ annual party, Elvis Bando found himself facing a familiar plight – poor communication and lack of transparency were the key issues.
“There were people sending messages that weren’t legitimate, and the treasurer stopped sending reports. By the time they sent a statement, things were missing, and you would be left wondering, ‘What’s happening?’” he recalled.
With a background in software development, Elvis knew there had to be a solution in technology and in 2022, Elvis co-founded Nobuk, a digital platform designed to bring transparency, accountability, and ease to community fundraising.
The name “Nobuk” itself speaks to the company’s core mission: to eliminate physical books used for accounting and replace them with a streamlined, digital solution. “Nobuk is an app,” Elvis explained. “It’s available on both web and mobile – Android and iOS. We want to eliminate the book, so it’s a completely digital platform.”
This led to the creation of Nobuk Collect, the platform’s flagship product designed to simplify the collection of funds from multiple people.
Unlike other fintech platforms that store money, Nobuk takes a different approach: it doesn’t hold any funds itself. Instead, payments are sent directly to the group’s bank account, paybill, or till number, and Nobuk’s platform records these transactions for easy tracking and reconciliation.
Another advantage is Nobuk’s integration with WhatsApp, the messaging platform widely used by communities. When a payment is made, it is automatically logged, and a notification is sent to the group’s WhatsApp chat, ensuring transparency and real-time updates.
The success of Nobuk Collect has been impressive. In just over a year, the platform has supported over 800 communities and helped them raise more than KES50 million. “The traction has been great,” Elvis shared. “So far, we’ve supported almost 20,000 members who’ve made payments through our platform. It’s been encouraging to see the growth.”
A year after Nobuk’s launch, the founders successfully applied to the Spark Accelerator Program run by Safaricom, which aims to scale commercially viable businesses. The program has been crucial in helping Nobuk refine its business model and build a sustainable enterprise. “The Spark Accelerator has been really valuable for us,” Elvis said. “It’s not just about funding; it’s about learning how to run a business. The training has helped us with HR, investment, due diligence, and many other aspects of business. We’ve also had the opportunity to connect with advisors and partners that we wouldn’t have been able to access on our own.”
While Nobuk’s immediate focus is on solidifying its position in Kenya, the company has plans to expand into other African markets in the near future. Elvis acknowledged that scaling internationally is a long-term goal, but the team is focused on building a strong foundation at home first. “We want to maintain our position in the Kenyan market first before scaling,” he said. “Our focus right now is embedding ourselves in this ecosystem. Once we have that strong foundation, we can expand to other countries.”
