"My first year in Kenya was a nightmare. I had built and sold several businesses at that point, but still struggled to raise money from external investors for a new startup. After a while, I decided to put in my own money and launch a startup called Hakki. I built a microfinancing platform for people who wanted to buy cars because Kenya seemed to have a lack of credit options."
"I moved to Bengaluru in 2024 to expand the company in India. We now have four employees based in India, 74 in Kenya, and two in South Africa, where we also have a presence. Our headquarters is in Japan, where most of our fundraising has happened, and we aim to go public in the Japanese market in 2028. There are a lot of things I like about living in Bengaluru. For one, I like to wear casual T-shirts instead of suits."
Reiji Kobayashi founded Hakki, a microfinancing platform that finances car purchases in developing countries. He launched Hakki in Kenya after investing his own funds and financed over 3,500 cars there, but saw limited growth because Kenya's population is small and scattered. He moved to Bengaluru in 2024 to expand into India, attracted by its 1.3 billion people and rapid economic growth and faster brand adoption. Hakki operates in India, Kenya, and South Africa with headquarters in Japan; the team includes four employees in India, 74 in Kenya, and two in South Africa. The company plans a Japanese IPO in 2028.
Read at Business Insider
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