NBK Capital Partners Mezzanine Fund II has closed a $10m financing facility with Uber’s exclusive vehicle supply partner in Africa, the mobility fintech Moove.

The innovative asset-backed venture debt marks the sixth investment from the Fund advised by NBK Capital Partners. 

The growth facility from the Fund will support Moove’s expansion in West Africa initially, executives said.

Moove is the first investment in Africa by NBK Capital Partners funds, underscoring the opportunity for a platform like Moove to address the continent’s vehicle financing gap. 

“We are very excited to partner with Moove on its journey to transform access to credit for millions of people across the African continent,” said Yaser Moustafa, CEO of NBK Capital Partners.

“The company is driven by strong founders who possess a unique, long-term vision for success, one built on the empowerment of individuals from every socioeconomic class across the region but also a genuine commitment to social and environmental sustainability.” 

Founded in 2019 by Ladi Delano and Jide Odunsi, Moove is an African mobility fintech that is democratizing vehicle ownership by providing revenue-based vehicle financing to mobility entrepreneurs across Africa.

Moove provides vehicle financing for cars, bikes and lorries to mobility entrepreneurs across the continent through its alternative credit scoring technology and innovative revenue-based financing model and is Uber's exclusive vehicle financing and vehicle supply partner in sub-Saharan Africa. The company currently operates in six cities across Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya, with plans to expand further across the continent.

“NBK Capital Partners Mezzanine Fund’s’ financing comes at a fantastic time for our company and is intelligently structured for our use case,” said Ladi Delano, Co-Founder and CEO, Moove.

The investment brings Moove’s total funding raised to date to $78m, according to Delano.

“We are grateful to be working with a firm that supports our vision to build the first mobility fintech for Africa markets, tackling the problem of lack of access to credit for millions.” 

Jide Odunsi, Co-Founder and CEO, Moove, added: “Using our alternative credit-scoring technology and revenue-based model, Moove is empowering more women to access financing and become mobility entrepreneurs. We’re committed to ensuring that at least 50% of our customers are female, providing them with the tools, services, and flexibility they need to be productive and successful, when previously they have been excluded from more formal means of employment.” 

Executives added, through year-end December 2021, more than 2 million trips have been made in Moove-financed vehicles since it launched operations in 2020. 

Sikander Ahmed, Managing Director and Head of Private Credit at NBK Capital Partners, said: “We are proud to support Moove’s management at such a vital time in the company’s expansion. We believe our flexible financing solutions are the reason why an increasing number of rapidly growing companies have come to rely on us for proven solutions to the many complex financial situations in which they find themselves.”