Ramani Partners with Tanzania Commercial Bank to Expand SMB Lending

STARTUP VENTURE CAPITALApril 18, 2025 at 1:44 PM UTC

TLDR

Tanzanian startup Ramani has entered into a strategic partnership with Tanzania Commercial Bank (TCB) to scale its supply chain financing platform
Founded in 2023 and backed by Y Combinator, Ramani operates a national-scale financial marketplace that digitizes the lending process, covering origination, underwriting, monitoring, and collections
TCB’s participation adds further liquidity to the platform, allowing SMBs access to a broader range of financing products, lower costs, and more flexible repayment terms

Tanzanian startup Ramani has entered into a strategic partnership with Tanzania Commercial Bank (TCB) to scale its supply chain financing platform for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). This follows a prior capital partnership with Stanbic Bank.

Founded in 2023 and backed by Y Combinator, Ramani operates a national-scale financial marketplace that digitizes the lending process, covering origination, underwriting, monitoring, and collections. The platform enables micro-distribution centres (MDCs) working with major FMCG brands like Coca-Cola, Diageo, and AbinBev to access working capital.

TCB’s participation adds further liquidity to the platform, allowing SMBs access to a broader range of financing products, lower costs, and more flexible repayment terms. Ramani reports over $210 million in cumulative loans facilitated, including $5 million through its marketplace, with an average loan size of $47,000. The company aims to complete its transition from direct lending to a B2B e-commerce model by mid-2025.

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Key Takeaways

Ramani’s marketplace model reflects a wider trend in African fintech—where platforms are moving from isolated lending to embedded finance. By digitizing supply chain lending and working directly with banks, Ramani addresses a major financing gap that limits SMB growth across the continent. Africa’s SMBs often face high rejection rates from traditional lenders due to a lack of collateral and credit history. Ramani’s use of embedded data from FMCG distribution networks enables dynamic credit assessment and risk management. As more local banks join such platforms, they can gain exposure to high-growth sectors without needing to build in-house digital lending infrastructure. With its dual-bank support and sector-specific focus, Ramani’s marketplace could become a blueprint for supply chain finance across similar emerging markets.

Startups

Finance

SMEs

Tanzania

Business Lending

Diageo

AbinBev