From $150 to a Fintech company: The 19-Year-old who turned a high school project to a financial technology powerhouse

It didn’t start in a corporate office or with a team of investors. For Collins Kathuli, the journey began in a high school classroom in Kenya.

“I loved developing solutions,” he says. What would later become Kyanda Africa started as a simple since project, an airtime vending platform built out of curiosity rather than business ambition. At the time, turning it into a company wasn’t even part of the plan. “I didn’t think I would commercialise it after I was done with high school,” he says.

But after finishing school, something changed. Kathuli revisited the idea, redefined it, and cautiously introduced it to the market. The response was small but significant and people were using it. That early validation pushed him to think bigger.

The platform quickly evolved. What started as airtime services expanded into a digital wallet, offering users a way to manage transactions more efficiently. Then, just days after launching in early 2020, COVID hit. While the world slowed down, demand for digital solutions surged.

“Many people started getting access to the wallet,” Kathuli explains. “So many people wanted to save that extra coin during COVID.” The platform’s transaction-free model made it especially appealing during a time when every cost mattered but behind the early success was a young man still figuring things out.

Before fintech and Kyanda, Kathuli had a very different dream. “Growing up, I actually wanted to be a news anchor,” he says. As a child, he would imitate presenters, recording and editing videos on his computer. But that same computer would later spark a different path. Overtime, his interest shifted from media to technology, and by high school, he was fully immersed in the world of software and problem solving, turning that passion into a business however it came with challenges.

At 19, with just $150 (around £100) saved from pocket money, Kathuli began building the foundation of Kyanda Africa. “I would save nearly all my pocket money,” he says. That small amount went into developing the app, hosting the platform, and getting it online which wasn’t much but it was enough to start.

Once the platform showed potential, he turned to family for support. Pitching his idea to relatives, he managed to raise $1,000 (around £750). This was a modest investment, but it gave the business a chance to grow. The early months of the company were anything but smooth.

“Some of these challenges… I didn’t view them as challenges,” he says. “They were things that I wasn’t aware of.”

Online interview with Collins Kathuli

The platform, built using online tools like Google and YouTube tutorials which worked but it relied on manual processes. “Nearly 70% of our backend stuff was being done manually,” he explains. As more users joined, the pressure grew. Tasks that were manageable at a small scale quickly became overwhelming.

Automation, security and scalability were all issues but Kathuli saw them as part of the learning process. “It was really hard… because I had not learned anything within the software space,” he admits.

At the same time, his age became another obstacle. “The age didn’t work out for me. It actually worked against me.” From opening a bank account to approaching major companies, Kathuli was often met with doubt. “They just looked at me as if… this is not something that you should be doing,” he recalls.

Instead of waiting for approval, he found another route. By working with intermediary service providers, he was able to build the platform without direct partnerships. Over time, as Kyanda Africa proved its value, bigger opportunities followed, the company began securing direct partnerships with major service providers.

At the same time as building the company, Kathuli had started university. Balancing both was a challenge, but he didn’t do it alone. Friends who had seen his work began offering support. “They would ask me… why can’t we help you?” he says.

Among them is Collins Wamucii, the company’s Chief Technology Officer whose journey goes way back further than the company itself playing a central role in shaping the technical side of the business. “Working with Collins in the early days was masterclass in trust and Synergy,” he says. “My role is to lead the technical vision and build the infrastructure that powers our company’s platform.” he explains where his focus has been on ensuring the platform is secure, reliable, and able to handle the growing number of users who depend on it daily.

An unexpected opportunity then pushed the company beyond Kenya. A visit to South Africa exposed both Kathuli and Wamucii to a different financial landscape one dominated by traditional banking. There, they saw a gap and with research, partnership and careful planning, Kyanda Africa expanded its reach.

What started as a local solution was now entering new markets. “We grew our customer base to a million users on a daily basis… on the business base we have around 240 businesses using our platform.” Kathuli says.

Recognition soon followed. In 2020 not long after launching the company, Kathuli was named Fintech Founder of the year in East Africa. At just 19 it was a moment that stood out not just because of the award, but because of what it represented.

Collins Kathuli receving the Fintech Founder of the year award

“I was like, this is now actually paying off,” he says.

Today, Kyanda Africa is no longer just an idea. It is a growing fintech company with a presence beyond its origins shaped by persistence. The core of the story remains deeply human with about a teenager saving pocket money, learning through trial and error, facing rejection and still choosing to keep going.