Clear business finance for stock, contracts, invoices, operating capital and expansion across small and growing businesses. Underwriting that reads your real cash flow — M-Pesa till, paybill receipts, bank statements — not just paper financials.
SME finance in Kenya breaks down most often on a single point: lenders ask for audited accounts and three years of clean books, and most growing businesses don’t have either. STEMTIDE Business Loans run on the documents your business actually produces — M-Pesa till and paybill statements, bank statements, supplier invoices, customer LPOs — and use them to size a facility that fits your real working capital cycle.
The product set covers the five common SME borrowing reasons in Kenya. Working Capital and SME Term Loan are the general-purpose options for everyday operating cash and medium-term needs. Stock Finance is structured around inventory turn — repayment matches the cycle from buying stock to selling it. Contract/LPO Finance and Invoice Discounting are contract-backed: they ride on the strength of your customer alongside your own profile.
We lend to traders, suppliers, service providers, light manufacturers and growing SMEs across Nairobi and major urban centres. Minimum trading history is six months of documented operations — we don’t lend from day one, but we don’t require audited accounts for facilities under KES 1M either.
Clear business finance for stock, contracts, invoices, operating capital and expansion across small and growing businesses. Underwriting that reads your real cash flow — M-Pesa till, paybill receipts, bank statements — not just paper financials.
The strength of this loan family is structure: documented income, clear use of funds, and a repayment schedule sized to actual cash flow — never a hopeful number.
Six things borrowers most often tell us made the difference between a loan that helped and a loan that became a problem.
If your situation looks like one of these, business loans are likely the right fit. If it doesn’t, talk to us anyway — we may have a better-suited product or structure.
Each entry below is a focused product within this loan family. Specific structures, deposit ranges and repayment frequencies are noted on each — final terms depend on full assessment.
Operating cash for inventory, payroll, supplier payments and short-cycle business costs — repaid in monthly instalments tracked against your business cash flow.
Medium-term financing for equipment replacement, branch expansion, business restructuring or one-off investments — with tenor matched to the use of funds.
Inventory financing structured around your stock turn cycle — repayment schedule matches the time from purchase to sale rather than a flat monthly grid.
Bridge between LPO award and customer payment for confirmed contracts from corporate, government or institutional buyers.
Convert approved invoices into immediate cash, repaid when your customer pays the invoice in full.
Business loan pricing reflects facility type (term, stock, contract-backed, invoice), business profile, security and existing exposure. Stock finance and invoice discounting carry shorter tenors and tighter pricing because they self-liquidate. Term loans for expansion carry longer tenors and a higher absolute rate but a smaller monthly drag on cash flow.
The full cost of credit — interest, fees, taxes and any insurance premium — is disclosed in writing before you accept any offer. There are no upfront fees to release a loan.
Open CalculatorDocuments complete on Monday usually mean a written decision back to you by mid-week. Documents drip-fed across days mean the file restarts each time, so the team strongly encourages submitting everything at once.
Final requirements depend on borrower profile, requested amount and product structure. The credit team will confirm any additional documents during initial review.
View Full RequirementsShort answers for the most common borrower questions. For anything else, request a callback or message us on WhatsApp.
Browse all FAQsFor loans above KES 1M we prefer audited or management accounts. Below that, M-Pesa and bank statements are usually enough.
6 months minimum trading history with consistent cash flow.
Not from day one — we need at least 6 months of operating evidence.
Cash flow alone for smaller loans; logbook, property charge or business assets for larger facilities.
Yes — many SME borrowers run a working-capital loan alongside an LPO/invoice facility.
Start your application or speak to a loan officer for guidance before submitting documents.
