Dubai-headquartered fintech that powers lending and savings products across Africa, Credable, has rebranded to _able as it expands beyond digital credit after facilitating more than $650 million in loans.
The company, whose partners include M-PESA, Airtel, Access Bank and Diamond Trust Bank (DTB), said the new identity reflects its evolution from a digital lender into a broader financial infrastructure provider. Today, _able supplies the technology, risk management tools and portfolio systems that underpin lending, savings and other financial products across multiple markets.
The rebrand comes as demand grows for companies that provide the underlying infrastructure powering digital financial services. As banks, telecom operators and fintechs deepen their focus on lending and savings products, many are turning to specialised providers for the technology, underwriting and portfolio management capabilities needed to operate at scale.
“Over time, it became clear that our role was no longer simply about determining who is credible,” said Nadeem Juma, co-founder and chief executive of _able. “It was about building the infrastructure that enables financial access at scale.”
The opportunity is substantial. Small and medium-sized businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa face an estimated $100 billion financing gap, creating strong demand for solutions that help financial institutions assess borrowers, manage risk and distribute capital more efficiently.
Unlike traditional lenders, _able does not primarily lend from its own balance sheet. Instead, it operates as a technology and infrastructure layer connecting capital providers with distribution channels. The company provides risk models, portfolio management systems and financial technology tools that enable partners to launch and scale lending and savings products.
Under this model, banks, development finance institutions and investment funds supply capital, while mobile money operators, fintechs and financial institutions distribute financial products to customers. Despite raising only about $2.7 million in disclosed funding from investors including Ventures Platform, Launch Africa, Plug and Play, MAGIC Fund and AAIC Investment, the company has facilitated more than $650 million in lending.
While digital credit remains a core offering, _able has increasingly expanded its infrastructure services to banks, telecom operators and fintechs seeking to launch financial products without building their own risk and portfolio management systems from scratch.
The company is also broadening access to its lending and savings infrastructure as it looks to deepen its presence across Africa. Its platform currently reaches more than 40 million customers in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique and Zambia.
“Our mission remains unchanged,” Juma said. “We believe credit is one of the most powerful tools of economic empowerment. Our ambition is to help enable access to credit and savings for hundreds of millions of people globally.”
Founded in 2021 by Juma, former private equity executive Jad Abbas and technology executive Michael Tarimo, _able is headquartered in Dubai, with an operations hub in Nairobi, a market and innovation centre in Dar es Salaam, and a technology and intelligence hub in Pune, India.