The company
Kola Market Inc. solves inconsistent income, poor inventory management, and limited financing faced by MSMEs in Ghana through Al-driven sales acceleration, inventory optimisation, and tailored off-balance-sheet financing.
The problem
Across Africa, millions of small businesses work hard but struggle to grow consistently. They often stock the wrong mix of products, face unpredictable demand, and lack the data and financing to make confident business decisions. Without reliable market intelligence and consistent sales, access to financing cannot solve the real issue: knowing what sells, when, and why.
Kola Market Inc. is building Africa’s sales engine, using Al and local insights to help MSMEs choose the right products, restock smarter, and grow sustainably. By improving product selection and cash-flow rhythm, we help de-risk small businesses and make them visible and ready for long-term, responsible financing.
GSMA project
In November 2025, Kola Market Inc. received a fund for a project addressing inconsistent income, poor inventory management, and limited financing for Ghanaian MSMEs, particularly women-led businesses, through an AI-powered, mobile-first platform accessible via WhatsApp, SMS, and voice (including local languages). This platform provides training, inventory recommendations, and tailored off-balance-sheet financing by leveraging sales patterns to reduce default risk.
Kola Market Inc. will enhance two-way voice interaction, expand feature phone access, integrate MTN MoMo data for improved credit scoring, strengthen financial partnerships, and pilot AI-guided micro-warehousing for efficient inventory delivery. The project aims to scale to over 10,000 MSMEs in 18 months, disbursing over £2M in inventory credit.
Founder
Marie-Reine Seshie
A message from the founder
“Everywhere we go, small business owners tell us the same thing: I just want consistent sales. Kola Market was built to make that possible by combining intelligence, training, and field insight to help retailers and suppliers sell better every day. When small businesses grow stronger and more predictable, they become less risky. This unlocks sustainable access to financing, transforming local economies. As a GSMA Innovation Fund grantee, we will use the support to build a stronger sales engine and expand it to even more communities in Ghana. It will also enable us to build much-needed partnerships to extend de-risked off-balance-sheet financing to these businesses, so they can grow with confidence.”
Team | 2-10 employees
Donor(s)
