Kenyan Startup PEMiG Bridges Credit Gap with AI-Powered Risk Assessments

A new credit intelligence platform from Kenya, called PEMiG, is helping lenders extend financial services to previously underserved populations. Founded in 2022 by Felix Sifuna and three others, the company has developed a proprietary causal credit scoring engine (CCSE) that goes beyond traditional credit bureau data.

Over 80% of adults in Sub-Saharan Africa are considered “thin-file” or “no-file” borrowers—those with limited or no formal credit history. This presents both a challenge for lenders and an opportunity to expand financial inclusion. PEMiG’s CCSE addresses this by using causal AI, social capital data analytics, and behavioral scoring techniques.

“Instead of asking ‘what does this person’s credit history say?’, we ask ‘who is this person really, and how likely are they to repay?’” explained Sifuna. “We build dynamic borrower profiles that evolve over time, giving lenders a living picture of risk rather than just a snapshot.”

The platform has already seen encouraging traction, with five active lender partners processing over $250,000 in loan volume through more than 1,500 assessments. Early results show better underwriting decisions, reduced defaults, and improved portfolio management for lenders who have adopted PEMiG’s solution.

What sets PEMiG apart is its focus on causal AI—a more advanced approach than the correlational methods used by many existing alternative credit scoring fintechs. This allows PEMiG to provide genuinely predictive risk assessments rather than simply identifying patterns.

The company currently generates $5,000 in monthly recurring revenue and plans to expand across East Africa before pursuing its vision of a continent-wide credit intelligence layer that works equally well for large banks and community lending institutions.