For years, names such as Apple, Tesla, Amazon, and Microsoft have been familiar to Kenyans through the products and services they use every day, but owning a stake in these global companies has often felt like a privilege reserved for wealthy investors or financial experts.
This is because investing in US companies from Kenya has traditionally involved navigating unfamiliar markets and financial intermediaries despite the country’s strong digital financial ecosystem.
These processes have felt daunting for many average retail investors who, in turn, shy away from investing directly in global markets.
It was this gap that Brian Kimathi set out to address when he began building PandaPanda in 2025.
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The idea was to create a mobile-first investment platform through which Kenyans could access global markets without having to navigate the complexity traditionally associated with international investing.
Kimathi says the objective was to build a platform that could help a new generation participate in global wealth creation while improving their understanding of investing.
“We began building PandaPanda in 2025 with the ambition of making global investing accessible to everyday Kenyans. At the time, accessing U.S. markets could be complicated, expensive and unfamiliar for the average retail investor. We wanted to build a mobile-first experience that made the journey much simpler,” he says.
The platform was officially launched in March 2026 and currently has 8,000 verified customers.
How PandaPanda works
PandaPanda operates through a fully digital customer journey. A user downloads the app, creates an account, and completes identity verification and Know Your Customer checks, all via mobile phone.
Once approved, the customer can fund the investment account using local payment infrastructure and access US-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
The user can search for companies, review available market information and determine how much they want to invest before placing an order through the app.
The technology interface is provided by PandaPanda, while the investment infrastructure involves regulated partners.
Empire FX Trade Limited, referred to as EFX in the company’s material, is the Kenyan broker responsible for the relevant regulatory and client relationship framework, while Alpaca provides US execution, clearing and custody infrastructure.
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Investing from as little as Sh130
One of the features aimed at lowering the entry barrier is fractional investing. A customer does not necessarily have to buy a whole share of a company. Instead, they can invest a smaller amount and obtain fractional exposure to a share.
Additionally, the platform offers commission-free investing, with investments starting from Sh130 ($1), while the minimum deposit is Sh1,000.
“Our broader philosophy is that investing should not require someone to wait until they are wealthy. The platform is designed to allow people to start with what they can afford and build from there. That is also why our proposition focuses on commission-free investing and transparent FX pricing rather than adding layers of complexity to the customer,” Mr. Kimathi says.
What can investors buy?
PandaPanda gives users access to US-listed stocks and ETFs. According to Kimathi, the platform’s user base has shown interest in well-known US companies including Apple, Tesla, Amazon and Microsoft.
Kimathi says the platform is seeing stronger interest in long-term investing than short-term trading, with diversification and financial security emerging as key motivations among customers.
“Customers are looking beyond traditional savings and local investment products and want exposure to global companies and dollar-denominated assets.”
Beyond investment, financial education is another part of PandaPanda’s proposition. The platform has incorporated educational content into the investment experience to help users, especially first-time investors, understand what they are buying.
The material covers issues such as diversification, market volatility, investment risk, the difference between investing and speculation and the importance of taking a long-term approach.
“Our research and product strategy have particularly focused on the 18 to 40 demographic. One of the biggest things we have learned is that the desire to invest is often there, but confidence is missing. People want to understand what they are doing before they put their money into the market,” Mr. Kimathi adds.
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Safeguarding customers
For a digital investment platform, regulation and custody are key considerations for customers.
PandaPanda operates as the technology platform and customer interface, while Empire FX Trade Limited is identified as the Kenyan broker of record and is responsible for relevant regulatory, KYC, anti-money laundering and client oversight obligations.
For US securities, Alpaca Securities LLC provides execution, clearing and custody.
The company’s customer agreement provides for securities to be held in custody through Alpaca in the customer’s name, with Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) protection subject to applicable limits.
Customers are also required to complete identity verification and appropriateness checks before their trading accounts are activated.
The platform has also been designed around the way Kenyans already move money digitally. PandaPanda accepts local payment services such as M-Pesa, which has made transactions seamless, encouraging adoption of digital investments.
The platform currently boasts 8,000 verified customers.
“Our focus now is on converting that growing verified customer base into active, funded investors and building repeat investment behaviour. The metrics we care most about are therefore verified customers, funded accounts, first investments, repeat investments, assets under management and customer retention.“ Mr. Kimathi adds.
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The lawyer behind PandaPanda Platform
PandaPanda is a brainchild of Brian Kimathi whose route into fintech was not conventional. A lawyer by training, Mr. Kimathi spent years working as a compliance lawyer in London and the United Arab Emirates, where his work centred on financial services, regulation and risk.
That experience exposed him to the machinery behind financial products and the complexity that can sit beneath seemingly simple customer experiences.
His compliance background made him particularly focused on questions around risk, regulation and customer protection.
His international career also gave him a view of financial services across different markets, while his Kenyan roots kept him focused on the challenges facing local consumers.
Over time, he moved from advising businesses to wanting to build a solution of his own. One question became central to the idea that eventually became PandaPanda: why should a person’s location determine which companies they can invest in?
The answer was the platform he began building in 2025.
“As a lawyer, I was very good at spotting problems and advising others. So the time came when I wanted to solve my own problems and build a solution,” he says.
“Seeing someone make their first investment through something you built is special! I mean someone downloading the app and putting their own money in to invest confirms to me they see what I saw,” he adds.
The transition from lawyer to founder has, however, coincided with one of the most difficult periods of his personal life.
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In March 2026, the same month PandaPanda officially launched, Mr. Kimathi suffered a stroke, from which he is still recovering while running the company.
The experience has altered his approach to entrepreneurship. He compares the recovery process to building a business, where progress is rarely linear and some days produce more visible gains than others.
“I focus on what I can control. I celebrate progress rather than perfection, stay focused on the bigger picture and keep moving forward,” he says, adding that his family is his major source of support.
Looking ahead, Mr. Kimathi believes the next generation of Kenyan investors will increasingly demand access to international assets, low entry costs, transparent pricing and simpler financial education.
His ambition is for PandaPanda to make investing a routine financial habit rather than an activity perceived as the preserve of wealthy investors or financial professionals.
“I want PandaPanda to be recognised as one of Africa’s leading retail investment platforms, starting from the foundation we are building in Kenya. We want to make it normal for someone to invest regularly, diversify across markets and build wealth over many years, regardless of whether they start with a large amount of capital or a small amount,” he says.
He advises young Kenyans wishing to venture into entrepreneurship to start with what they have and scale over time.
“Do not wait until you have everything you think you need. Start with what you have. Capital, connections, and experience are valuable, but they can also be built along the way. What you cannot manufacture is genuine belief in the problem you are trying to solve.”
