M-KOPA buys Finnish software maker KilpiTek for $8M to own the phone-locking technology behind its loans

Kenyan pay-as-you-go lender M-KOPA has acquired all of Finnish software company KilpiTek Oy for $8 million, according to Daba Finance. It paid $2.67 million in cash, with the remaining $5.33 million in non-cash consideration including its own shares, remuneration and deferred payments.

KilpiTek makes software that can remotely lock or disable a financed phone when a customer falls behind on payments. For M-KOPA, where customers put down a deposit on a smartphone and repay in daily or regular instalments without collateral, that lock is the lender's security.

The deal closed after the end of M-KOPA's 2025 financial year, so it did not affect those results. KilpiTek's revenue, profit and headcount were not disclosed.

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