Young investors in Kenya are increasingly looking beyond local markets, with rising participation in foreign equities, particularly US stocks.1 This is primarily due to investors facing friction when investing locally, including limited product choice, cumbersome onboarding, and high costs.2,3 Historically, foreign investing has often involved similar barriers, making global diversification more challenging for local investors.4
This gap matters in an economy where currency fluctuations and inflation weigh in on long-term savings.5 Additionally, with over 75% of the Kenyan population under 35, there is a massive, tech-savvy generation actively seeking modern, globally diversified ways to build wealth.6 With technology and infrastructure advancing, the investment services that financial platforms in Kenya can offer are changing.4 Founded by Brian Kings Kimathi, PandaPanda aims to level the playing field for local Kenyan investors. We spoke with Brian about the company’s mission, positioning, and how PandaPanda uses Alpaca’s infrastructure to offer direct access to global markets.
Regional Gaps and Partner Vision
Founded in 2024, PandaPanda’s platform is designed to empower a new generation of mobile-first investors by making global markets as accessible in Kenya as anywhere else in the world. According to Kimathi, the idea for PandaPanda came from a simple observation: Why should a Kenyan in the UK have access to better investment tools than a Kenyan at home?
“The 'By Kenyans, For Kenyans' ethos is the heartbeat of our brand,” explained Kimathi. “We noticed a trend where many financial solutions were imported by players who didn't fully grasp the nuances of our local landscape. We built PandaPanda to change that narrative and prove that world-class technology can be born and bred right here. Our users should feel a sense of ownership and pride, knowing this platform was designed by people who navigate the same economy they do.”
PandaPanda focuses on making investing non-intimidating. The company emphasizes speed to first trade and an experience that moves away from the jargon that often deters first-time investors.
“We believe investing shouldn't feel like a chore or a mystery. To break down those barriers, we’ve made getting started incredibly fast,7” added Kimathi. The platform combines a user-friendly design with local payment solutions, such as M-Pesa, to help bridge the gap between Kenyans and the global economy.
Building a Global Solution with Alpaca
To give Kenyan investors meaningful diversification beyond what was available locally, PandaPanda integrated with Alpaca to offer direct access to US markets through its app.
With Alpaca’s Broker API infrastructure, PandaPanda now offers:
- Access to over 2,000 US Stocks and ETFs, including exposure to consumer brands like Nike, Apple, and Google, alongside global growth sectors that are unavailable on local exchanges
- Commission-free investing,6* lowering the entry costs on building wealth for Kenyan investors
- Fractional Investing, enabling users to invest in familiar global brands for as little as $1 USD (130 KES)**
- Dollar-denominated assets, providing a hedge against local currency devaluation and ensuring that their user’s hard-earned wealth maintains its global purchasing power.
PandaPanda believes that access to US markets brings depth, with higher liquidity and generally tighter bid-ask spreads, which matter for investors beginning to trade. “Access to US Stocks and ETFs was critical for us as it unlocks global growth sectors that aren't yet represented on the local exchange,” said Kimathi. “Because these securities trade in dollars, they can offer a partial buffer when the local currency is under pressure, so wealth is measured not only against day-to-day shilling volatility but against global purchasing power.”
Kimathi noted that the decision to work with Alpaca’s team was influenced by Alpaca’s commitment to understanding the local context. “Choosing a partner was about more than just technology; it was about shared vision,” added Kimathi. “Our experience with Alpaca has been a positive outlier in the industry, largely because they are willing to engage with local context. While many global brokerages failed to see the opportunity in Africa, Alpaca understood our unique challenges and local realities. Having a partner that speaks the language of the African market has been instrumental in helping us navigate the hurdles of building a truly inclusive platform, resulting in a partnership that is as much about advocacy as it is about technology.”
“We’re proud to support PandaPanda as they expand access for Kenyan investors,” said Yoshi Yokokawa, Co-Founder and CEO of Alpaca. "By handling the regulatory and technical complexity, we humbly enable partners like PandaPanda to focus on building and scaling products that unlock new market possibilities."
What’s Next for PandaPanda
As PandaPanda looks to the future, there are strategic initiatives they’re undertaking, including growth and product expansion.
“Our immediate focus is on aggressive user acquisition and platform adoption, scaling our community of investors to reach a critical mass that truly moves the needle for Kenyan wealth. To achieve this, we are launching marketing initiatives designed to break the traditional 'suit-and-tie' fabric of Kenyan finance and investing. We are moving away from jargon-heavy lectures and toward a narrative of accessibility and excitement, showing Kenyans that the global market isn't just for the elite,” explained Kimathi.
PandaPanda is currently focused on removing the constraints of geography and time. Through Alpaca’s infrastructure, the company is preparing to launch 24/5 trading^, enabling Kenyan investors to respond to global market movements regardless of time zone.
PandaPanda also intends to expand beyond the US market. The company aims to provide access to European and Asian exchanges to offer truly global diversification. Furthermore, the partnership will support the introduction of Shariah-compliant investing. By offering Halal-certified stocks, PandaPanda aims to ensure the Islamic community in Kenya can build wealth in alignment with their principles.
Contact Alpaca
About Alpaca
Alpaca is a US-headquartered, self-clearing broker-dealer and a global leader in brokerage infrastructure APIs providing access to stocks, ETFs, options, fixed income, and crypto. Alpaca delivers embeddable finance solutions for tokenization, fully paid securities lending, high-yield cash, 24/5 trading, Shariah-compliant investing, and more. Today, Alpaca powers over 10 million brokerage accounts across hundreds of fintechs and institutions in 40+ countries with over $320M in funding.
About PandaPanda
Founded in 2024, PandaPanda is a modern investing app that lets users buy and sell US stocks and cryptocurrencies directly from their phone. The company aims to make investing easy, affordable, and accessible to everyone in Kenya and the UAE. For more information, please contact Davies Omondi.
References
- Retail Investor Access at NSE Is Opening Up in Kenya - TechTrendsKE
- NSE Strategy 2025 – 2029 P 21
- Visa, NSE Launch Retail Investing Blueprint | CIO Africa
- Kenya’s retail investors go global as fintech turns “offshore” from taboo to tap-and-trade
- Currency slump masks nearly $1bn fall in Kenya’s foreign investments - Finance in Africa
- THE FUTURE IS YOUTH: Challenges and Opportunities for the Kenyan Youth - DOT | Kenya
- PandaPanda
*Commission free trading is available to Alpaca's retail customers. Commission free trading means that there are no commission charges for Alpaca self-directed individual cash brokerage accounts that trade U.S.-listed securities and options through an API. However, certain arrangements with authorized business partners or the use of the Elite Smart Router as part of the Alpaca Elite offering may preclude commission free trades by Alpaca Securities. Please refer to the Brokerage Fee Schedule for more information. Relevant regulatory fees may apply. Alpaca reserves the right to charge additional fees if it is determined that order flow is non-retail in nature.
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