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Aigars Kesenfelds

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Aigars Kesenfelds
Born (1983-11-03) November 3, 1983 (age 41)
Latvia
EducationStockholm School of Economics in Riga

Aigars Kesenfelds (born 2 November 1983) is a Latvian entrepreneur and investor, known for his contributions to the financial technology sector and various industries. He is reported to be the owner of over 100 companies in Latvia, ultimate beneficiary in Sun Finance and owns large majority of shares in peer-to-peer lending marketplace Mintos, Mogo and a 43% stake in the Luxembourg-registered Eleving Group S.A..

Early life

Kesenfelds was born into a family of Latvian businessman Ivars Kesenfelds. At the age of 19 Kesenfelds managed a family-owned cinema in Liepāja. He later studied at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, where he co-founded the payday loan company 4Finance in 2008.

Business ventures

4Finance

In 2008, Kesenfelds co-founded 4Finance, a company specializing in short-term, high-interest loans under brands like Vivus.lv, SMSCredit.lv. In 2013, 4Finance was sold to Russian billionaire Oleg Boyko for over €100 million.

International expansion

After selling 4Finance, Kesenfelds diversified his investments, establishing or acquiring around 150 companies across 20+ countries, employing approximately 4,000 people. By 2019, these ventures reported a combined turnover of €384 million.

Kenya

In Kenya, Kesenfelds own a digital lending business Zenka Finance which offers a mobile loan app offering short-term, unsecured loans that are instantly disbursed via mobile money platforms such as M-Pesa.

Monego in Kosovo

Kesenfelds founded Monego, a financial institution in Kosovo, operating over 30 branches and serving 80,000+ customers. In December 2019, the Central Bank of Kosovo revoked Monego’s license due to concerns over high-interest rates. Kesenfelds contested the decision through legal channels.

Investment activities

Kesenfelds is an angel investor, funding startups in exchange for equity. He also owns 77% shares at Merito Partners SIA.

Personal life

Kesenfelds maintains a low public profile, rarely engaging with the media. However, he has made public statements regarding Monego’s license revocation in Kosovo.

References

  1. "Aigars Kesenfelds, Merito Partners Sia: Profile and Biography". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  2. "Kesenfelds Aigars | B2BHint". Kesenfelds Aigars | B2BHint. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  3. "Re:Baltica profiles little-known Latvian entrepreneur, one of country's richest individuals". eng.lsm.lv. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  4. "Aigars Kesenfelds – patiesais labuma guvējs vairāk nekā 100 uzņēmumos". blog.lursoft.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  5. "AS SUN FINANCE GROUP Consolidated financial statements as at and for the year ended 31 December 2023" (PDF).
  6. "Eleving - Prospectus dated 20 September 2024" (PDF).
  7. "Aigars Kesenfelds - Partner and Co-Founder @ Merito Partners - Crunchbase Person Profile". Crunchbase. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  8. "The payday loan millionaire | Re:Baltica". Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  9. "Experiences of Aigars Kesenfelds: Current and past positions - MarketScreener". uk.marketscreener.com. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  10. "The payday loan millionaire | Re:Baltica". Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  11. Geopost, The (2022-01-20). "The "King" of Quick Loans". The Geopost. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  12. "Sanctioned Russian oligarch benefits from fast loans in North Macedonia". Telegrafi. 2023-06-23. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  13. "The payday loan millionaire | Re:Baltica". Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  14. Njanja, Annie (2022-03-24). "Digital lenders in Kenya must disclose source of funds as new law takes effect". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  15. "Zenka Finance company information, funding & investors". ecosystem.brnoregion.com. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  16. "Kesenfelds from Monego: The decision to withdraw the license was unexpected, we did not receive a warning from CBK". Telegrafi. 2020-01-14. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  17. "Kesenfelds from Monego: The decision to withdraw the license was unexpected, we did not receive a warning from CBK". Telegrafi. 2020-01-14. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  18. "Aigars Kesenfelds investment portfolio | PitchBook". pitchbook.com. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  19. "About Us". Merito Partners. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  20. "A. Kesenfeldam piederoši uzņēmumi izveidojuši meža nozares kreditēšanas kompāniju "Silva Finance"". liepajniekiem.lv (in Latvian). Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  21. "The payday loan millionaire | Re:Baltica". Retrieved 2025-01-22.
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