Kamal Budhabhatti

IWA Team

November 10, 2026

Kamal Budhabhatti
Group CEO of Craft Silicon

Kamal Budhabhatti is widely recognised as one of Kenya’s leading technology leaders, with contributions that have helped drive innovation across Africa’s fintech and mobility sectors. As Group CEO of Craft Silicon, he guides a fast-growing software firm that supports fintech solutions used by more than 300 organisations across Africa and Asia. 

Craft Silicon is a global fintech technology company providing advanced software solutions to banks, microfinance institutions, and financial organisations across multiple regions. They enable financial inclusion through scalable platforms that drive digital transformation and innovation in banking infrastructure.

Since Kamal joined the company’s expansion, Craft Silicon has grown from delivering core systems for banking and microfinance to developing newer capabilities in digital payments and BNPL services.

A major highlight of his recent work is Spotit, Craft Silicon’s buy-now-pay-later product. Spotit is designed to turn established banking relationships into a smoother credit experience for customers—while still enabling merchants to receive payments immediately. Budhabhatti frames the service as a practical way to broaden access to credit, helping more people participate in the economy through responsible, value-based financing.

Beyond financial technology, Budhabhatti has also played a foundational role in building Little, which began as a ride-hailing platform and has evolved into a multi-service super-app. Little connects users to transportation and delivery services, and it has expanded into added features such as entertainment and integrated payments. 

In 2025, Craft Silicon introduced TouristTap, another initiative reflecting Budhabhatti’s push toward inclusive, accessible payments. TouristTap allows visitors to pay Kenyan businesses using foreign cards. With an NFC-enabled phone acting as a payment interface, card transactions can be routed into local mobile money wallets or bank accounts, supporting reduced reliance on cash in the tourism economy and improving payment traceability for merchants.

Budhabhatti’s broader impact is further reflected through the Craft Silicon Foundation, which supports underserved young people with free digital literacy and coding training. His long-term view centers on strengthening communities by building skills and creating opportunities for the next generation.