Soko Inc. 2
With EUR 331,300 B-Corp SOKO will be able to procure ethically sourced products from 2,300 Kenyan artisans which are sold in over 64 countries all over the world.
- Direct investment
- 15 new jobs
- 2300 people reached



Only available for tax residents of the Netherlands.
Due to a tax treaty with the United States this project is only available for Dutch tax payers. Before the 1st payment we will ask you to fill in a form, to prevent SOKO for paying double taxes.
About the issuer
IMPORTANT NOTE: high risk product - direct loan to renewable energy product distribution company. No local financial institution in between to cover risks.
Basic info:
- Issuer: SOKO Inc
- Currency: EURO
- Amount: 331,300 senior debt
- Maturity: 12 months, semi-annually and linearly amortizing
- Interest rate: 6.25% p.a.
Direct loan
This is a direct loan to a company (rather than lending to a financial institution) and therefore it is recommendable that you are careful with the amount you will invest.
Documentation
Information document of the issuer
Summary
SOKO is a manufacturing platform and ethical lifestyle brand that brings together artisan communities in the developing world with consumers worldwide. The innovative supply chain uses mobile technology to connect independent artisan entrepreneurs directly to SOKO and the global marketplace. Unlike centralized factory production, they are using technology and systems design to empower human capital, not displace it.
The project
SOKO is driven by purpose—to empower marginalized artisans and the communities in which they live by preserving artisanal production techniques and cultural heritage for future generations. The working capital facility with Lendahand will enable SOKO to procure ethically sourced products which are sold through our retail accounts and own direct to consumer business Shopsoko.com. The products are sold in over 64 countries and in over 600 points of distribution across United States, Europe, Asia, Canada and Australia.
Business model
SOKO’s current revenue stream comes through two distinct channels - wholesale sales to retailers across the globe and through our Direct to Consumer e-commerce platform shopsoko.com that also ships to consumers globally. We have over 500 points of distribution in 64 different countries.
The goal in 2020 is to create an additional revenue stream through a SaaS business model. SOKO’s Virtual Resource Planning (VRP) system has enabled the integrity and ease of managing a distributed virtual supply chain; in the form of creating purchase orders, monitoring delivery of goods, managing inventory levels within the internal value-addition chain, monitoring asset loans, generating control logs, tracking deposits/payments, and tracking the financial history of each artisan.
They are in “pilot” phase with the first customer and hope to continue adding additional customers this year and early next year to continue proving the value of the technology the way they did with the SOKO brand.
Products range
The YTD 2019 current product ranges are:
- Earrings - 48%
- Rings - 13%
- Bracelets - 23%
- Necklaces - 16%
Sales
We launched a collaboration with The Reformation - “Reformation, the " cool girl's" clothing company with stores in New York and Los Angeles, is expanding into brick-and-mortar at a time when retail brands are closing stores across America.”
In addition, for several years we have successfully been doing collaborations with FEED and the United Nations Trust Fund (UNTF) where we have designed exclusive products for them to sell and raise money as non-profit organizations.
In early 2020, we will be launching new collaborations Zolando, Madewell and Amour Vert. All very successful brick and mortar and/or online retailers.
Target 2020
Our Sales goals for financial year 2020 is around $10m based on the base case and $6.1m based on the downside case.
Impact
- Artisans receive an average of 22% of retained revenue.
- 2,300+ artisans in 282 workshops throughout Kenya.
- Artisans working with SOKO earn 5x’s more than an average artisan workshop.
- Approximately 11,400 beneficiaries of revenue generated from sales.
- Improved artisan business and safety practices, skill development and quality.
Additional information on SOKO
Mission:
SOKO leverages technology to connect artisan entrepreneurs with the global marketplace.
Vision:
SOKO aspires to be a global leader in technology-enabled distributed manufacturing, catalysing a global supply chain to create ethically produced products while creating a measurable social impact in the lives of the artisan entrepreneurs and communities in which they live.
Management team
Joanne Calabrese, CEO
Before
President, Americas Region - The Body Shop
SVP/Head of Americas Region - Fossil Group
Vice President - Gap and Duty Free Shoppers
Divisional Merchandise Manager - Macy’s
Joshua Mwaniki , Managing Director
Before
Andela
Cellulant
M-Kopa
Marylene Otieno, Finance Director
Before
Barefoot Power Africa
Smart Solar Limited
KSPCA
Jennifer Nakamura, Head of Digital Marketing and Ecommerce
Before
Anki
Gymboree
Blue Martini
Viniita Moran, Director of Ecommerce
Before
SF Museum of Modern Art
Room to Read
Owl Cave Books
Hellen Savala, Head of Human Resources
Before
Samasource
Onfon
Aga Khan
Ericsson
Highlights or Awards
- SOKO became BCorp certified in 2019
- SOKO was chosen to participate in the Stanford Seed transformation plan project and we were one of 700 applicants and one of 65 companies chosen in East Africa
Company name | Soko Inc. 2 |
CEO | Joanne Calabrese |
Founded | 2011-01-01 |
Location | San Fransisco |
Sector | Manufacturing / Production |
Turnover | €2,300,000 |
Employees | 74 |
Impact of this project
- With this investment 15 jobs are created
- With this investment 2300 people are reached
About the risks
What are the risks of investing money?
The risk level depends on the specific project. Local partners cover the risk of currency exchange rates and defaults on Local Partner investments. They do this by maintaining financial reserves for this purpose. Aside from that, there is an option to claim their equity if needed. While these measures are intended to minimize the risk to investors, our local partners face risks of their own that could affect their ability to secure your investment. These include - bankruptcy - currency exchange rates - fraud - operational risks - political and regulatory changes - natural disasters or epidemics.
With direct investments, risks of default are not covered. As the risks are higher, so are the interest rates.
There is also some operational risk at Lendahand. An example might be that Lendahand is unable to find shareholders to finance their activities. In such a case, Lendahand will handle outstanding investments at the best of its ability. At the same time, our ability to legally address non-payment from local partners becomes understandably difficult.
How does Lendahand minimize the risks?
Every local partner must share our social mission to ensure local entrepreneurs can access affordable financing, allowing them to grow their business. Local partners must also have a 'track record'; they must have proven themselves as a reliable credit provider for SMEs.
For instance, this means a solid credit portfolio and enough buffers and equity to compensate for unexpected downturns. We also check the organizational structure of the portfolio company and how robust their (internal) procedures are. Finally, the investments must be in proportion to the total balance of that portfolio company. A healthy balance between effectuating influence and being independent is crucial. If you would like to receive more information on the financial indicators we employ, please contact us via info@lendahand.com.
When currency exchange risks become too high for a local partner, Lendahand will urge the local partner to cover these risks. In some scenario's the local partner is contractually obliged to comply with these demands.
Lendahand will always conduct due diligence when companies request funding. To provide more insights on risks, an independent party comes in to perform an analysis of direct loans. The results can be downloaded on the project detail page of the direct loan. However, this analysis serves primarily as a tool for your own opinion and conclusion. Pay attention to the fact this analysis is not investing advice.
Does Lendahand provide a guarantee?
Usually we don't. Local partners take care of the repayment, even if (some) entrepreneurs are unable to do so themselves. If the local partner is for some reason unable to repay then there is a chance of partial or full loss of your money. For this reason, Lendahand only selects financially solid partners based on strict criteria.
For most direct investments, there is no guarantee. However, currency risks are covered.
Sometimes, and only for some direct investments in Africa, our partner Sida, part of the Swedish government, will guarantee a maximum of 50%. Read here more about guarantees with Sida. Projects with Sida guarantees are indicated explicitly on the project page.
Does Lendahand have a license or exemption?
Yes. The Dutch Authority Financial Markets (AFM) has provided Hands-on B.V. (with trade name 'Lendahand') in September 2016 with an investment firm license in accordance with article 2:96 of the Financial Markets Supervision Act (Wft). Placing orders on Lendahand's website is therefore an AFM regulated activity. Lendahand also meets its minimum capital requirements of EUR 125,000 following its license as required by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB).
Lendahand uses an exemption from an approved prospectus that is available up to EUR 5 Million per year.
How safe are my personal details?
We adhere to strict safety requirements concerning private and payment details. All sensitive data is sent through an encrypted connection (https). Also, information is stored (encrypted) in a secured facility provided by AWS: the world’s largest hosting service. A secured connection and multi-factor authentication can only retrieve customer documents.
What happens if the local currency devaluates?
Our local partners and companies bear the exchange rate risks. We settle the investments, redemptions, and interest payments in euro.
Does Lendahand use a third foundation fund?
What happens with my money if Lendahand goes bankrupt?
If Hands-On BV (containing the brand name Lendahand) went bankrupt, trades between Lendahand and payment service provider Intersolve EGI would cease immediately. Intersolve will then transfer the funds in your wallet to your bank account (Note: if at this time the project you have invested in has been fully funded and the money has thus been transferred to the local partner, these funds will not be transferred back to your bank account). Intersolve will then, in consultation with a trustee, handle all repayments between the investors and entrepreneurs until the final repayment of the last project has taken place.
Additionally, Lendahand is part of the investor compensation scheme (ICS). This scheme aims to compensate individuals and small businesses with trusted money and or financial instruments (such as notes or options) to a licensed bank, an investment firm, or a financial institution. In case the financial firm is unable to meet its obligations arising from claims related to the investment service (in other words, if Hands-On BV is not keeping track of the acquired notes by investors in the Wge depot correctly). The ICS guarantees an amount of up to €20.000 per individual. For more information, go to www.toezicht.dnb.nl/en/2/50-202210
Why is Intersolve EGI handling my money?
What happens when a local partner goes bankrupt?
About Soko
Total assets | €2,460,552 |
Revenue (per year) | €1,639,669 |
Equity / total assets | 86.00% |
Liquidity | 1123.00% |
We have already contributed for Soko Inc. 2


