Trade Shield Secures R15M From FNB’s Vumela To Fuel Global Growth

Trade Shield, a tech-based credit risk management solutions provider, has secured R15 million in funding from FNB’s Vumela Enterprise Development Fund, in partnership with Edge Growth.

The funding will unlock growth opportunities in South Africa and globally. Since its 2023 launch, Trade Shield has shown impressive growth, strong market demand, and scalability as a SaaS-based business.

Trade Shield helps businesses manage trade credit risk through automated data collection, predictive modeling, and AI-driven analytics. Its subscription-based platform provides real-time insights, enabling businesses to extend credit responsibly, boost revenue, and maintain stable debt ratios.

Originally developed by Inoxico – a Vumela-backed company since 2020 – Trade Shield reflects Inoxico’s success in building innovative risk management solutions for African businesses.

While Trade Shield focuses on AI-powered credit assessments, Inoxico continues as a traditional credit bureau, offering risk management services on a pay-per-use or retainer basis.

Established in 2010, the Vumela Fund – a collaboration between FNB Business Banking and Edge Growth – provides growth capital to black-owned SMEs, aiming to support their development and expansion.

“To date, Vumela has been a very supportive shareholder in Inoxico. Having them invest further in the growth of Trade Shield—with their extensive experience in the South African business landscape—confirms that we are doing something unique and special,” says Trade Shield Chairman, André Stürmer.

“At Trade Shield, we pride ourselves not only on helping our customers grow revenue and improve profitability but also on driving financial inclusion for small businesses by giving them access to trade finance.”

Headquartered in Johannesburg, Trade Shield employs approximately 45 trade credit experts, data scientists, software developers, sales executives, and customer support staff.

“Trade Shield is an exciting business with a relevant and novel product offering that radically improves its customers’ credit management processes. They have an impressive management team, deep industry knowledge, and an innovative approach that is supported by a market with strong tailwinds. We are excited about the growth that our funding unlocks,” says Sally Kitley, Associate Principal at Edge Growth.

“The Trade Shield product demonstrates impact by showing how trade credit can unlock business growth. It is innovative, relevant, and value-adding to the businesses that use it.”

Mike Sage, an FNB Vumela Trustee, commented: “Our participation in this funding round was to help Trade Shield unlock additional business value and growth potential. Trade credit is an integral part of the funding ecosystem, which we believe is a catalyst for economic growth in our country.”