Fundraising Fox
KEIPhone
Techstars '22Silver Spring, US · Founded 2021 · Delaware corporation · 5 employees on LinkedIn · 1 known investors
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KEIPhone provides free smartphones and data in sub-Saharan Africa, monetizing through lock screen advertising.
Also known as KEIPhone Global · KEIPhone, Inc.
Founders & leadership
Board
Investors · 1
How we know: the Techstars portfolio · open dataset · Top 3000 Accelerator Startups (no YC) 2026-08 · Not right? Tell us
Reported raises · per SEC filings
Form D private placements$430K disclosed across 4 rounds · 2022–2023
▶$25KraisedMay 2023 · 1 investors · OtherRule 506(b)
- Lauren HendricksExecutive Officer
- Joseph CapitoDirector
- James CoxDirector
- Offering amount
- $500K
- Amount sold
- $25K
- First sale
- May 2023
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2021
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$40KraisedNov 2022 · 1 investors · OtherRule 506(b)
- Joseph CapitoDirector
- Lauren HendricksExecutive Officer
- James CoxDirector
- Offering amount
- $1M
- Amount sold
- $40K
- First sale
- Oct 2022
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2021
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$130KraisedMay 2022 · 5 investors · OtherRule 506(b)
- Lauren HendricksExecutive Officer
- James CoxDirector
- Joseph CapitoDirector
- Offering amount
- $500K
- Amount sold
- $130K
- First sale
- Mar 2022
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2021
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$235KraisedApr 2022 · 4 investors · OtherRule 506(b)
- Lauren HendricksExecutive Officer
- Offering amount
- $500K
- Amount sold
- $235K
- First sale
- Jan 2022
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware, 2021
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Sep 2026KEIPhone (also listed as KEIPhone Global and incorporated as KEIPhone, Inc.) is a company working to expand mobile connectivity in sub-Saharan Africa by distributing free smartphones and data to unconnected users, a group it describes as roughly 70% of the region's population. The company is categorized under marketing and sales / adtech.
Monetization is tied to advertising delivered on the device lock screen; the company describes itself as the first to generate revenue in Africa through the combination of lock screen advertising and expanded device access. Corporate filings list Joseph Capito and James Cox as directors and Lauren Hendricks in an executive role, with an address in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Business model
KEIPhone supplies smartphones and data at no cost to end users and generates revenue from advertisers, using the device lock screen as the advertising inventory rather than charging users for hardware or connectivity.
Advertising revenue derived from lock screen placements on the distributed smartphones.
Traction
A startup ranking listing cites an employee range of 11-50 and a funding amount of $710K. SEC Form D filings report four debt-only raises between April 2022 and May 2023 totaling $430,000.
▸Full profile — market position, go-to-market, geography
Market position
Ranked 8th among startups in Silver Spring, Maryland in a StartupBlink city ranking that scores companies on total investment, employee count and website traffic; the city is part of the Washington DC Area ecosystem.
The company positions itself as the first to generate revenue in Africa by combining lock screen advertising with increased access to devices.
Go-to-market
End users in sub-Saharan Africa who currently lack smartphones or internet connectivity, and advertisers seeking to reach that audience.
Geography
Operations focused on sub-Saharan Africa; the company is based in the United States, with a Silver Spring, Maryland area presence and a corporate address in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Compiled by commissioned research from 3 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 4
launches, deals, and filingsNew Form D filing reporting $25,000 sold, debt only, exemption 06b.
$25K source ↗
New Form D filing reporting $40,000 sold, debt only, exemption 06b.
$40K source ↗
New Form D filing reporting $130,000 sold, debt only, exemption 06b.
$130K source ↗
New Form D filing reporting $235,000 sold, debt only, exemption 06b.
$235K source ↗
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
Legal entities · 1
corporate structure▸Research sources · 3
primary sources listed
- KEIPhone, Inc. - fund raising filingformds.com · web
3 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does KEIPhone do?
- KEIPhone provides free smartphones and data in sub-Saharan Africa, monetizing through lock screen advertising.
- Who are KEIPhone's investors?
- KEIPhone's investors include Techstars.
- How much funding has KEIPhone raised?
- KEIPhone has disclosed $430K raised across 4 rounds.
- Where is KEIPhone headquartered?
- KEIPhone is headquartered in Silver Spring, US.