Andrew Milne, co-founder and co-CEO of Kuunda, a B2B lending-as-a-service fintech, has died at age 54.
Kuunda confirmed his death in a LinkedIn statement that said he passed away on October 13, 2026. The company did not give a cause.
Kuunda described Milne as an energetic and resilient leader, loved and deeply respected by those who worked with him while asking for privacy for his family.
Milne co-founded Kuunda in 2018 with Sam Brawerman and Morne van der Westhuizen. The company provides on-demand liquidity solutions for companies across East Africa and is preparing to extend its services into West Africa.
This week, Kuunda announced that it had completed a secondary share sale of $5 million aimed at providing liquidity for its early investors and reshaping its cap table.
Before founding Kuunda, Milne had more than 30 years of experience in business. He was managing director of healthtech company Virgin Life Care in South Africa from 2004 to 2008.
He then led Hello Doctor as CEO from 2009 to 2015, overseeing its expansion across 10 African countries. Milne was also COO of mobile money company Zoona from 2015 to 2017.
Beyond his role at Kuunda, Milne was an active contributor to the local startup ecosystem, drawing on his extensive experience to mentor and guide fellow founders.
Under his leadership, Kuunda established itself as a key technology partner to financial institutions, including M-PESA, Wave, Copia, and Airtel, and raised nearly $10 million from investors.
The company’s infrastructure has powered the disbursement of more than 870 million loans worth over $4 billion. Its bank partnerships also grew from six to 16 in just a year.