TimsBridge

Seamless eTIMS API gateway for Kenyan SMEs – glitch-free integration in minutes.

Score: 8.1/10KenyaMedium BuildReady to Spawn
Brand Colors

The Opportunity

Problem

Kenyan SMEs face technical glitches and high costs when integrating with KRA's eTIMS, resulting in delayed tax compliance.

Solution

TimsBridge acts as a reliable middleware proxy between your app and KRA's eTIMS API, automatically handling authentication, retries, and error recovery. SMEs connect once via simple API keys, generate invoices effortlessly, and stay compliant without technical headaches or high dev costs. Real-time status updates ensure zero delays in tax submissions.

Target Audience

Kenyan SMEs required to integrate with KRA's eTIMS for tax invoicing

Differentiator

Battle-tested retry logic and 99.9% uptime SLA tailored for KRA's flaky API, slashing integration failures by 90%.

Brand Voice

professional

Features

API Proxy Endpoint

must-have20h

Secure proxy for eTIMS invoice submission with auto-retries.

Webhook Notifications

must-have15h

Instant alerts on submission success/failure via webhooks.

Dashboard Analytics

must-have18h

Track invoice submissions, errors, and compliance status.

API Key Management

must-have10h

Generate and revoke keys for easy integration.

Error Diagnostics

must-have12h

Detailed logs and fixes for common KRA glitches.

Bulk Upload

nice-to-have8h

CSV import for batch invoice processing.

Custom Templates

nice-to-have10h

Pre-built invoice templates compliant with eTIMS.

Multi-User Access

nice-to-have12h

Team accounts with role-based permissions.

Total Build Time: 105 hours

Database Schema

users

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
emailtextNo
kra_pintextNo
created_attimestampNo

api_keys

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
user_iduuidNo
key_hashtextNo
activeboolNo

Relationships:

  • foreign key to users.id

submissions

ColumnTypeNullable
iduuidNo
user_iduuidNo
statustextNo
error_logtextYes
submitted_attimestampNo

Relationships:

  • foreign key to users.id

API Endpoints

POST
/api/proxy/invoice

Submit invoice to eTIMS via proxy

🔒 Auth Required
POST
/api/keys

Generate new API key

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/submissions

Fetch submission history

🔒 Auth Required
GET
/api/health

Check service status

Tech Stack

Frontend
Next.js 14 + Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui
Backend
Next.js API routes + Supabase Edge Functions
Database
Supabase Postgres
Auth
Supabase Auth
Payments
Stripe
Hosting
Vercel
Additional Tools
Resend for emailsCron for retries

Build Timeline

Week 1: Core auth and DB setup

25h
  • User signup/login
  • DB schema

Week 2: API proxy MVP

30h
  • Proxy endpoint
  • Basic retries

Week 3: Dashboard and analytics

25h
  • Submissions table
  • Charts

Week 4: Payments and polish

20h
  • Stripe integration
  • Error diagnostics

Week 5: Nice-to-haves and testing

15h
  • Bulk upload
  • E2E tests

Week 6: Launch prep

10h
  • Landing page
  • SEO
Total Timeline: 6 weeks • 135 hours

Pricing Tiers

Free

$0/mo

No webhooks

  • 100 invoices/month
  • Basic proxy
  • Email support

Pro

$35/mo
  • Unlimited invoices
  • Webhooks
  • Dashboard
  • Priority support

Enterprise

$99/mo
  • All Pro + SLA
  • Custom integrations
  • Dedicated support

Revenue Projections

MonthUsersConversionMRRARR
Month 1505%$88$1,056
Month 630015%$1,350$16,200

Unit Economics

$40
CAC
$420
LTV
5%
Churn
92%
Margin
LTV:CAC Ratio: 10.5xExcellent!

Landing Page Copy

Fix eTIMS Glitches Forever

Reliable API bridge for KRA compliance – integrate once, invoice effortlessly.

Feature Highlights

Zero-downtime proxy
Auto-error recovery
Real-time dashboards
SME-friendly pricing

Social Proof (Placeholders)

"'Saved us weeks of dev time!' – Nairobi Retailer"
"'Finally compliant without headaches.' – Mombasa SME"

First Three Customers

Reach out to Kenyan SME Facebook groups like 'Kenya Small Business Network' and offer free beta access; DM 50 owners of accounting WhatsApp communities; attend Nairobi SME meetups with demo flyers.

Launch Channels

Product Huntr/KenyaIndie HackersTwitter #KenyaSMEs

SEO Keywords

eTIMS integration KenyaKRA eTIMS API proxyfix eTIMS glitches SMEs

Competitive Analysis

QuickBooks KE

quickbooks.co.ke
$25+/mo
Strength

Full accounting

Weakness

Expensive, complex setup

Our Advantage

Cheaper, eTIMS-only focus

Custom
Strength

Local support

Weakness

Slow integrations

Our Advantage

Instant proxy setup

🏰 Moat Strategy

Proprietary error-handling algorithms trained on KRA API patterns, plus data moat from submission logs.

⏰ Why Now?

KRA mandated eTIMS for all SMEs by 2024, with penalties rising – integration demand exploding.

Risks & Mitigation

technicalmedium severity

KRA API changes break proxy

Mitigation

Weekly monitoring + versioned endpoints

legallow severity

KRA compliance issues

Mitigation

Legal review + disclaimers

marketmedium severity

Low adoption

Mitigation

Free tier + targeted outreach

Validation Roadmap

pre-build7 days

Interview 20 SMEs

Success: 80% confirm pain

mvp14 days

Beta with 10 users

Success: 90% retention

launch3 days

PH launch

Success: 100 signups

Pivot Options

  • Expand to Uganda tax APIs
  • Add full invoicing
  • White-label for accountants

Quick Stats

Build Time
135h
Target MRR (6 mo)
$1,500
Market Size
$50.0M
Features
8
Database Tables
3
API Endpoints
4