The Gateway to Africa's Startup Ecosystem
The Gateway to Africa's Startup Ecosystem

Issue #80: Complete Farmer Secures $10.4 M Debt and Equity Funding While Lupiya Closes out an $8.25 Million Series A Funding Round.

We witnessed several big-figure funding deals for African Startups last week. Complete Farmer had the biggest funding round of the bunch, raising $10. 4 Million in a mix of debt and equity financing. Lupiya was close behind, raising  $8.25 Million in Series A equity. The least funding rounds featured Fixit45, which raised $1.9 Million, followed by $2.5 Million by PremierCredit.

Funding

Untapped Global

Funding round: Seed ($3 Million)

Investors: E3 Capital. 

Founded:  2021, Kenya

Founders: Jim Chu

Products: Untapped Global operates a smart asset financing platform which leverages data to identify low-risk investment opportunities in emerging markets and connect them to interested investors. 

What Next?: Fuelled by the funding, Untapped Global aims to accelerate the adoption of climate-smart solutions such as e-mobility across Africa. To achieve this, the company will invest the acquired fund into scaling its data platform and expanding its portfolio of climate-smart assets.

Complete Farmer

Funding round: Pre-Series A, Debt and Equity  ($10.4 Million) 

Investors: Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund (ARAF), Alitheia Capital, Proparco, Newton Partners, VestedWorld Rising Star Fund, SEFAA, Alpha Mundi Group’s Alpha Jiri Investment Fund and Global Social Impact Investments

Founded:  2017, Ghana

Founders: Desmond Koney, Andrew Quartey

Products: Complete Farmer operates a digital end-to-end agricultural marketplace connecting African producers to consumers and industries globally. The company operates two primary solutions, CF Grower and CF Buyer, targeted at improving productivity for farmers and agricultural produce buyers in Africa.

What Next?: Complete Farmer aims to invest the newly acquired funds into scaling its existing products, forging strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, bolstering its team and expanding operations to other parts of Africa.

Anka

Funding round: Pre-Series A, Debt and Equity ($5 Million)

Investors: International Finance Corporation (IFC), Proparco, Bpifrance

Founded:  2016, Ivory Coast

Founders: Moulaye Taboure, Abdoul Kadry Diallo, Luc B. Perussault Diallo

Products: Anka operates a SaaS e-commerce platform which serves as a one-stop-shop for businesses engaged in online retailing and goods delivery for buyers locally and internationally.

What Next?: ANKA will invest the funds into strengthening its product development and expanding its services in key markets across Nigeria, Kenya and the U.S. 

Fixit45

Funding round: Pre-Seed ($1.9 Million)

InvestorsLaunch Africa Ventures, Soumobroto Ganguly, David DeLucia

Founded:  2021, Nigeria

Founders: Justus Obaoye, Abdulazeez Ogunjobi, Pankaj Bohhra

Products: Fixit24 operates an aftermarket automotive platform where  car owners can connect and interact with a network of automobile service providers, technical teams and spare-parts suppliers

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What Next?:  With the Funding, Fixit is set to expand its services to other regions in Africa while enhancing access to quality repairs and spare parts for corporates and individual clients.

Lupiya

Funding round: Series A ($8.25 Million)

InvestorsAlitheia IDF FundINOKS Capital SA,   KfW DEG

Founded:  2016, Zambia

Founders: Evelyn Chilomo Kaingu, Muchu Kaingu  

Products: Lupiya provides innovative fintech solutions to the unbanked and underbanked populations in Zambia. Its offerings include various types of loans and online lending services.

What Next?: The acquired funding will go into enhancing Lupiya’s technological infrastructure, expanding its financial products, and scaling its operations to reach more customers.

PremierCredit

Funding round: Series A ($2.5 Million)

Investors: Trade Access Sub-Fund

Founded: 2019, Zambia

Founders: Chilufya Mutale, Eugene Mwila  

Products: PremierCredit operates an online microlending and investment platform designed to increase access to financial services for unbanked and underbanked populations in Africa. This includes urban and rural micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).

What Next?:  Fuelled by the funding, PremierCredit is set to revolutionize access to financial services in Zambia and Zimbabwe by rolling out solutions intended to promote financial inclusion in underserved areas.

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Acquisitions

Turaco Acquires MicroEnsure Ghana

Turaco, a Kenyan Insurtech company, has announced the acquisition of microinsurance company MicroEnsure Ghana as it continues its expansion into West Africa. The merger will see MicroEnsure rebranded as Turaco Ghana. 

Turaco leverages technology to offer insurance services to customers. Through the acquisition, Turaco will tap into MicroEnsure’s existing customer base in Ghana while building its platform to expand into other parts of Africa.

Opportunities 

THRIVE X Global Accelerator Program 2024 for Early to Growth Stage Startups

Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) Inclusive Fintech Showcase 2024 for Digital Financial Innovators

The Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Innovation for Sustainable Development Awards 2023 for Young Innovators

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