Kukua is an edutainment company based in San Francisco, California, founded in 2014. It specializes in designing and developing mobile game applications aimed at children aged 5 to 10 years. Under the brand name SEMA, Kukua creates engaging learning experiences that combine entertainment and education, focusing on essential skills such as reading, writing, and math. The company is known for its Super Sema franchise, which includes animated series, games, and toys featuring proprietary characters. By utilizing smartphones and electronic devices, Kukua aims to empower children through game-based learning, enabling them to dream, imagine, and acquire new skills in an enjoyable format.
ShopEX is a teleshopping startup that aims to provide a unique shopping experience distinct from traditional eCommerce platforms. The company operates a multi-channel retail business, primarily focusing on television shopping, which allows customers to order products by phone and online. ShopEX offers Nigerians access to a range of international products across key categories such as lifestyle, fitness, and kitchen essentials. By providing innovative and proven products at affordable prices, ShopEX seeks to enhance everyday life for its customers.
Developer of financial infrastructure platform designed to link global financial products to local economies. The company's software connects decentralized currency to the centralized world through cryptocurrency and mobile money in fast-growing markets, enabling users to access the local economy effortlessly.
Developer of digital insurance platform designed to empower the African insurance ecosystem with data and technology. The company's platform supports providers, brokers and agents, and fintech companies to improve their business processes, distribute insurance products, and make new data-driven products, as well as provides claims for automation, vehicle valuation, history, and breakdown cover, enabling clients to simplify access in financial infrastructure efficiently.
Operator of a tech-enabled bus-sharing company intended to provide professionals in metropolitan cities access to efficient, comfortable, and safe transportation. The company's platform helps to access efficient shared transportation for users to find, book, and share bus rides for commuting to work and back home, enabling customers to experience a simpler and better way to commute.
Private Equity Round in 2021
Developer of an automotive trading platform designed to connect buyers and sellers in an end-to-end, full-service trading network. The company's platform offers the purchase of hard-to-obtain vehicles, service trading alternatives, logistics, compliance, and trade finance, enabling automotive dealers and buyers to ensure compliance, safety, and insurance through the buying process.
Wapi Pay is a financial technology company that provides a payments gateway facilitating digital transactions between Africa and Asia through mobile money and bank accounts. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, with additional offices in Africa, Singapore, and Beijing, Wapi Pay offers platform-to-platform integrations, global accounts, and virtual wallets. The company enables organizations to process bulk payments across multiple mobile platforms, catering to needs such as salary disbursement and business purchases. Wapi Pay's services are designed to be faster and more cost-effective than traditional telegraphic transfers, allowing customers to choose various payment methods, including bank-to-bank and wallet-to-wallet transfers. Its proprietary infrastructure ensures instant liquidity and compliance, with transaction completion guaranteed within 24 hours. The platform supports mass payments for corporate clients, merchant transactions for small and medium-sized enterprises, and peer-to-peer payments, positioning itself as a leading financial solution for cross-border payments.
Kosa is a company that focuses on enhancing inclusivity in technology through its integrated software solutions. It serves various sectors, including healthcare, hiring and human resources, credit and risk management, and insurance. Kosa's platform is designed to assist data scientists in identifying and mitigating bias throughout the artificial intelligence and machine learning development lifecycle. By evaluating bias in both training data and models, Kosa enables organizations to create and deploy more equitable technologies, fostering a more inclusive environment across different industries.
Pngme is a mobile finance platform that offers comprehensive financial solutions aimed at Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and unbanked or underbanked consumers. The platform provides mobile payments, savings options, and a credit scoring system based on digital footprints, facilitating access to financial services for underserved populations. Additionally, Pngme develops a financial data platform that streamlines data processing for financial institutions, particularly in emerging markets. This technology aids in digitizing the credit scoring and capital procurement processes, enabling lenders to expand their operations while minimizing risk and enhancing their capital access. Through its services, Pngme contributes to improving financial inclusion and supporting the growth of businesses in underserved communities.
MarketForce connects Africa’s informal retail outlets and consumers directly to suppliers of consumer goods and financial services by digitizing orders, delivery, and payments with the aim of solving the last mile distribution challenge.
QuickBus operates as an online marketplace ticketing system. QuickBus allows users to see reviews for different buses in Africa and book their seats online through its mobile application.
Lori Systems Corp. develops, owns, and operates a logistics platform that helps to connect transport with cargo. It serves transporters and cargo owners. The company was founded in 2016 and is based in Nairobi, Kenya with additional offices in Mombasa, Kenya; Kampala, Uganda; and Lagos, Nigeria.
PayJoy Inc. offers consumer financing solutions designed to make smartphones accessible to underbanked individuals in emerging markets. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, the company allows customers to select a smartphone, make a deposit, and choose a suitable payment plan. Merchants can install PayJoy's software on the devices, which are locked until the purchase is fully paid. By leveraging innovative locking technology and data science, PayJoy aims to provide affordable consumer finance options to individuals who may not have access to traditional financing, thereby facilitating their entry into the digital and financial landscape.
WorldCover operates a peer-to-peer risk relief network aimed at protecting farmers from natural disasters, particularly droughts, through an innovative insurance platform. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in New York, the company utilizes satellite technology and mobile money to deliver cost-effective crop insurance to smallholder farmers, primarily in developing countries. By leveraging remote sensing and advanced risk modeling, WorldCover addresses the significant climate risks faced by farmers, improving their food and income security. The platform not only provides financial protection to farmers but also offers investors an opportunity for diversified returns with a direct social impact, targeting the substantial market of individuals reliant on agriculture for their livelihoods.
eBanqo is a customer engagement software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider that enables organizations to automate customer-facing services and enhance issue resolution. The platform allows businesses to extend their services across various digital channels, including webchat, in-app chat, social media, USSD, and SMS, thereby promoting connectivity and efficiency in addressing customer concerns. Utilizing advanced artificial intelligence technology, eBanqo helps businesses deliver personalized interactions consistently across all platforms, fostering customer loyalty and brand affinity. The solution significantly reduces operational costs while offering automated support, self-service options, and multi-channel live chat capabilities. By integrating engagement channels such as web, mobile, and popular messaging apps, eBanqo aims to improve customer satisfaction and retention through quicker issue resolution and increased accessibility.
Kukua is an edutainment company based in San Francisco, California, founded in 2014. It specializes in designing and developing mobile game applications aimed at children aged 5 to 10 years. Under the brand name SEMA, Kukua creates engaging learning experiences that combine entertainment and education, focusing on essential skills such as reading, writing, and math. The company is known for its Super Sema franchise, which includes animated series, games, and toys featuring proprietary characters. By utilizing smartphones and electronic devices, Kukua aims to empower children through game-based learning, enabling them to dream, imagine, and acquire new skills in an enjoyable format.
SystemOne Technologies, Inc. specializes in developing data-driven healthcare solutions focused on disease surveillance and response. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts, with an additional office in Johannesburg, South Africa, the company offers GxAlert, a software platform that provides vital information on disease patterns, treatment outcomes, and clinical diagnoses. This platform facilitates the real-time movement of critical health data, enabling healthcare providers to make informed decisions regarding resource allocation and patient treatment. By connecting devices and streamlining data flow, SystemOne enhances global healthcare services and ensures that every positive diagnosis is accurately linked to patient care.
Easyshop Easycook Services Limited is a Nigerian online grocery delivery platform based in Lagos that specializes in retailing a wide range of products, including fresh food, perishables, non-perishables, and household items. Founded in 2006, the company serves a diverse clientele, including working professionals, homes, offices, and restaurants, by providing a marketplace that connects suppliers and buyers. Easyshop Easycook offers customized shopping services tailored to the needs of customers who face challenges in meeting their grocery shopping requirements due to work and time constraints. By delivering quality food products and other grocery items directly to customers' doorsteps, the company aims to make grocery shopping convenient and accessible at reasonable prices.
MyPadi Networks Technology Limited operates an off-campus hostel booking and roommate finding platform in Nigeria, connecting students with safe and affordable accommodations near various educational institutions. Founded in 2016 and based in Abuja, the company was previously known as HostelsVilla.com. MyPadi.ng has established itself as a leading resource for students seeking off-campus housing, offering a user-friendly interface that includes photographs, video tours, pricing, and profiles of potential roommates. The platform features listings from verified landlords, providing students with comprehensive information about available accommodations near their schools and colleges.
LifeBank, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, specializes in the delivery of blood and medical products to hospitals and blood banks across Africa. The company operates a marketplace through its application, which allows healthcare facilities to efficiently source the necessary blood and blood products for patients. LifeBank's innovative platform includes a blood donor database that encourages community participation in blood donation. Additionally, the company boasts a streamlined logistics system that ensures timely delivery of products and offers a user-friendly payment solution. Through these services, LifeBank aims to enhance the accessibility and reliability of blood supply in the region.
Frontier Car Group is a berlin-based startup who develop, launch, and operate used-automotive marketplaces within emerging market economies, with operations in Nigeria, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Pakistan, and Indonesia. Additionally, we are successfully engaging in two joint ventures with OLX in India and Poland. We increase the efficiency of selling and buying cars through technology, infra-structure creation, access to capital and innovative business models that allows all stakeholders to gain from our impact.
Cars45 buys, sells, prices, and rates the condition of pre-owned autos. The Cars45 process begins online, where owners enter their vehicle information for a free quote. They can then schedule an appointment at one of the company’s 13 inspection centers in Nigeria. After a multi-point evaluation including engine, brakes, tires, and a road-test, Cars45 makes an offer. If accepted, the company commits to wire payment to the owner’s bank account within 45 minutes. After pricing and creating a digital service history, Cars45 offers the autos it acquires to a private network of buyers.
Ma3Route is a mobile, web, and SMS platform that crowd-sources for transport data and provides users with information on traffic, matatu directions, and driving reports. It aims to make traveling easier in developing countries by democratizing timely transport information. The platform also hopes to bring sanity to the roads and inform city planning and transport regulation in emerging economies through the provision of transport data and trend analysis. Ma3Route was launched in 2011 and is based in Ngong, Kenya.
S&T Media operates a digital advertising platform that focuses on out-of-home advertising. The company specializes in the installation of digital screens at petrol filling stations, providing a unique venue for advertisements. In addition to this, S&T Media offers online media advertising services tailored for small to medium-sized enterprises and brands. This dual approach enables clients to promote their products and services effectively, reaching their target demographics with greater efficiency.
Printivo Ltd. is a Nigerian company that offers online printing services tailored for startups and small to medium-sized enterprises. Founded in 2013 and based in Lagos, Printivo provides a diverse array of products, including business cards, banners, flyers, greeting cards, and promotional items such as custom mugs and stickers. The company features an interactive online platform where users can browse and customize hundreds of design templates, allowing them to upload images and insert logos. This service aims to streamline the printing process, making it more efficient and accessible for businesses in Nigeria. By leveraging technology and a wide range of design options, Printivo seeks to enhance the marketing capabilities of its customers and transform the local printing industry.
Hotels.ng is an online travel agency that focuses on hotel bookings across Nigeria. Founded in 2012 and based in Lagos, the company allows clients to reserve hotel rooms through its platform, ensuring a smooth booking experience. Hotels.ng also offers extensive assistance, including hotel recommendations and customer reviews, aimed at helping clients find clean and safe accommodations throughout the country. By prioritizing customer support and user-friendly service, Hotels.ng enhances the overall travel experience for its users.
ACE (Africa Courier Express) is an African enterprise that engages in delivering logistics solutions to both businesses and consumers.
Dekko Inc. is an augmented-reality startup based in San Francisco, California, founded in 2010. The company specializes in developing smartphone software that integrates digital content into the real world, enabling users to interact with their environment in innovative ways. Its portfolio includes an operating system designed for mobile developers to create 3-D applications for wearable devices. Dekko's approach reflects a shift towards a "Post-PC" world, where technology facilitates more natural interactions through multi-sensor devices and the Internet of Things. By moving away from traditional interfaces reliant on keyboards and mice, Dekko aims to enhance user experiences through touch and voice interactions, ultimately allowing for a more immersive engagement with entertainment and social networks.
Retailigence Corporation is a hyperlocal marketing platform that focuses on converting online consumers into offline buyers by utilizing real-time inventory data from retailers. Founded in 2009 and based in Redwood City, California, the company provides a mobile advertising solution that enhances the shopping experience by delivering location-based user interactions through various digital advertising mediums. Its products include the adPOP Engine, which integrates data into programmatic advertising, and a mobile application that displays local store-level product availability. Retailigence serves a diverse clientele, including advertising solutions providers, application developers, marketing agencies, and brick-and-mortar retailers across the United States. The company operates as a subsidiary of ShopAdvisor, Inc. and has established a strategic partnership with Gimbal, Inc.
StackCommerce is a native commerce platform that offers comprehensive solutions for online publishers and brands aimed at enhancing user engagement, growth, and monetization. Founded in 2011 by Josh Payne and headquartered in Venice, California, the company provides a range of services, including fully-integrated white-label stores, embedded commerce links, and in-feed product recommendations. These offerings enable businesses to seamlessly incorporate commerce into their existing platforms, facilitating a more interactive and profitable user experience.
MediaSpike, Inc. operates an online platform that specializes in in-game product placement, primarily for social and mobile games. Founded in 2011 and based in Mountain View, California, the company enables advertisers and game developers to collaborate effectively. Developers integrate one of MediaSpike's SDKs to connect with the platform, allowing brands to search for suitable advertising placements based on various criteria through an intuitive dashboard. The process involves selecting placements, uploading assets, previewing the placements, and submitting them for developer approval. Once live, MediaSpike provides analytics to track the performance of these placements, ensuring that both brands and developers can assess the effectiveness of their advertising strategies. The platform also extends its services to virtual reality content, broadening its reach within the gaming industry.
Nutrivise, Inc. is a nutrition platform designed to simplify the process of adhering to dietary goals. The company offers personalized meal recommendations tailored to individual nutritional needs, preferences, and lifestyle. Its services include suggestions for recipes, restaurant dishes, and prepackaged food options, supporting users in weight management and athletic performance enhancement. Nutrivise's flagship product, Here&Now, is a mobile application that identifies the healthiest dining options available nearby, considering users' locations, biometrics, and fitness objectives. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Nutrivise was previously known as HungryTribe.
Zerply, Inc. operates an exclusive online community tailored for creative professionals in the film, gaming, and VR/AR industries. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in San Francisco, with an additional office in Tallinn, Estonia, the company provides tools that allow artists to manage their careers effectively. This platform facilitates the hosting and sharing of work, connecting talented individuals with studios and companies seeking creative expertise. By offering a space where artists can transition seamlessly between projects, Zerply enhances collaboration and networking within the entertainment sector.
GraphScience, Inc. is a social data company that operates a Facebook advertising platform designed to enhance brand awareness and drive return on investment for advertisers. Founded in 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, the company specializes in developing and executing digital strategies for a diverse clientele, including Fortune 500 brands and retailers. GraphScience's platform utilizes the Facebook ads API to manage and analyze large datasets, optimizing advertising performance at scale. The company offers services including advertising optimization, social advertising planning, and campaign strategy development, enabling clients to effectively engage their online audience and generate actionable insights. As of July 2015, GraphScience operates as a subsidiary of Centro, Inc.
Tinkercad is a free web application that simplifies the process of 3D design, electronics, and coding. Utilizing advanced web technology, it enables users to create designs for 3D printing directly in their browser. The platform allows individuals to easily add and edit basic solid shapes, facilitating the creation of various objects, such as sunglasses, without requiring complex modeling software. This accessibility empowers users to imagine, design, and produce a wide range of projects with ease.
Life360, Inc. is a mobile application developer based in San Francisco, California, focusing on enhancing communication and safety for families. Founded in 2007, the company offers a platform that provides services such as private location sharing, location history, driving details, crash detection, roadside assistance, and help alerts, available through both free and paid membership subscriptions. The app serves millions of families across more than 140 countries, facilitating better synchronization and protection of loved ones. Life360, which was previously known as LReady, Inc., rebranded in 2011 and has secured over $100 million in funding from various investors, including Bessemer Venture Partners and Allstate, to support its growth and development.