Wasoko operates a marketplace and logistics network that lets retailers in multiple African markets order consumer goods via SMS or a mobile app for same-day delivery. The company moved from an asset-light software marketplace to an integrated, asset-heavy operations model owning warehousing and logistics to guarantee deliveries. Wasoko offers a buy-now-pay-later option for merchants, which it currently finances from its own balance sheet while exploring external debt financing. Since launch, the company has delivered 2.5 million orders to more than 50,000 active retail customers, and reports revenue growth of over 500% in the past year and 1,000% since 2019. Wasoko processes roughly $300 million in ARR/GMV across more than 150,000 monthly orders and says its 800 employees are shareholders under a universal employee equity policy. The company plans further geographic expansion, hires, and product growth into point-of-sale systems, bill payments and social commerce, either built in-house or via acquisitions/partnerships. Sokowatch operates a platform that connects small merchants directly to local and multinational suppliers, digitizing orders, payments and delivery logistics via a merchant app. The company maintains its own last-mile fleet, primarily three-wheel tuk tuks, to handle deliveries. Since launching in 2016 it has expanded from Nairobi across Kenya into Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda and now serves over 15,000 small retailers. Sokowatch reports it saves merchants at least 20% on supply-chain costs and is using transaction data to offer in-kind credit lines and other working-capital solutions. The startup is also building analytics and inventory tools for merchants to manage sales and stock. With a recent capital injection, Sokowatch plans to broaden client services — from working capital to data analytics — and pursue expansion into additional African markets. The company has not ruled out using its infrastructure to offer 3PL services or to enter business-to-consumer online retail in the future. Sokowatch operates a B2B e-commerce platform that lets informal retail stores order from large suppliers via SMS or an Android app, arrange transport and make payments online. The company digitizes ordering, delivery and payments, and takes a margin on goods sold while offering suppliers aggregated demand and bulk deals. Sokowatch reports it has delivered 100,000 orders to customers across a few thousands shops and says its service can cut sourcing costs for shopkeepers by about 20 percent. Deliveries from orders placed on the platform are typically free and arrive in about two hours on average. The startup has launched a line-of-credit product to extend working capital loans to platform clients. Sokowatch currently operates in Kenya and Tanzania and plans to expand to new East African markets and pilot additional value-add services for shops.

Total raised

$141M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series B

Latest activity

Mar 2022