Venture Capital in Africa: Investment trends and forecasts
This article was contributed to TechCabal by Rossie E. Turman III. In November 2023, Will Stevens, the consul general at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos, Nigeria, told the Global Tech Africa Conference that approximately 40% of venture capital (VC) investment in Africa came from the U.S. and 60% of African startups are incorporated in the U.S. He added that African startups raised $4.8 billion—an average of over $1 million every two hours—in 2022. While Stevens’ comments were intended to highlight the importance of Africa and its VC ecosystem to the U.S., his reported comments are misleading without further context. Investors and founders seeking to fully understand the African VC ecosystem must educate themselves on (i) the trends and factors behind these numbers; (ii) the legal and regulatory framework impacting the structuring of Africa-focused VC investments; and (iii) how the factors impacting investment in Africa specifically drive VC investment. Africa operations, U.S. domicile The U.S. VC ecosystem represented approximately 51.49% of global VC capital invested in Q2 2023, according to KPMG. In addition, the U.S. population of the African diaspora is larger than Africa’s 10th largest country. So it is unsurprising that U.S. VC investment represents a significant portion of investment in the African ecosystem. The more pertinent question is: Why is there so little U.S. VC investment in the African startup ecosystem? One factor inhibiting more investment in African startups is global investors’ expectations of preferential rights in their investments, memorialised through contracts and revisions to emerging companies’ organisational and governance documents. To reduce transaction costs and legal ambiguity, investors typically invest using familiar transaction structures and contracts, with a consistent choice of governing law and venue. This mitigates the risk of unanticipated or unintended outcomes from courts in atypical jurisdictions or courts applying an atypical choice of law. The preferred choice of law for transactions in the U.S. VC market is Delaware, which provides clarity on how provisions affecting investors’ preferred rights are interpreted and enforced. In fact, many global investors in U.S.-based VC funds require that the investments of such funds be made in Delaware-domiciled companies. Investing in the parent of an emerging company allows the capture of all the value associated with rapid scaling and growth. Investors and founders increasingly engage in transactions that restructure existing African startups to create Delaware parent companies. While African startups may be based or have significant operations in African countries, if the company’s ultimate parent or holding company is a Delaware corporation, investors reduce their risk by investing in a U.S.-based company subject to Delaware and U.S. laws and regulations, with protections for preferred equity and debt investments and favourable tax treatment. A corporate structure with a Delaware-domiciled parent company and a local African-domiciled operating company or companies allows the emerging company to raise capital in the largest VC market in the world while maintaining the benefit of local operations. Local operations are necessary to establish product-market fit and may also provide a reduction in cash burn if critical services and personnel for the emerging company are available in the African countries of operation. The appeal of African startups to U.S. investors Investment in African startups is driven by the same factors that drive VC investment in other markets: Total Addressable Market: The current population of the continent of Africa is estimated to be approximately 1.48 billion people. Literally, over 40 of the world’s newest consumers will be located on the continent of Africa. Add in the African diaspora and the TAM grows. Need for Innovation: The continent of Africa is large, creating a drive for technological innovation. For example: Fintech limits the need for a cost-prohibitive physical network of bank branches across a large geography. Global Market Conditions: The global IPO market and late-stage VC financing continue to struggle, but global early-stage VC maintains a healthy, although muted, run. Currently, African VC activity is overweight in early-stage investor activity. African VC Ecosystem Structural Hedge: The spectacular meltdown of certain late-stage companies due to fraud and malfeasance is underrepresented in the African startup ecosystem, in part due to the additional due diligence most investors conduct when investing in African startups as well as the smaller number of African late-stage venture-backed companies. Operating Company Cost: In an environment where capital is scarce, an emerging company’s ability to manage its burn rate is prized. The African startup ecosystem supports fiscal austerity; its founders are well acquainted with resource scarcity and have adapted to it. Not all historical trends are positive U.S. VC investment in the African startup ecosystem is likely to continue in a direction consistent with historical trends. Without thoughtful and intentional intervention, however, less positive trends may also emerge. Companies led by white males or Africans with strong “Western” backgrounds will attract more VC investment than comparable companies in the African startup ecosystem, as investors undervalue the need and advantages of local knowledge. Companies will be predominantly male-led, ignoring the outsized opportunity to invest in female-led companies, given other indices of gender advancement on the African continent. Global VC will continue to underinvest in the African VC ecosystem compared to other VC markets. The global VC market will be surprised by outsized exits and returns emanating from the African VC ecosystem, leading to fear of missing out and less disciplined investment in the next wave. More copycat, trend-based, or under-researched investments, combined with poor due diligence, will lead to a lowering of returns in the African VC ecosystem. African emerging companies will be challenged by the need to scale to meet investor expectations and by founders’ limited knowledge of and access to regional markets beyond their own. Investment may increase in themes that attract VC backing in Western markets but that do not translate well operationally in many African markets. To fully realise the promise of the African VC ecosystem, both investors and founders must continue to educate themselves on optimal frameworks, factors, and influences that may perpetuate positive outcomes. Rossie E. Turman III is a Partner at Lowenstein
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👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily: Chipper Cash may be profitable in 2024
In partnership with Share this newsletter: Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Good morning In Kenya, telecoms company Airtel is battling regulators to dodge a probe of alleged vendor bullying. The regulator—Competition Authority of Kenya—is bent on investigating and taking action against the telco over alleged abuse of buyer power. Anyways, while corporate giants like Airtel grapple with power dynamics, countless individuals face the fallout of industry shifts. If you’ve been caught in the recent tech layoff wave, please share your experience in our survey. In today’s edition Lesotho’s central bank suffers cyberattack Chippercash may be profitable in 2024 Is Pezesha’s liquidation suit premature? Ride-hailing apps facing scrutiny in Zambia Starlink launches in Eswatini The World Wide Web3 Job Opportunities Banking Lesotho’s central bank suffers cyberattack Lesotho’s Central Bank On December 11, 2023, the Central Bank of Lesotho discovered that a cybersecurity incident had affected its system. The apex bank has restored transfers, but it advised customers to expect delays as the processing of payments is done manually. What attack? While the nature of the attack was not disclosed, the attack led to several outages and affected the country’s National Payments System, which facilitates inter-bank transactions. Zoom out: According to local media, there are concerns that the current wave of attacks might affect Lesotho’s exchange rate against the rand. Lesotho’s incident is not a standalone incident in southern Africa. The Development Bank of Southern Africa confirmed in June that it was hit by ransomware. Access payments with Moniepoint Moniepoint has made it simple for your business to access payments while providing access to credit and other business tools. Open an account today here. Fintech Chipper Cash may be profitable in 2024 Image source: Zikoko Memes Chipper Cash, a prominent African fintech startup once grappling with heavy losses, is now set to achieve profitability by early 2024, according to a former executive who claimed to have spearheaded the company’s dramatic turnaround. Turn around from what? In a LinkedIn post yesterday, Zain Hirani announced his departure from Chipper Cash after a year-long tenure as the director of revenue strategy. He says that upon joining in 2022, the company which was once valued at $2 billion had burned through $250 million of the over $300 million funding it raised. The then-unicorn was also struggling with unsustainable losses driven by a “growth at all costs” strategy. Around the same time, two of its major investors, FTX and SVB, collapsed. Things have changed now: Per Hirani’s post, the company’s contribution margin turned positive after six months of review of product economics and commercial contracts, with better financial discipline and laying off over 50% of its workforce. Its most recent layoff was announced a little over a week ago. The company also slashed the salaries of its remaining US and UK employees. How does Chipper Cash make money? The company operates a cross-border payments service that reportedly enables five million customers across Africa, the UK, and the US to send and receive money from eight countries, including Nigeria (Africa’s biggest economy by population and GDP) and South Africa. It runs a virtual card business in partnership with Visa and allows users to make peer-to-peer transactions without charging a commission upfront. The fintech makes revenue from the exchange rate arbitrage involved in international fund transfers. In addition to global fund transfers, the service helps merchants accept payments online. Two months ago Chipper announced the launch of Chipper ID, an AI-driven verification and onboarding tool built specifically for the African continent. Introducing: BookingPress integration BookingPress helps you manage your appointment bookings end-to-end on WordPress. Get paid online via Paystack when you use BookingPress. Learn more → E-commerce Is Pezesha’s liquidation suit premature? Image source: Zikoko Memes Tesh Mbaabu, CEO of a Kenyan B2B e-commerce startup,MarketForce, has questioned the approach Pezesha—a startup that offers business loans-as-a-service—takes to resolve a debt crisis. What happened? In April 2021, Marketforce and Pezesha teamed up to allow Pezesha to provide affordable financing for inventory and wholesale distribution to merchants working with Marketforce. However, in a petition filed in September 2023, Pezesha asked a Kenyan court to liquidate Marketforce’s assets over an unpaid debt. Pezesha claims that Marketforce owes them a lot of money but hasn’t shared specific information about why the debt exists or the exact amount they’re trying to get back from Marketforce. Although Pezesha did not explicitly state in its legal action that it aimed to collect outstanding debts arising from the 2021 inventory financing agreement with Marketforce, Mbaabu hinted that this might be the case. Zoom out: Marketforce puzzle is not a first. Twiga, the Kenyan e-commerce startup, was sued by cloud service vendor Incentro, which asked a court to declare it bankrupt and force Twiga to repay its debts. The dispute is still being discussed privately between the two firms. Since its launch, Marketforce has raised $42.5 million in funding, the most recent being a $40 million Series A funding round led by V8 Capital Partners, a venture capital firm based in London and Lagos. How do Nigerians save and spend? Did you know that 64% of Nigerians save a portion of their monthly income? Read PiggyVest’s first-ever savings report to see more about how Nigerians save and spend here. Mobility Lusaka’s leading ride-hailing apps facing scrutiny Image source: Zikoko Memes Drivers on Lusaka’s most popular leading ride-hailing platforms Yango and GO aren’t having a jolly ride at work. They do not like that the platforms prioritise customer acquisition over driver welfare. The drivers have previously, in March and May, protested against the platforms’ way of doing business in the Zambian city. During the May protests, some drivers impounded the cars of drivers who decided not to join the protests. What is Yango and GO doing wrong? These platforms are locked in a price war, and guess who’s getting squeezed into the back seat? Yep, the drivers. The discounts and lower prices the platforms keep throwing to get more users are driving down the drivers’ earnings. Their expenses
Read MoreNairaland blackout: Popular online forum shutdown by Cloudfare over undisclosed abuse
Nairaland, a popular Nigerian online forum and the country’s seventh-most-visited website, is in blackout mode after Cloudflare, an American content delivery company, yanked its server offline on Monday. Seun Osewa, Nairaland’s enigmatic founder, confirmed the shutdown on Monday, sharing that Cloudflare implemented a takedown after an abuse report filed two weeks ago. The nature of the abuse remains unclear. Osewa first tweeted on Monday evening that Nairaland’s website was down due to “an unscheduled maintenance operation” by Cloudflare. By Tuesday afternoon, Osewa tweeted that the Nairaland forum was taken down for a different reason. “Nairaland’s server was taken down because I overlooked an abuse report that was originally sent on the 14th. After the takedown, I removed the offensive content,” his tweet read. “The technical support team has informed me that only the abuse team has the power to reinstate our server, that their review could take up to 48 hours, and that nothing can be done to speed up the process. I’ve been informed that the only thing I can do is wait. It’s humbling,” Osewa did not respond to multiple requests for comments from TechCabal. “Cloudflare offers security and reliability services to millions of websites, helping prevent online abuse and make the Internet more secure,” Cloudflare shared on its website. The company prohibits hate speech, malware, and copyright infringement. Launched in 2005, Nairaland is Nigeria’s most popular online forum. With around 3 million registered users, it allows users to create content around a wide range of topics and has helped build communities around news, politics, entertainment, and technology. Yet, Nairaland has often been criticised for lax content moderation and a staid design, which has not changed since its launch. Nairaland’s takedown will draw relevant questions about the rashness of Cloudflare’s decision. “Will Cloudflare take down Reddit, the popular American online forum, for instance, for a similar incident,” one media expert who spoke to TechCabal asked. Osewa’s tweets show that the timeline for resolving the incident remains unclear. Nairaland’s disappearance leaves a sizeable void in the Nigerian online space and while there are questions around the future of the platform, it’s clear that it will need to evolve and make some changes when it returns.
Read MoreSandbox’s platform wants to connect product managers with employers
Sandbox’s platform will allow companies to find vetted product management talent with ease across Africa. Sandbox is a talent-matching platform built for product managers in the African tech ecosystem to find work locally and internationally. “It’s like Toptal, but for product managers,” Khadijah Atere, who works as product operations manager at Sandbox, told TechCabal over X (formerly Twitter) while trying to explain their unique offering. Founded by Samuel Tobi and Princess Akari, the company started as a product within the People in Product (PIP) community, “a volunteer-driven community of product managers making a measurable impact and helping one another grow,” according to the PIP website. Ijaola David, Sandbox’s product lead, told TechCabal over a video call that a lot of the support for the company has come from the PIP community. David, a project manager with over five years of experience, said he saw the need for Sandbox when he was starting professionally. “The issue was there weren’t a lot of jobs for product managers. I was lucky to stumble into this role that has become my career,” he said. To help other product managers make better decisions and have more high-quality choices, he and some other friends from the PIP community started Sandbox. While the platform is still new, having only officially kicked off in 2023, David says they are “Africa’s first core product management matching platform.” TechCabal asked how Sandbox matches product management talents with companies that need them and David explained that Sandbox has an assessment for all PMs on the platform. The assessment helps them segment entrants by experience, skill set, and specialisation. “So anyone that wants to hire, all you have to do is go on our website, fill out the form, tell us what the JD looks like, and we will now go to our talent pool and find matching talents,” David said. Sandbox does not currently train newbies to become PMs, according to David and Atere. Their first phase of operations is focusing on helping existing talents to match with companies that need their services. Nonetheless, the platform currently hosts talents with as little as zero years of experience to as much as 10. Although it’s still in its infancy, David confirmed to TechCabal that they are already a revenue-generating entity from companies that are hiring the PMs in their network. The revenue comes in the form of service charges and consultation fees at the moment, with plans to introduce other models in the future. Meanwhile, Sandbox is taking a slow approach to raising external funding. David said that because of the PIP community, operational expenses are low. “If we ever need to raise [money] from institutional investors, it should be because we’ve seen that there’s a potential revenue point that we need to invest in and we need to expand there. Maybe we need legal and compliance issues, or we need to expand into a market and they have compliance requirements and we know, once we are in there, we will blow up. Then it’ll make sense to raise money for such expansion.”
Read MoreLusaka’s leading ride-hailing apps facing scrutiny from drivers
Yango and GO are the leading ride-hailing platforms in Lusaka, Zambia. Some drivers operating on the platforms have shared numerous concerns about the two platforms which they say shows a lack of consideration for their welfare. Yango and GO, the latter of which is formerly and popularly known as “Ulendo”, are Lusaka’s leading ride-hailing platforms. However, in conversations with TechCabal, drivers operating on both platforms have expressed displeasure with the working conditions associated with operating both platforms. When *Christopher started driving on the GO platform three years ago, he had spent four years looking for formal employment without any luck. With diplomas in theology and accounting, the 35-year-old figured driving for a ride-hailing service would be “easy money” as he had heard from friends. “Ulendo used to be great because the rates offered to customers were reasonable,” Christopher told TechCabal. “So as the driver, I also made a fair return.” However, Christopher states that in recent months, driving for the platform has turned into a nightmare as he struggles to make ends meet with earnings from the service. Some of his expenses include float, fuel, car service, service fees to GO as well as talk time for contacting customers. He points to the fact that taking into account all these expenses as well as the fact that GO keeps reducing prices and offering discounts to riders, the only reason he still operates the service is that he has no other choice but to make a living. GO launched in Zambia in 2017 to fill the gap left by the absence of popular ride-hailing alternatives like Uber and Bolt, the latter of which only launched in the country in October 2023. The platform’s unique selling point was the fact that riders could contact a preferred driver for each ride. Additionally, drivers could also transfer “credits” to another driver if they could not fulfil a trip. To use the service, drivers pay a 100 kwacha (~$4) monthly subscription fee and a “float” which is a top-up service fee that drivers pay to be able to pick up riders. Desperate measures *Jackson is another GO driver who has been using the platform for nearly two years. He does not have his car but rather hires the one he uses from his “boss” whom he gives an agreed-upon daily cut from his earnings. He states that although he was able to make a decent living from the platform at the start, despite also paying the car owner; however, because of the increase in the cost of living, his earnings have nosedived. He mostly blamed the platform for prioritising customer acquisition over driver welfare. “Because of the competition from Yango and Bolt, the prices for riders are so low,” Jackson said. “ This makes especially short trips a loss-making activity. I have no choice but to accept these trips because long haul ones carry even more loss risk.” According to Jackson, because of the unbalanced unit economics of being a GO operator, he resorts to only picking up customers who request cash trips so he can ask them to pay more. “I call them first to ask what the charge is on their side,” Jackson explained. “I then request them to add a “little something” and then I can start the trip”. Jackson further explains that the modus operandi works especially well late at night or in the wee hours of the morning when people are desperate to get home from entertainment spots. TechCabal asked if he knew that this was against the app’s terms and conditions of use, he stated that he had no choice as it was the only way to ensure driving for the service was worth it. “Some customers are understanding when you request for them to pay more,” Jackson adds. “Others lash out and threaten to report you and give you a one-star rating.” For customers who refuse to pay extra, drivers who spoke to TechCabal state that because most drivers of the service know each other, they would all make the same extra charge request to a rider until they give in. “If a customer refuses to pay extra, I post them in the driver Whatsapp group to warn my mates,” one told TechCabal. “So when they make another request, they will be asked the same extra charge until they give in.” Yango facing similar complaints Yango is a Russian ride-hailing platform which has been expanding across Africa and entered the Zambia ride-hailing market in March 2022. The service has garnered much fanfare in the country with passengers praising it for its low charges compared to other platforms. However, for drivers, despite having started well, it has deteriorated over the last few months. “The Yango in-app map is so terrible that on some days, I spent up to thirty minutes trying to arrive at a customer’s destination,” one driver told TechCabal. “Additionally, there are always some unexplained charges and deductions being made.” According to the driver, the only reason he is still driving for the platform is because he has no other choice as jobs are scarce in the country. Another driver who spoke to TechCabal on condition of anonymity complained that Yango also makes drivers pay for the actions of delinquent riders. “Sometimes a rider requests a long-distance ride and when you arrive to pick them up, they cancel the ride,” the driver told TechCabal. “Meanwhile, I have spent fuel and talk time calling them and Yango does not reimburse me for this loss.” Other complaints relayed by Yango drivers to TechCabal include low pickup activity despite having high ratings and “priority points”, harassment received from customers,, especially on weekends, as well as low fees charged to customers that include discounts which impact driver revenue. Yango responds to complaints In response to questions by TechCabal, Yango stated that it is aware of some of the complaints. To address these, the company stated that it has a 24/7 customer care centre where drivers can lodge their complaints. “We
Read MoreStarlink goes live in Eswatini months after receiving license
The country becomes the 8th in Africa to have access to the service. Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service provider, officially launched in Eswatini yesterday, December 18. The company initially applied for a license to operate in March 2023 and after ticking off regulatory and technical boxes, received the license in June. Starlink uses a low earth orbit to deliver broadband internet to urban and remote areas which is capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, and video calls. “Starlink is now live in Eswatini, marking the 8th country and 10 overall markets in Africa where service is available,” the company posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Starlink’s most common “Residential” package will cost R1,070 (~$ 58) per month. Hardware and shipping will cost customers another R12,450 (~ $670) for the Standard rectangular antenna. According to DataReportal, ESwatini has over 710,000 internet users out of a population of just over 1.2 million inhabitants. However, Starlink might be more of a premium service as the country grapples with high poverty rates. According to the World Bank, over 55% of the country’s population lives on less than $3.65 a day. The other African countries Starlink has a presence in are Mozambique, Rwanda, Mauritius, Sierra Leone, Zambia, and Nigeria. In Zimbabwe and Botswana, the regulators have announced that it is vetting the company’s application for an operating license. Despite making strides in the southern Africa region, Starlink is still facing regulatory pushback in what could be its largest and most lucrative market, South Africa. Its importation and usage have been banned as, according to the country’s competition regulations, Starlink’s South Africa subsidiary must allocate 30% ownership to historically disadvantaged groups, a provision the company seems to be pushing back against.
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Clickbait cash grab: Fake online deals haunt Batswana as online scam claims victims
An online scam which claims to sell various items, including cell phones, food and unclaimed baggage for P40 (~$3), has claimed several victims in Botswana. An online scam offering expensive items for sale at a hard-to-believe discounted price of 40 Pula is gaining popularity in Botswana, racking up victims in the hundreds. The scam targets people through sponsored ads on Facebook and Instagram, offering them deals on products from recognisable brands like Game Stores, Cell City, Botswana Post and Chicken Licken. The scam uses fake pages of some of Botswana’s most famous brands to dupe consumers. (image source: Facebook) Instead of getting the advertised deal, anyone who clicks on the link would be charged a recurring $40. In one instance, a Chicken Licken meal, which retails for P279 (~$21), was advertised for P40. In another, a Facebook-sponsored post advertised unclaimed post office parcels for P40, while another advertised an iPhone 15 Pro for P40. To seem even more legit, on the comments under the fake Facebook pages mirroring the legitimate brands, there are “testimonials” of previous winners of the products. Fake “testimonials” are used to further convince victims of the legitimacy of the scam. (Image source: Facebook) “What startled me was that the transaction was completed without prompting me to validate payment as I usually do for online payments,” one victim of the scam, who asked not to be named, told TechCabal. “When I did a web search, I learned that once such a payment goes through, it would be a recurring payment, so I immediately canceled my card through the app.” A seemingly well-coordinated scam An investigation by TechCabal revealed that when anyone clicks on the link displayed on the sponsored ad, it leads to a website where the user is asked to answer some questions related to the product. The links on the sponsored ads vary according to the product. For example, the link for the fake Cell City website shows as “sountermeasures.click” while for the fake Botswana Post website, it shows as “janparcei.com.” After completing the questions about the product, the website directs to a payment portal whose URL is “greenboxpaymentcenter.com.” After clicking on the link, victims are duped into providing their banking details. A further inspection of Greenboxpaymentcenter’s domain name shows it was registered on December 1, 2023. After filling in the form on the portal with information, including credit card details and submitting the form, the victim’s card is charged $40 instead of the advertised P40. According to a payment transaction SMS notice of one of the victims seen by TechCabal, the charging entity is listed as “vgsfvr.com,” which claims to be operated by Host-It Limited, an ecommerce merchant located in the United Kingdom. However, the domain shows that it is owned by an unnamed person or entity registered in Panama. According to previous Reddit complaints, the same domain and several of its variations have also been associated with online scams in the past. Instead of being charged the advertised P40 for the product, victims are instead charged the equivalent of $40 by an entity named “Vgsfvr.com” (Image source: Facebook) According to vgsfvr.com’s terms and conditions, full access to its so-called “services” costs $39.99, the same amount charged to victims of the “P40 scam”. Vgsfvr’s service is explained obscurely as subscriptions to a “messaging” service. It appears that the scam’s modus operandi is tricking victims into buying a subscription to vgsfvr.com disguised as the P40 products. The website also states that “all memberships will automatically renew monthly for your convenience until canceled”, corroborating the recurring charge stated by victims. P40 scam taking advantage of naivety According to Richard Harriman, a consumer protection advocate, to avoid falling victim to such scams, people be more skeptical. Harriman is the founder of a 201,000-member awareness Facebook group called Consumer Watchdog Botswana. “It makes no sense to buy a phone which costs upwards of P20,000 for only P40,” Harriman told TechCabal. “ These scammers use people’s desperation and naivety so the best countermeasure is to not believe offers which seem way too good to be true.” Some of the brands being fronted for the scam have come out to caution customers not to fall victim. “Kindly note that there are pages on Facebook and Instagram that are using our logo and name to scam people. Cell City is not affiliated to these pages in any way,” Cell City warned customers. Some of the brands whose likeness is being used by the scammers have come out to warn consumers. Despite several victims having reported the ads, some of them are still running on Facebook and Instagram. None of the victims TechCabal spoke to had reported the scams to law enforcement officials. TechCabal also reached out to First National Bank regarding how its protecting its customers against such scams but had not received responses by publication. Over this year, online scams spread through social media have become prevalent in Botswana. In May, a scam purported to invest victims’ funds in products of Ecoplexus, a real US company, costed victims tens of millions of pulas.
Read MoreMarketforce CEO says Pezesha’s approach to resolving debt situation is questionable
Tesh Mbaabu, CEO of Marketforce, a Kenyan business-to-business e-commerce that raised $40m in series A funding in 2022, has questioned the approach that Pezesha, a Kenyan startup that offers business loans-as-a-service is taking to resolve a debt crisis. Pezesha asked a Kenyan court to liquidate Marketforce’s assets over an unpaid debt. “We have been proactively holding debt restructuring discussions with our creditors through constructive dialogue,” said Tesh Mbaabu, Marketforce’s founder and CEO. “Regrettably, Pezesha chose to prematurely file court proceedings. That said, we remain open and confident about resolving this matter amicably and out of court,” he said. Mbaabu declined to comment on how much his firm owes Pezesha. In the petition filed in September, Pezesha says Marketforce owes it a substantial amount but did not provide details on how the debt was incurred or how much it is seeking to recover from Marketforce. Pezesha did not respond to enquiries at the time of this report. In April 2021, Marketforce and Pezesha entered a partnership where Pezesha would offer affordable inventory and wholesale distribution financing to Marketforce merchants. Marketforce, which had up until then raised a total of $500,000 ($150,000 from Y Combinator and $350,000 in seed round), would go on to announce that it had closed $2 million in pre-series A financing. While Pezesha did not say in its suit that it was pursuing debt obligations resulting from the 2021 inventory financing arrangement with Marketforce, Mbaabu, Marketforce’s founder and CEO, suggested this. “Pezesha is not really a vendor… they are a debt provider,” he told TechCabal. According to Mbaabu, Pezesha has enjoyed above-market-rate returns since their partnership started two years ago. “We have also serviced over half of the debt and intend to fully service the same in due course. I believe any creditor who is in tune with the macroeconomic climate would be more patient with their client, especially after such a long trading partnership. Therefore, I don’t really understand Pezesha’s intention with the filing and how it benefits any party.” he added. Marketforce and Pezesha share a common investor in Greenhouse Capital, a Lagos-based venture capital firm. On LinkedIn, Greenhouse Capital partner Surabhi Nimkar sits on the board of Pezesha, and according to Pitchbook, Nimkar is also listed on the board of Marketforce. TechCabal could not independently verify if this is still the case. Exclusive: Twiga CEO closed a $35 million convertible bond deal before 6-month sabbatical Funding woes Founded in 2018 by Tesh Mbaabu and Mesongo Sibuti, Marketforce is one of the B2B e-commerce startups that raised millions of dollars from venture capital investors to digitise the informal corner shops where most African consumers shop daily. The argument was that digitally augmenting or even replacing the wholesale layer would result in cost savings for informal retail traders. For Marketforce, that thesis led to the launch of RejaReja, a marketplace where informal traders could source goods directly from manufacturers or distributors and pay for orders digitally. RejaReja users could also accept payments for utility bills and access loans to finance their businesses. Lately, the thesis around retail digitalisation has run into the hard realities of increasing retail prices due to inflation and a sudden unwillingness by venture investors to subsidize high growth costs. In August 2023, Marketforce announced that it was looking to raise up to $1 million from Wefunder, the US-based crowdfunding platform. Per TechCrunch, Marketforce has raised $42.5 million since its launch, with the latest round being a $40 million series A round led by V8 Capital Partners, a London and Lagos-based venture capital firm. But that round did not close at that amount despite a public announcement, two people with knowledge of the matter told TechCabal. The lead investor, V8 Capital Partners backed out of the transaction, TechCabal learned. TechCabal did not receive a response from V8 Capital at the time of publication. Mbaabu, Marketforce’s founder, is now involved in a new startup called Chpter, which has raised $125,000, according to the company’s LinkedIn page. An investor with knowledge of the matter said Marketforce is preparing to acquire a stake in Chpter through its Delaware holding company. Mbaabu is expected to keep his role at Marketforce. According to this investor, a liquidation proceeding against the Kenyan version of Marketforce would not affect the deal as the Kenyan company owns very few assets in the country.
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👨🏿🚀TechCabal Daily – Twiga raises $35 million
In partnership with Share this newsletter: Lire en Français اقرأ هذا باللغة العربية Good morning Remember the startup that was named an exceptionally obvious scam? Yes, Tingo Group. Well, America’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced that it will bring charges against the CEO, Dozy Mmobuosi, for fabricating financial statements, insider trading, lying to auditors, failing to disclose the sale of millions of common shares, and more. If you are a founder, please take this survey to tell us what you are looking forward to next year. In today’s edition Twiga CEO closed $35 million deal before sabbatical SEC files charges against Tingo CEO Safaricom loses more market shares FTX plans to end bankruptcy TikTok removed 1.4 million videos by Nigerians The World Wide Web3 Opportunities E-commerce Twiga closes $35million convertible bond Peter Njonjo, CEO Twiga Foods Three weeks ago, Twiga, a Kenyan startup that connects farmers to food vendors, closed a funding round to settle its debts and pay suppliers. However, the size and nature of the funding was not previously reviewed. New reports by TechCabal show that the startup received a $35 million convertible bond—debt that pays interest but can also be converted into equity. Twiga raised the funds from Creadev and Juven, two private equity investors who had previously invested in Twiga. ICYMI: Twiga, previously cash-strapped, was sued by cloud service vendor Incentro, which asked a court to declare it bankrupt and force Twiga to repay its debts. The dispute is still being discussed privately between the two firms. A CEO exit? While Twiga might have secured enough money to bring it out of the water, a new eruption is happening at the company. The company’s CEO, Peter Njonjo, announced his decision on Thursday to take a six-month sabbatical, raising fears that investors were trying to remove him.While some believe that Njonjo might be in the good books of the board, others say this could be Njonjo’s path to an exit. The development comes as a new twist to the startup’s recent struggles. It laid off 30% of its employees and changed its business model, relying on independent sales contractors instead of its in-house sales department. Access payments with Moniepoint Moniepoint has made it simple for your business to access payments while providing access to credit and other business tools. Open an account today here. Fintech SEC charges Tingo CEO with fraud Dozy Mmobuosi, CEO of Tingo Group The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is serving up a legal feast for Dozy Mmobuosi, the CEO of Tingo Group. The American financial watchdog has filed charges against Dozy Mmobuosi, and three affiliated entities of which he is the CEO—Tingo Group Inc, Agri-Fintech Holdings Inc, and Tingo International Holdings Inc. What are the charges? The charges encompass a range of offences, including insider trading, providing false information to auditors, failure to disclose the sale of millions of common shares, and violations of internal controls. Here’s what you need to know: Tingo Group gained public attention when Hindenburg Group, an American short seller, published an explosive report in June 2023, branding Tingo Group as an “exceptionally obvious scam with completely fabricated financials,” alleging that Tingo falsified reports about partnerships, projects, and expansions. Tingo denied the allegations, but the company’s share price crashed by 55% following the report. In November, the SEC launched a formal investigation into Tingo Group, leading to the suspension of trading in the self-proclaimed agri-fintech company’s shares. It has now charged the company with fraud. Zoom out: One notable misrepresentation involves Tingo Group reporting $461.7 million in cash and cash equivalents for the fiscal year 2022, while its actual bank accounts held less than $50. Checkout the Paystack Terminal experience Paystack Terminal helps you accept in-person payments. We released updates that help you easily access receipts, customise reports, and shorten the length of receipts. Learn more about Paystack Terminal → Telecom Safaricom share drops in Kenya Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa Safaricom is losing steam. According to data from Kenya’s communications authority, Safaricom suffered a decline in market share across its mobile and broadband services for the third quarter of this year. The telecom lost 0.4% of its market share, reducing its position as market leader to about 44.1 million subscribers. Two quarters, two drops: This is Safaricom’s second loss of its market share position in two quarters. The report notes that Safaricom’s broadband subscriptions decreased by 0.9% to 61.9%. Airtel, however, has taken a slice of Safaricom’s market share, recording growth in both mobile and broadband subscribers. Airtel gained about 800,000 customers, bumping its market share to 28.2%. Safaricom, however, gained only 200,00 customers in the quarter. The report also notes that Telekom Kenya suffered a reduction in its market share from 3.8% to 3.1% with 2.1 million subscribers, signalling a heightened appetite from Airtel. Another side of the coin: While Safaricom might have dropped a portion of its market share, it maintains a dominant position in the mobile money market with a 97% share. Airtel Money trails behind with a 2.9% share, while Telkom’s T-Kash manages a paltry 0.1% market share. How do Nigerians save and spend? Did you know that 64% of Nigerians save a portion of their monthly income? Read PiggyVest’s first-ever savings report to see more about how Nigerians save and spend here. Cryptocurrency FTX plans to exit bankruptcy To bring closure to its bankruptcy case, FTX Trading Ltd has revealed a proposal to repay billions of dollars to customers and creditors. The crypto exchange proposes to liquidate most of its remaining crypto holdings and convert them into cash which will then be distributed to creditors and customers, according to a yet-to-be-determined formula. The proposal is slated for a vote by creditors next year. Following the creditor vote, the plan will be subject to final approval by US Bankruptcy Judge John Dorsey. The backstory: In November 2022, FTX filed for bankruptcy after users pulled $6 billion from the platform in three days and rival exchange Binance abandoned a rescue deal. This
Read MoreBreaking: SEC charges Tingo Group CEO Dozy Mmobuosi with “massive fraud”
America’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will bring charges against Dozy Mmobuosi, the CEO of Tingo Group, for fabricating financial statements and other documents of three of Tingo Group and its subsidiaries, Tingo Mobile and Tingo Foods PLC. Dozy Mmobuosi and all three of Tingo’s subsidiaries are listed as defendants in the case with charges ranging from insider trading, lying to auditors, and failing to disclose the sale of millions of common shares for which he was the ultimate beneficial owner and internal controls violations. The announcement of the charges comes one month after the SEC formally launched an investigation into Tingo Group. The agency also suspended trading in the shares of the self-described agritech company. Part of the SEC’s filing said, “Mmobuosi made and caused the entities to make material misrepresentations about their business operations and financial success in press releases, periodic SEC filings.” One significant misrepresentation, for instance, is that while Tingo Group reported having cash and cash equivalent of $461.7 million for the fiscal year 2023, its bank accounts held less than $50 in total. The SEC also said Mmobuosi “fraudulently obtained hundreds of millions in money or property through these schemes, and that Mmobuosi has siphoned off funds for his personal benefit, including purchases of luxury cars and travel on private jets, as well as an unsuccessful attempt to acquire an English Football Club Premier League team, among other things.” Tingo Group was the subject of an explosive report published by Hindenburg Group, the famous American short seller. The research firm called Tingo Group an “exceptionally obvious scam with completely fabricated financials” in June 2023. *This is a developing story
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