Kenyan WhatsApp-based e-commerce platform secures investment
Kenyan WhatsApp-based e-commerce platform secures investment
Sukhiba has completed a $1.55 million seed extension round.
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Sukhiba, a Kenya-based conversational commerce and CRM platform, announced today it has completed a $1.55 million seed extension round led by EQ2 Ventures. Other investors that participated in the round include Accion Venture Lab, Musha Ventures, Quona Capital, and existing investor CRE Ventures.
Unlike other platforms designed for developed markets that rely on email infrastructure, Sukhiba caters to the unique needs of emerging markets. It focuses on the predominant use of WhatsApp as an operating system and customises its services of sales, marketing, customer service, payments and more around the WhatsApp infrastructure.
For example, traditionally, manufacturers and distributors supplying small and medium enterprises rely on physical visits and scattered WhatsApp messages to drive order generation and oversee logistics, often resulting in stockouts and lost sales. Sukhiba’s WhatsApp-based communication platform integrates inventory ordering, payments, trade credit, delivery, and customer relationships. By enabling manufacturers and distributors to push shopping carts to wholesalers and retailers, Sukhiba reduces order delays and time spent managing inventory. This not only helps SMEs maintain stock levels but also increases their sales, improving their overall productivity and efficiency.
Ananth Gudipati, co-founder and CEO of Sukhiba, said: “Sukhiba is designed to bridge the gap between brands, manufacturers, distributors, and their customers in emerging markets by leveraging the ubiquitous nature of WhatsApp. This seed extension marks a significant milestone for us, enabling us to scale our operations and enhance our SaaS platform to better serve our growing customer base of manufacturers, distributors and D2C brands.”
Manish Phulwani, associate director at EQ2 Ventures, added: “Our follow-on investment in Sukhiba is a strong vote of confidence, having witnessed the team's consistent execution since the early days. Their exceptional product mindset is rare, positioning them to lead the transition of business and consumer transactions to WhatsApp across emerging markets. We look forward to continuing this journey with the team.”
According to Amee Parbhoo, managing partner of Accion Venture Lab, said: “We see that small retailers in emerging markets are reliant on in-person interactions to manage their day-to-day commerce. Sukhiba's innovative platform can streamline many processes for small and medium enterprises as well as large manufacturers and distributors – from integrating inventory management and payment processing to trade credit, logistics, and customer engagement; all within the familiar interface of WhatsApp, helping improve the client experience and boost productivity.”
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