ANKA Raises $5M to Expand Its Ivorian SaaS E-commerce Platform Across Africa ๐จ๐ฎ
Ivorian SaaS e-commerce platform ANKA has secured $5 million in a pre-Series A extension round, combining equity and debt financing. The company, previously known as Afrikrea, has now raised $13.5 million since its inception. ANKA plans to use this fresh investment to enhance product development and expand services, with a focus on key markets like Nigeria, Kenya, and the U.S.
ANKA serves as an all-in-one SaaS solution for global African businesses. It transitioned from being a marketplace to an e-commerce platform in 2021 to consolidate merchants' focus on a single platform, offering services for exporters, online merchants, and drop shippers. The platform has witnessed remarkable growth, recording over a million monthly visits and $50 million in transactions across 175 countries. The company's margins and community of African SMEs have doubled since its last capital injection.
ANKA intends to actively recruit talent to support its growth plans, aiming to onboard 100,000 African sellers by 2030. This investment round was led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and included participation from Proparco and Bpifrance. The funding will also address short-term financial needs related to shipping and payment float.
The company's focus on empowering African artisans, especially women, aligns with its goal of facilitating economic inclusion and sustainable growth in the continent's creative industry.
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