Kenya's Sukhiba Secures $1.55 Million to Drive Expansion Across Africa and Emerging Markets

Pioneering Conversational Commerce

Kenya's Sukhiba, an innovative conversational commerce and CRM platform, has successfully raised US$1.55 million in a seed extension round. This funding will fuel the startup's expansion across Africa and other emerging markets, solidifying its position as a key player in the region's digital transformation.

Bridging the Gap Through WhatsApp

Founded in 2021 by Ananth Raj Gudipati and Abhinav Reddy, Sukhiba is built on the widely used WhatsApp platform. It enables medium and large enterprises to enhance their sales, marketing, customer service, payments, and more by customizing these services around WhatsApp's infrastructure. This strategic use of an already ubiquitous platform allows Sukhiba to effectively bridge the gap between brands, manufacturers, distributors, and customers in emerging markets.

A Rising Force in Multiple Markets

Since 2023, Sukhiba has seen significant growth, now operating in eight markets across Africa and India. The platform has become a go-to solution for top-tier manufacturers, distributors, leading retail chains, and D2C brands. With over 35,000 SMEs already purchasing products and services through its merchant partners, Sukhiba is rapidly becoming a vital tool in the business landscape of emerging markets.

Funding and Expansion

The recent US$1.55 million seed extension round was led by EQ2 Ventures, with participation from Accion Venture Lab, Musha Ventures, Quona Capital, and existing investors CRE Ventures. These newly secured funds will be pivotal in accelerating Sukhiba’s expansion efforts, allowing the company to scale its operations and enhance its SaaS platform to better serve its growing customer base.

Becoming the Default CRM in Emerging Markets

Sukhiba's founders and investors share a strong vision of becoming the default CRM and sales force automation tool in emerging markets. "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," said Gudipati, reflecting on the company's future trajectory.

A Testament to Sukhiba’s Potential

Manish Phulwani, associate director at EQ2 Ventures, highlighted the firm’s confidence in Sukhiba’s potential. "Our follow-on investment in Sukhiba is a strong vote of confidence. The team's exceptional product mindset positions them to lead the transition of business and consumer transactions to WhatsApp across emerging markets. We look forward to continuing this journey with them," Phulwani remarked.