Seedstars

Jumba is a construction technology platform based in Nairobi, Kenya, established in 2022. The company focuses on streamlining B2B construction material purchases and financing, facilitating transactions between manufacturers and retailers. Jumba's platform enables businesses to order a variety of construction materials, including cement, steel, paint, tiles, plumbing supplies, electrical components, glass, and kitchen and bathroom finishes, with the option to pay later. By connecting small hardware stores with medium-sized retailers in their vicinity, Jumba helps enhance inventory management and negotiates pricing to simplify the supply chain for construction materials across Africa.

Zuri Health is a telemedicine company based in Nairobi, Kenya, established in 2020. It offers affordable and accessible healthcare solutions through a mobile app, website, and SMS services, catering to patients without smartphones and those in rural areas. Users can schedule lab and diagnostic tests, consult with doctors, purchase medications from pharmacies, and arrange home visits with qualified medical professionals. The platform also features an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot to enhance user experience and provide first-level medical consultations. Zuri Health aims to create a universally accessible healthcare experience for all individuals, regardless of their location or resources.

Kiri EV is a manufacturer of electric vehicles and charging systems focused on the Kenyan and East African markets. The company produces a variety of electric transportation options, including scooters, motorcycles, auto rickshaws, and carriers. Their vehicles incorporate advanced features such as direct current motor technology, antilock braking systems, customizable components, removable batteries, and silent motors. Kiri EV aims to demonstrate the viability and importance of electric vehicles in transforming transportation across the African continent, challenging the traditional motor industry in the process. By offering affordable and innovative solutions, Kiri EV seeks to promote the adoption of electric mobility in the region.

Jumba is a construction technology platform based in Nairobi, Kenya, established in 2022. The company focuses on streamlining B2B construction material purchases and financing, facilitating transactions between manufacturers and retailers. Jumba's platform enables businesses to order a variety of construction materials, including cement, steel, paint, tiles, plumbing supplies, electrical components, glass, and kitchen and bathroom finishes, with the option to pay later. By connecting small hardware stores with medium-sized retailers in their vicinity, Jumba helps enhance inventory management and negotiates pricing to simplify the supply chain for construction materials across Africa.

ZUMI, founded in 2016 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, operates as an online magazine and a retail platform focused on fashion, beauty, food, and living. The company connects wholesalers and retailers within a transparent marketplace, empowering women retailers through technology, logistics, and financial services that facilitate business growth. Customers can place orders via SMS, phone calls, or through ZUMI Agents. ZUMI collects orders from suppliers early each morning, ensuring fast delivery to customers, typically within 18 hours. Payment is made conveniently through mobile money, allowing for a seamless shopping experience.

Mangwee is a mobile money transfer platform that aims to enhance financial inclusion, particularly in rural areas of Zambia and Africa, by facilitating a shift towards a cash-light economy. The platform provides a secure, easy-to-use, and affordable payment solution, featuring a range of applications designed to improve the lives of various demographics, including women, farmers, youth, and the economically disadvantaged. In addition to its primary mobile money transfer services, Mangwee offers an electronic wallet aimed at university students, which helps to reduce the costs associated with mobile money transactions and enables users to transfer funds conveniently via their mobile phones at any time and from any location.

Pezesha is a digital financial marketplace based in Nairobi, Kenya, that connects small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to various financing options, including working capital, float financing, and LPO financing. Founded in 2016, Pezesha aims to enhance access to affordable credit for micro-businesses by leveraging credit and data analytics to link lenders with low-income borrowers. The platform facilitates a shared economy by converging lending and other financial services, thereby enabling underserved SMBs to participate in the formal financial system. Through its innovative approach, Pezesha seeks to empower businesses and improve their growth potential by providing essential financial resources.

BeneFactors Ltd. is a Kigali-based factoring company that specializes in providing working capital solutions to small and medium-sized enterprises in Rwanda. Founded in 2017, BeneFactors offers tailored financial services that enable businesses to sell future payments from their buyers for immediate cash. This service allows companies to manage pending invoices or purchase orders, thus ensuring they can continue operations even if buyers delay payments. By facilitating access to cash, BeneFactors supports business growth and stability for its clients, allowing them to take on more clients and expand their operations without financial strain.

ZUMI, founded in 2016 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, operates as an online magazine and a retail platform focused on fashion, beauty, food, and living. The company connects wholesalers and retailers within a transparent marketplace, empowering women retailers through technology, logistics, and financial services that facilitate business growth. Customers can place orders via SMS, phone calls, or through ZUMI Agents. ZUMI collects orders from suppliers early each morning, ensuring fast delivery to customers, typically within 18 hours. Payment is made conveniently through mobile money, allowing for a seamless shopping experience.

Jamii Africa is a provider of mobile micro-health insurance tailored for the low-income and informal sector. The company has developed a mobile policy management platform that automates 99% of insurance administration activities, significantly reducing costs and allowing for more affordable premium rates. Through strategic partnerships with Jubilee Insurance and Vodacom Tanzania, Jamii Africa facilitates cashless transactions for premium collection and benefit payouts, enhancing accessibility for its target market. Their platform not only manages the benefit ledger but is also integrated with mobile money and insurer systems, ensuring efficient service delivery. By offering customized insurance policies that provide access to various hospitals, Jamii Africa aims to meet the unique needs of underserved populations, promoting greater health coverage in the region.

iNuka Pap Limited is a Kenyan company founded in 2014 that operates a mobile platform designed to offer instant loans to members of savings and credit co-operatives (SACCOs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs) across Africa. The platform provides users with immediate access to short-term cash advances, which can help address urgent financial needs. In addition to loan services, iNuka Pap also facilitates other consumer services such as prepaid electricity, airtime, and insurance. By enabling members to manage their small cash emergencies conveniently and efficiently, the company aims to enhance financial accessibility for its users.

Jamii Africa is a provider of mobile micro-health insurance tailored for the low-income and informal sector. The company has developed a mobile policy management platform that automates 99% of insurance administration activities, significantly reducing costs and allowing for more affordable premium rates. Through strategic partnerships with Jubilee Insurance and Vodacom Tanzania, Jamii Africa facilitates cashless transactions for premium collection and benefit payouts, enhancing accessibility for its target market. Their platform not only manages the benefit ledger but is also integrated with mobile money and insurer systems, ensuring efficient service delivery. By offering customized insurance policies that provide access to various hospitals, Jamii Africa aims to meet the unique needs of underserved populations, promoting greater health coverage in the region.