Ivorian e-commerce startup ANKA has raised $6.2 million in a pre-series A round. The startup which was founded in 2016 facilitates product exports. It formerly went under the name Afrikrea before rebranding to ANKA. ANKA was originally a SaaS platform that then Afrikrea launched for sellers in a partnership with DHL and Visa in April 2021.
Launched as Afrikrea by Moulaye Taboure, Kadry Diallo and Luc B Perussault Diallo, as a marketplace for Africa-based and African-inspired fashion, clothing, arts and crafts, the startup has seen serious and commendable growth. ANKA, originally a SaaS platform launched for sellers came out of the founders’ observation that sellers also engaged other mediums such as websites and social media to sell. ANKA came as a platform that encapsulates “everything”; where sellers can monitor all their sales and inventory across all the channels they use to sell and get to consumers.
The startup claims to have provided service to over 7,000 sellers across 47 African countries as well as buyers across 170 countries last year. Since the startup launched, it has recorded 250 percent year-on-year growth. That’s pretty impressive if you ask anyone. Apart from the aforementioned services, ANKA provides features like customizable online storefronts, payment links and access to various payment methods as well as logistics services.
According to ANKA’s CEO Moulaye Taboure, “The main goal behind that is to reflect our much larger purpose and mission now. And also much larger product offering as we are going to serve not only people in fashion but in every industry where anyone wants to export African products”.
Afrikrea, following the brand name change to ANKA, will now be available as a service or feature on the ANKA platform. Other features that can be seen on the startup’s platform include a customized online storefront that is linked to the social media platforms and other marketplace channels of sellers, access to shipping services powered by the platform’s partnership with DHL, and receiving payments in multiple currencies.
“So wherever you sell, on social media, Afrikrea marketplace, or your website, all of it ends up in one dashboard. You can manage all of your orders and one wallet to get paid and withdraw your money easily”, the CEO added.
Startups in Africa continue with their exploits. In 2021, African startups collectively raised $4 billion in funding and this year is filled with higher expectations for them.
