Jendaya, a London-based but Africa-focused fashion eCommerce platform, has raised £1 million (~$1.2 million) in a pre-seed funding round to scale its fashion business.
The pre-seed round of Jendaya saw investment from Sabi CEO Anu Adedoyin Adasolum and various angel investors. The company has also secured funding from Ada VC, Culture Capital, as well as actress Maisie Williams and musicians Bizzle Osikoya and Asa Asika.
Founded in December 2021 by CEO Ayotunde Rufai, COO Kemi Adetu, CCO Teni Sagoe, and CSO David Elikwu, Jendaya serves as a bridge connecting global luxury brands to Africa and allowing consumers outside the continent to uncover African brands.
“Jendaya is a luxury e-commerce platform for the Global Citizen — Africa included being the most important part because the African citizen is also very global, they’re very metropolitan, well traveled and exposed, they’re tastemakers,” said Ayotunde Rufai of the regular Jendaya shopper. “So these customers don’t just want Orange Culture, they want to mix the Orange Culture with Versace. They want to mix a Bottega with Valero and Casablancas and other new brands coming out worldwide. These consumers dictate our brand offerings in that sense.”
Since inception, Jendaya has processed about 300 orders with an average order value per shopping cart of $350. Comparing this value with typical $750 to $1,500 recorded by well-established luxury e-commerce stores, Rufai stated that building credibility and trust, as well as increasing consumer awareness of the platform and the brands the platform offers, is crucial in the online luxury selling market.
Rufai also noted that Jendaya has already onboarded 70 brands through an invite-only pilot program and direct partnerships with multi-brand boutiques. The company aims to double this number in the coming year in order to boost the global presence of African luxury designers and strengthen luxury e-commerce in Africa.
In addition to its e-commerce offerings, Jendaya has also generated revenue through its B2B products, totaling approximately $100,000 to date. These include Jendaya Editorial, which not only features the brands available on the platform but also highlights historical and seasonal news to inspire a global audience. Another B2B offering is Jendaya Labs, the startup’s creative agency that counts clients such as Casablanca, Ozwald Boateng, Paul Smith, and Burberry among others.
