Kenyan B2B last mile logistics startup, Duhqa has closed a $2 million seed round to scale its service offering within Kenya and East Africa. The startup raised US$ 150,000 in pre-seed funding in 2021.
The funding round attracted participation from CrossFund, Roselake Ventures, Mo Angels and a number of existing investors, including Techstars and strategic local angels.
Founded in 2021 by Victor Maina, Davis Angwenyi and Dudu Moilwa, Duhqa is a B2B retail tech platform that empowers informal African merchants to digitally source and pay for inventory, get delivery conveniently and access short-term financing.
Duhqa’s platform optimizes the informal microstores called “Dukas” in Kenya by connecting them to manufacturers and has onboarded over 5,000 merchants so far.
It operated in stealth mode for much of 2021 and was part of the 5th cohort of Techstars Toronto Accelerator.
Duhqa intends to use the funds to develop existing markets, and avail more tech tools to its growing merchant network. Duhqa runs an asset-light model currently with a team of 40, and intends to triple its size before the end of the year.
“Our goal is to address the gaps in African distribution logistics with the best in Logistics, e-commerce, financing and data insights which are needed to build a better, leaner African distribution sector. The significant demand for our solution, an improved way for companies to distribute their goods and services to mass markets in Africa has caught on. We are thrilled to get a boost from returning and new investors at this crucial time. This will enable us to continue making it easier for retailers to trade by connecting them to manufacturers and give them the resources to be efficient” says Victor Maina the CEO & Founder.
According to Ben, the co-founder of CrossFund, “CrossFund is proud to be investing in Duhqa as they grow across Eastern Africa. Victor and team have shown that they understand the market, its pain points, and how to best deliver daily necessities to the local communities that need them most. We look forward to supporting Duhqa in scaling their logistics capabilities so that they can widen their impact and continue improving the quality of life of everyday people”
Speaking about the investment, Mo Angels spokesman said. “We are excited to join Duhqa as it expands in Kenya and beyond. We have been truly inspired and impressed by its sharp team, its business model and look forward to helping them along the way to conquering this key link in giving greater access to goods and services to underserved communities.”
Roselake says “Duhqa not only has a deep understanding of the supply chain pain points faced by local retailers, but also offers an effective solution to address them. In addition, Duhqa is creating tremendous social value by bridging the gap between retailers and manufacturers to offer affordable daily goods for local communities. We look forward to being a long-term partner of Duhqa’s A-class team and support them to further expand their outreach.
