Bosso, a Zambian startup revolutionizing the construction e-commerce landscape, has successfully secured a $400,000 pre-seed investment to enhance its platform and introduce additional functionalities.
Established in 2022 by a team of visionaries—Chisepo Chirwa, Mukopaje Singogo, Ibn Kafwanka, and Salwa Shamapande—Bosso has quickly become Zambia’s premier digital marketplace for construction materials, catering to both hardware stores and contractors.
The platform is dedicated to making high-quality, cost-effective building supplies accessible to all segments of the Zambian population.
Chisepo Chirwa, the CEO of Bosso, commented that the company, which started as a streamlined online marketplace for building materials, has now expanded its scope. It aims to provide comprehensive B2B and B2C solutions to help bridge Africa’s significant housing gap, estimated at 60 million units.
To date, Bosso has successfully integrated over 1,000 hardware stores onto its platform, assisted more than 200 homebuilders with sourcing materials, and facilitated the delivery of construction supplies to 40% of Zambian provinces.
The recent pre-seed funding round attracted contributions from Leonard by Vinci, Launch Africa Ventures, Renew Capital, Change-Com, and several angel investors. These funds are earmarked for bolstering Bosso’s market presence in Zambia and for the creation of innovative products.
Chirwa unveiled ambitious plans for the near future, stating that Bosso intends to leverage two years’ worth of data with their AI technology to significantly reduce inefficiencies within the construction sector. A new platform is in the works, which will supplement the existing materials offering with crucial services such as land conveyancing, financing options, a “save now, pay later” scheme, and connections to construction firms.
With a goal to facilitate material sourcing for over 5,000 homes by 2025, Bosso is preparing to open its seed funding round in August.
Chirwa emphasized the urgency of the housing crisis in Africa and Bosso’s commitment to addressing this challenge. The startup’s vision extends beyond Zambia, with plans to expand throughout Southern Africa and to introduce a novel AI assistant for building materials, further accelerating their mission to provide decent and affordable housing across the continent.
