Kenyan startup Wowzi has raised $3.2 million from investors in recent months to expand its operations across the African continent and in other emerging markets globally.
The funding includes a recently concluded $2-million seed round headed by the Africa-focused venture capital company 4DX Ventures and a preceding $1.2-million pre-seed round.
Other investors in the round include Future Africa, a VC firm founded by Andela and Flutterwave Co-Founder Iyin Aboyeji, Afropreneur Angels, To.org, Golden Palm Investments and LoftyInc Capital.
Meanwhile, individuals that significantly contributed to the round were: Andela Co-Founder Christina Sass and former Andela Board Members Jessica Chervin and Justin Ziegler. Wowzi Chief Development and Growth Officer Johnny Falla partook in the round as well.
Wowzi is a Kenyan startup that helps SMEs, creative agencies, NGOs and other institutions push brand messages and extract consumer insights from trusted influencers in African commerce.
The startup was founded by Mike Otieno, Hassan Bashir and Brian Mogeni in mid-2019. It has a physical presence in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, with a headquarters in Nairobi.
It has grown exponentially over the years, having worked with more than 200 brands, executed over 15,000 campaigns and delivered more than 200,000 paid gigs to date. It has worked with an assortment of international brands, including Netflix, P&G, Absa Bank and Coca-Cola.
Commenting on how the funding will help the company strategically position itself for further growth, CEO and Co-Founder Mogeni told TechCrunch that Wowzi is making moves to establish a new operational base in Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa.
He added: ‘’We are also adding new product capabilities and features, as we continue to develop our technology and provide additional value to our communities.’’
As Wowzi expands its geographic breadth in Africa and other emerging markets, Billionaires.Africa understands that it is also hoping to create more than 1 million jobs in the short term.
