Coworking in Nairobi // Why this is More than a Rented Desk
February 9, 2023
Partech Hits First Close of Largest Africa-focused Fund, at €245M
February 13, 2023
Spotlight on Kapu // Helping Reduce the Cost of Living in Africa
The price of food is a significant source of risk in developing economies across Africa – where data is available.
It is estimated that African consumers spend 40-50% of their household income on food and essential products.
Inflation is hard for everyone but if food is half of your budget then it becomes crippling. and becomes a blocker to social mobility it is this wide problem that is adjustable across all of Africa.
And just like many startups, Kapu began to help save many households in Africa from this huge problem.
Kapu, which comes from the Swahili name, Kikapu meaning basket, is social commerce startup aiming to revolutionize the way consumers shop for food in Kenya, where sky-rocketing prices have become a major concern.
Kapu was started in 2022 with a mission of bringing down the cost of living for customers and a goal of saving one billion dollar for consumers across Africa.
What makes Kapu different is what the company calls its frontline DNA, a term used to mean, “ customer first”. This shows Kapu’s commitment to their customers every day to ensure they serve them better.
Late last year the company emerged from stealth mode with $8 million in funding. The company plans to use these funds to expand its network of local agents, support WhatsApp orders, and further improve its e-commerce platform.
Kapu’s seed round was co-led by Giant Ventures and Firstminute Capital, with participation from a number of other investors, including Founder Collective, Base Capital, Norrsken, and Raven One.
In our spotlight feature this month we spoke with Sam Kitonyi, VP of Engineering, where he shared with us the story of our member Kapu, who is our member at Nairobi Garage // Spring Valley.
From relevance being its Unique Value Proposition to, the place of innovation in product development, to the strategies shared with the target audience, here are the interview excerpts from Kapu:
