Tappi, a Kenyan e-commerce startup, has been chosen to participate in the latest Orbit Startups accelerator program.
As part of this program, Tappi has secured $180,000 in funding and gained access to a comprehensive support system aimed at facilitating its growth and fundraising efforts beyond the demo day.
Orbit Startups, which operates under the umbrella of SOSV, a global venture capital firm managing $1.5 billion in assets, focuses on scaling promising startups from various regions, including Southeast and South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas.
The program is specifically designed to target emerging and frontier markets.
According to a report by Disrupt Africa, the latest edition of the program has selected nine startups from different parts of the world, with Tappi being one of them.
Tappi offers a full-stack social commerce solution that enables small businesses to establish an online storefront in less than two minutes.
Founded by Kenfield Griffith, the startup distributes its app for free through mobile operators and has experienced impressive growth, boasting a network of over 20 million Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and a monthly growth rate of 21%.
The selected cohort of startups recently presented their pitches to an audience consisting exclusively of investors.
The start-ups focused on transforming climate tech, healthcare, mobility and economic inclusion.
This diverse group includes ventures from India, the United States, Colombia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Thailand.
The start-ups include:
Goka: A US-based company that helps brands and creators compete and increase loyalty through real-world-friendly Web3 assets and custom marketing solutions
Muta: A Colombia-headquartered tech-enhanced recycling company for waste management in Latin America
MySyara: A car repair and maintenance platform from the United Arab Emirates
Tato: An India-based social network platform that protects the privacy of users
TradeTogether: A Singaporean company that provides digital asset management solutions on Web3
Yindii: A Thailand-based startup that aims to reduce food waste and boost restaurant profits by selling unsold food
Zoth: An Indian firm looking to bridge the gap between borrowers from emerging markets with crypto lenders
The General Partner at SOSV and Managing Director at Orbit Startups, William Bao Bean expressed enthusiasm, “For the potential of technology to drive substantial changes in economies worldwide, particularly in emerging and frontier markets.”
He praised the group of entrepreneurs in the program for their transformative work in areas such as climate tech, healthcare, mobility, and economic inclusion.