Talk360, the international calling app that connects with reliable and affordable calls to any landline or mobile phone, has raised $1.4 million to drive the company’s goal of connecting seven million people by 2025 while strengthening its journey towards long-term profitability.
The Pre-Series A funding round was led by Talk360’s long-standing investor, Havaic at a $30 million+ valuation. Havaic contributed $1 million while the additional $400,000 from other investors to localise into more African languages and set up more local and global partnerships with remittance companies, retailers, and brands.
In 2022, Talk360 raised $7 million through two seed funding rounds, attracting investments from African venture capitalists and fintech angels across Europe and South Africa, including executives from Adyen and Mollie, as well as the founders of Tyme Bank.
“We’re incredibly proud of Talk360’s growth. Over the past two years, we’ve gone from connecting 2.3 million users to4 million in 2023. This funding will help us continue our mission of connecting African migrant communities with their families back home,” says Hans Osnabrugge, co-founder and CEO of Talk360.
Talk360 is a South African and Dutch calling app that enables affordable international calls, requiring only the initiator to have the app and internet connectivity to reach any number globally. Its used by the African diaspora in the UK, US, and South Africa but also establishing the first payment aggregator to solve the challenge of failed payment attempts for both merchants and consumers.
“This payment platform has been exclusively used in-house to establish a strong foundation. The results have been exceptional, with an average 25% increase in payment conversion. We are strongly considering opening the platform to external merchants before Christmas 2024,” says Hans Osnabrugge, co-founder and CEO at Talk360. “The additional funding will enable us to deliver on our next phase of growth to reach seven million people and achieve profitability across our global operations,” added Osnabrugge.
Havaic’s continued support of Talk360, despite the challenging economic conditions, underscores their strong confidence in the company’s future.
“Talk360’s ability to navigate and succeed in challenging economic conditions speaks to the strength of its business model and clear vision. We are confident this latest round of funding will empower them to deepen their impact, especially in underserved communities across Africa,” says Ian Lessem, Managing Partner at Havaic.
