Much of Africa’s business gets done over Whatsapp. To help the continent’s small businesses close such deals, Sukhiba in Kenya has developed a customer relationship management system, or CRM, that integrates the messaging app with payment providers and software to manage inventory ordering, payments, trade credit, delivery and customer interactions.
The company has raised a $1.6 million seed extension round from EQ2 Ventures, Accion Venture Lab, Quona Capital and other investors.
Sukhiba launched in 2021 amid a boom in “enterprise tech” tailored to meet the specific needs of small businesses in emerging markets. It now supports more than 35,000 companies in seven African countries and India.
Most CRM systems are designed for larger companies or small businesses in better-resourced markets. “Sukhiba’s innovative platform can streamline many processes for small and medium enterprises as well as large manufacturers and distributors,” said Accion Venture Lab’s Amee Parbhoo.
