Kenyan e-Commerce Startup Sky.Garden raises $4m in Series A funding

Kenya’s e-commerce startup Sky.Garden has announced it closed a $4 million round of Series A funding to accelerate its growth. The round featured SANAD Fund for MSME, Aavishkaar, UNCOVERED FUND, and KSK Angel Fund, the latter founded by Japanese former AC Milan footballer Keisuke Honda.

Sky. Garden was launched in 2017; the platform offers a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for mobile commerce built specifically for African businesses. Its interface allows informal traders, SMEs, and established businesses to sell their products. Given its African-focused platform, African sellers and businesses can quickly adapt to the extensive logistics network of informal and structured shipping across the continent.

Martin Majlund, chief executive officer (CEO) of Sky.Garden speaking on the funding said the investment will allow the startup to scale its focus to provide African sellers with best-in-class technology to access to online commerce.

“Sky.Garden’s sole focus is to provide African sellers with best-in-class technology to access and reap the benefits of online commerce. This investment round will allow Sky.Garden to drive impact at scale. I’m looking forward to an exciting new chapter with these great partners pioneering e-commerce with the African entrepreneur in mind” said Martin.

SANAD Board chairperson Dr. Daniela Beckmann also added that SANAD had long promoted the power of technology for financial inclusion and business growth.

“The pandemic has underscored the importance of digital solutions in ensuring flexible, sustainable operations for entrepreneurs. We are very pleased to be joining forces with Sky.Garden, an impactful company expanding access to the benefits of e-commerce to the locally owned businesses that drive the engine of the economy and are at the core of SANAD’s mission. With an investment into Sky.Garden, we will also enable technology transfer for the benefit of entrepreneurs in the region,” she said.

The investment will be used to accelerate the Sky.Garden’s growth, and allow African retailers to sell products to a customer on the other side.