Maka Raises $2.65M to Transform Fashion and Beauty Shopping in Africa
Maka, the African social commerce platform, has secured $2.65 million in a pre-seed funding round. The primary investors leading the funding are Pan-African venture capital firms 4DX Ventures and Janngo Capital. Notable contributors to this funding include Palm Drive Capital, angel investor Jonathan Shipman, and executives from delivery platform Wolt.
Founded in 2021 by Diana Owusu-Kyereko, Maka stands out as an interactive social commerce platform aiming to streamline buying fashion and beauty products in Africa. The platform utilizes live try-on hauls, reviews, and user-generated content to help users discover products that resonate with their style.
Owusu-Kyereko, former CEO of Jumia Ghana and ex-CCO of Jumia Kenya, initiated Maka in response to the challenges faced during the pandemic. Struggling to find inclusive fashion inspiration in Ghana, she identified a need for a more seamless and trustworthy shopping experience. Market surveys in Ghana and Nigeria revealed widespread difficulties in the fashion and beauty sector.
Revolutionizing the E-commerce Landscape
Maka addresses critical issues in the industry by building trust in the buying process and providing creators with opportunities to monetize their influence. Leveraging video content, the platform connects users with trusted creators, ensuring a more personalized and trustworthy shopping experience. Customers can also share video reviews of their purchases, fostering a sense of community and trust within the Maka platform.
Maka’s user-generated content model empowers a diverse range of creators, enabling them to produce video content based on their purchases. The platform features a rewards system, incentivizing users to upload video reviews and engage with the community. This approach has led to user engagement, with over 500,000 downloads and 2,000 reviews.
Future Prospects
Maka plans to expand its team, enhance its technology, and deepen its presence in Ghana and Nigeria. The platform is poised to revolutionize the fashion and beauty e-commerce landscape in Africa, offering a more inclusive, personalized, and trustworthy shopping experience.
