Maka, a cutting-edge African fashion and beauty e-commerce platform, has recently closed a pre-seed funding round of $2.65 million. The funding was led Pan-African venture capital firms 4DX Ventures and Janngo Capital. Other notable investors include Palm Drive Capital, Jonathan Shipman, the founder of EVP and Twitch founding member, and executives from delivery platform Wolt.
Under the leadership of co-founder and CEO Diana Owusu-Kyereko, Maka was established in 2021 as an interactive social commerce platform. With features like live try-on hauls, reviews, and user-generated content, the platform allows users to discover products that align with their personal style preferences.
The idea for Maka was born out of Owusu-Kyereko’s own personal struggle to find inclusive fashion inspiration during the pandemic. As a repatriate in Ghana, she had relied on traveling to London for her shopping needs. However, restricted travel forced her to seek alternatives. Through surveys conducted in Ghana and Nigeria, she discovered that many people faced challenges when it came to online shopping, with trust being a major issue.
To address this, Maka leverages the power of video to build trust between users and creators. Customers can see their trusted influencers wearing and reviewing products, giving them confidence in their purchasing decisions. The platform also incorporates user-generated content, where customers can share their own video reviews, creating a sense of community and fostering trust among users.
One of Maka’s unique features is its rewards system, which incentivizes users to upload video reviews. Creators are rewarded with N500 (50 cents) and can earn additional points for purchases made based on their reviews. These points can be converted into cash to shop on the platform.
Since its inception, Maka has gained over 500,000 downloads and has seen more than 2,000 reviews created since launching its user-generated content model. With the new funding, the company plans to expand its team, enhance its technology, and strengthen its presence in Ghana and Nigeria.
Through its innovative approach to fashion e-commerce, Maka aims to tap into Africa’s growing market of millennials and Gen Zers. The continent’s increasing adoption of technology presents significant opportunities for the platform to connect with a larger consumer base and revolutionize the fashion sector and the creator economy.
Fatoumata Bâ, founder and executive chair of Janngo Capital, praised Maka’s vision of using technology to empower both consumers and creators. With this funding, Maka is well-positioned to make a lasting impact in the African fashion industry.