Kenyan startup, Jumba, has raised $4.5 million in a recent seed funding round, led by LocalGlobe, with participation from Enza Capital and other investors such as Foundamental, Seedstars International Ventures, Logos Ventures, SpeedInvest, and First Check Africa.
The company, which simplifies the sourcing of construction supplies for retailers and estate developers, has experienced significant growth in the past year. According to TechCrunch, Jumba reported three times quarterly growth by the end of last year and currently serves 60% of Kenya’s 47 counties.
With plans to scale up its operations to meet demand, the startup’s CEO acknowledges the challenge of keeping up with increasing demand, stating that “we have way more demand than we can meet.”
Jumba’s CEO, Kagure Wamunyu, noted that the majority of their customers are located in counties outside of the capital city, Nairobi. This is due to the fact that manufacturing is primarily centralized in Nairobi, whereas customers are located throughout the country. As a result, Jumba assists with the distribution of construction materials to meet demand in those areas.
The startup, co-founded with CTO Miano Njoka, initially served retailers but has since expanded its services to include supplying construction materials to estate developers, which was driven by market demand.
As the construction industry in Africa continues to grow and evolve, there is a great opportunity for construction tech startups like Jumba to thrive. With the continent’s increasing population, there is a growing demand for new housing and infrastructure, which presents significant business opportunities for innovative solutions that can streamline the procurement of construction materials and improve construction processes.
As the industry continues to modernize and adopt new technologies, we can expect to see more startups emerging and driving innovation in the construction sector in Africa, ultimately contributing to the continent’s economic growth and development.