African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) received a significant boost in May 2023 as fintech startup TradePulse secured pre-seed funding from Antler East Africa’s venture-building program.
Co-founded by Ochich Magero and Omer Dogan Dincer, TradePulse has a clear mission: to revolutionize African Manufacturing SMEs by making them the core focus of their operations. The company’s recent accomplishments include:
- Engagement with Inaugural Cohort: TradePulse is actively collaborating with its first cohort, with a particular emphasis on animal feed manufacturers. By introducing an innovative revenue-based working capital facility, they aim to simplify stock replenishment, enhance cash flow, and reduce risk, all while nurturing the growth of these early-stage businesses.
- Seamless Integration: TradePulse’s Minimum Viable Product (MVP) integrates seamlessly into the existing operations of Manufacturing SMEs, minimizing disruptions. Furthermore, the company is on the verge of launching a communication platform-based system for invoicing, payments, and order collection, further streamlining operations.
- Building Strong Industry Networks: TradePulse has established vital connections with experts in fintech, payment solutions, and various aspects of African entrepreneurship. These connections have played a pivotal role in the company’s growth and development
TradePulse acknowledges the invaluable support received from investors, mentors, advisors, and supporters and expresses gratitude as it embarks on its journey, anticipating continued collaboration and support.
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TradePulse’s vision to empower African Manufacturing SMEs is gaining momentum, promising to bring transformative change to the continent’s business landscape.
Antler East Africa, the Nairobi-based arm of the venture capital firm and venture builder Antler, recently concluded a successful fundraising round, securing a $13.5 million fund dedicated to investments in early-stage tech startups within the region.
The fundraising effort attracted significant attention and oversubscription, with notable Limited Partners (LPs) like Baillie Gifford participating. Antler East Africa plans to invest up to $100,000 in these startups, valuing each investment through mutual agreement. The firm specializes in collaborating with individual founders possessing strong business and technical acumen, as well as early-stage startups leveraging technology to address significant challenges within the African landscape.
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The partnership between TradePulse and Antler East Africa highlights the potential for collaborations between startups and forward-thinking investors, poised to reshape the future of African SMEs and the tech startup ecosystem in the region. As these initiatives gain momentum, their transformative impact on the African business landscape is poised to be significant.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard