KENYA – Sendy, a Nairobi-based on demand logistics platform, has secured an investment from KMOL PLUS, a Tokyo based investor. 

This is the first investment by MOL PLUS in an African startup.  

Sendy operates a platform that connects logistics companies and shippers in Kenya and the rest of Africa.  

Connecting consumer goods manufacturers and e-commerce companies’ delivery needs with individual delivery companies that own registered motorcycles and trucks, as well as simplifying negotiations between shippers and delivery companies on delivery routes, prices, and so on, contributes to efficiency and cost savings. 

MOL PLUS anticipates that Sendy’s logistics platform will significantly contribute to the enhancement of logistics services in Africa, where demand for logistics is growing rapidly due to economic development and population increase. This will be useful to me. 

MOL Logistics, Ltd. (President: Koichi Yashima, Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo), a part of the MOL Group, and Sendy will contemplate collaborating on the operation of distribution warehouses in Africa in the future. 

MOL PLUS will continue to invest in and engage with start-up firms in order to build synergies between start-up companies’ creative ideas and technology and MOL Group’s resources. We will continue to strive to establish new enterprises. 

In early October this year, Sendy announced that it was laying off 20% of its remaining 270 staff.  

The firm partnered with Meta in September this year, through the Innovation Growth Hub (IGHub) to offer free training for SMEs on how to grow their business. 

Through the Meta Boost training program, SMEs, business owners and entrepreneurs will be empowered on how to position their businesses for growth through advancing their digital skills using Meta’s platforms; Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and Messenger. 

The training will provide relevant information and tools to support SMEs and upskill business owners to use data, business insights and digital tools for growth. 

SMES will be trained on how to amplify their online presence, target their social media audience, Instagram commerce solutions, writing engaging ads, creating virtual stores with shops on Facebook and Instagram and much more. 

Since its inception, the Meta Boost training has helped thousands of small and medium-sized businesses across Africa, to learn how they can use digital tools to achieve their business objectives. 


EdTech company Classera secures US$40m Series A investment to accelerate its expansion

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EGYPT – Sanabil Investments, a wholly owned company by Public Investment Fund, has led a US$40 million Series A investment round in Classera, a global EdTech e-learning company focused on emerging markets.

“Classera has developed and successfully deployed a platform that reaches millions of users and has grown to become one of the leading emerging market e-learning solution providers globally,” Sanabil Investments said.

“We are fully committed to enabling Classera to further expand its reach to learners across all socio-economic backgrounds.”

Other investors in the round included Global Ventures, Endeavor Catalyst, 500 Global, Sukna Venture, and Seedra Ventures.

The round additionally included a diverse set of investors from Silicon Valley, emerging markets, and global family offices.

Proceeds will be used by Classera to continue developing its Learning Super Platform (LSP) for the education and corporate training sectors and cement its position as a global leader in e-learning and EdTech.

In addition, the investment will be used to target more growth in MENA, and the rest of Africa, and to accelerate its global expansion into Asia Pacific.

The proceeds will also help Classera – via its specialized platform for corporate e-training “LeadXera”- to expand faster into that huge sector – which is one of the primary target post this investment.

Classera is the largest EdTech company in MENA and most of sub-Saharan Africa, educating millions of learners in over 30 countries.

The Company’s LSP is a fully integrated eco-system that includes a gamified learning management platform based on A.I and social learning, an augmented reality learning app “C-Reality”, a full ERP for educational institutions “C-Smarter”, an integrated e-payment gateway ”C-Pay” for pocket money, tuitions payments and financing, and a specialized educational marketplace for Edtech and educational supplies products  Edumalls”.

“The funding will help us take our “LSP” to the next level, making it smarter, inspiring and simpler, and for our clients and partners globally. Many learning institutions, especially after the pandemic, are convinced they need the next generation of e-learning solutions,” Mohammad Almadani, CEO and co-founder of Classera, said.

“This is where Classera comes in; as we aim to expand our offerings to more global markets and become the partner of choice for education and training institutions covering all of their needs in a turnkey solution and providing its members with a unique learning experience that enables them to reach their full potential.”

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