Launched in 2014 to help urban retailers source produce such as bananas and tomatoes from small-scale Kenyan farmers, Twiga spent 2019 expanding its mobile ordering platform to encompass nonperishable goods and developing its delivery capabilities. It also integrated a fintech product that offers vendors credit to build out their businesses.
“We want to be a one-stop shop for informal retail,” says cofounder and CEO Peter Njonjo. Twiga, which saw revenues grow by around 500% last year, serves about 5,000 outlets daily in Kenya and works with more than 13,000 farmers. The company raised over $30 million last year from backers, including Goldman Sachs and the International Finance Corporation, which it will use to expand throughout Kenya—and likely beyond—this year.
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A version of this article appeared in the March/April 2020 issue of Fast Company magazine.