XL Africa Entrepreneurs
Sokowatch
Profile
Sokowatch is an on demand delivery service for small shops in informal urban areas. The primary problem of small shops is availability of products. On demand orders are sent and assigned, via SMS on a toll-free number, to a network of delivery agents who cover a particular area, mostly on motorcycles. Average delivery time is now 3 hours and profit is made from the mark-up on products. Sokowatch currently has approximately 5,000 retail customers across Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Sokowatch's multinational consumer goods partnerships include Unilever, Nestle, GlaxoSmithKline, and six other companies. So far, they have raised $895,000 in convertible debt from a range of angel and private equity investors, including Grey Elephant Ventures, Mercy Corps Ventures and the Chicago Innovation Fund.