Alfluence, a Kenya-based influencer marketing platform, has announced that it has secured $1 million in seed funding.
TechCrunch is reporting that the company, which was founded by Nelson Aseka, George Issaias, Lamusia Anzaya, and Ankit Jindal in 2019, had the funding led by the Dubai-based company EQ2 Ventures. Other investors include Antler East Africa, Oui Capital, ArabyAds, and an unnamed European family office.
“We are at the cusp of a revolution. Globally the way marketing works is changing. We find ourselves at an intersection of advanced technology and the fastest-growing region in the world in terms of digital and social media penetration. It’s an exciting place to be. Africa’s rich tradition for storytelling is alive and kicking,” said Aseka, the CEO of Alfluence, in a statement made to TechCrunch.
“People are the new media in today’s digital world, and AIfluence is uniquely positioned to turn this reality into tangible results for advertisers. We’ve been impressed by the team’s obsession to use data in order to spread authentic and relevant messages to the right audience. This is what advertising should always be. We’re looking forward to AIfluence’s journey ahead,” CEO of EQ2 Ventures, Patrick Thiriet, said in a statement provided to TechCrunch.
The company got its start as part of the Antler East Africa 2019 cohort. It’s the first company from the cohort to raise $1 million in seed funding. It’s currently running campaigns in more than 13 countries in Africa and Asia, though it’s unclear when — or if — it will expand to the States. The company does, however, plan to use the seed funding to expand throughout Africa and Asia, and open up a new market in the Middle East.
Alfluence also says that it’s closed more than $1 million in contracts from different companies in the banking sector and other commercial sectors, and plans to grow its client base soon.
