Cape Town founded Clickatell, has secured $91 million, about R1,4 billion, to further the development of its chat commerce services. It plans to use the cash injection to level up its employees’ skill sets and hire more African engineers for its platforms.
Clickatell offers a communications platform as a service (CPaaS) by enabling commerce via chat platforms, like WhatsApp. It managed to secure a bucketload of capital in its Series C round yesterday. Chat commerce is the capability to make payments via chat platforms, instead of accessing a banking app or going through a payment portal.
“In 2019, Clickatell was the first to launch chat banking, bringing banking services functionality to chat channels. Our successes would not be possible without the trust and collaboration of our customers, some of Africa’s largest and most successful companies in the world,” says Pieter de Villiers, co-founder and CEO at Clickatell.
Clickatell, moving money
The company, headquartered in California, will use the secured capital to reportedly invest in three key things: to speed up its development, increase its footprint in the US and invest in more African skilled workers.
“We look forward to working with businesses and financial institutions across the African continent to enable chat commerce, the future of digital commerce and engagement. Soon, every consumer in Africa will engage family and friends via chat plus connect, interact and transact with the brands they love through their favourite chat platform,” de Villiers adds.
De Villiers also mentions that the company will continue its work with SiMODiSA.org on supporting entrepreneurship in Africa via the Startup Act. Furthermore, it will continue with job creation and skill development through the TechXit digital skills initiative. It also encourages entrepreneurship in Africa through the Startup Act,
“While expansion in the US is a high priority in this capital raise, Africa will remain a core market for us and one where our purpose of creating a better world for all through technology really shines through,” de Villiers states.