Clickatell raises $91m to create a better world through tech
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Clickatell has raised $91 million in a Series C funding round led by Arrowroot Capital, Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, Sequoia Capital, DAG Ventures, Endeavor Global, and Harvest.
The global tech firm said it will use the fund to
- Accelerate development and innovation of chat commerce offering
- Expand footprints in the United States
- Scale sales and marketing
- Grow engineering skills
“We look forward to working with businesses and financial institutions across the continent to enable Chat Commerce, the future of digital commerce and engagement,” said Clickatell co-founder and CEO Pieters de Villiers.
“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.”
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Investment in Africa
de Villiers said Clickatell will grow its already substantial market influence in Africa and continue to invest in addressing the widening gap between the demand and supply of digital skills on the continent.
The firm will also encourage entrepreneurship and startup innovation, he added, in a statement reported by Nairametrics.
“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.
“We are proud of the work we do with www.SiMODiSA.org on supporting entrepreneurship on the continent through the Startup Act, as well as furthering the creation of future proof jobs via the TechXit digital skills initiative.
“Africa has a wealth of talent and Clickatell will continue to work with both the public and private sectors to ensure that the potential, both of individuals and companies, can be realised.”
de Villiers is also the Chairman of SiMODiSA, an industry-led initiative to address and overcome barriers facing SMEs and startups in South Africa.
About Clickatell
Clickatell is a global chat commerce firm that empowers businesses to connect, interact, and transact with consumers anytime, anywhere in chat.
It has achieved several milestones.
In 2020, its chat technology enabled about nine billion chat messages and processed over 500 million payments from Fortune 500s and leading brands.
Clickatell is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, and has offices in Canada, South Africa, and Nigeria.
Its customers include leading global brands such as Coca Cola, Deloitte, GT Bank, Booking.com, GoDaddy, IKEA, Novartis, Standard Bank, Tangerine, Telegram, US Foods, Visa, Zipcar, and Capitec.
