The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Startup Fund of the Swiss Confederation has provided strategic support to eWAKA, one of Africa’s most promising businesses in sustainable transportation.
With the help of a loan from SECO Start-up Fund, eWAKA will be able to produce and market the Shujaa, the company’s hallmark electronic bike, locally, in order to advance its expansion strategy for offering innovative and sustainable transportation technology in Africa by 2023.
The mobility firm will be able to extend to other regions of Kenya and East Africa in 2023 thanks to the growth strategy built on a number of trial initiatives, including a Shujaa market introduction.
The acquisition of additional funding options for independent delivery drivers is a crucial component of eWAKA’s growth objectives.
Commenting on eWAKA’s 2023 growth strategy, Celeste Vogel, Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer & General Counsel of eWAKA said:
“eWAKA’s unique value add proposition is the completeness of the ecosystem we offer in the space of last-mile transportation.
Given that deploying micro-mobility models and solutions successfully depends on limits and factors, eWAKA undertook a number of pilot projects with its intended customer groups to advance our product line.
For 2023, eWAKA will pursue strategic partnerships to expand our customer base by adding greater financing options and aggressively promoting the Shujaa roll out in Kenya, targeting the B2B sector as well as independent drivers.”
Susanne Grossmann, the manager of SECO Start-up Fund commented on eWAKA financing facility: “After a robust selection process, we are pleased to offer eWAKA a loan for executing their business model in Kenya.
We welcome the contribution to local production in the e-vehicle space and we hope that eWAKA will set a successful example for efficient, climate-friendly traffic systems in African cities that meet the mobility needs of the continent.”
2022 was a turning point for eWAKA. The mobility startup is positioned for growth in 2023 with a full product line for multiple customer segments offering flexible rental options, subscription and purchase plans to meet commutes, personal well-being, and net-zero targets by leveraging key customer segment insights and expanding local production capabilities.
For delivery, eWAKA Shujaa is specifically made. The bike has a 65 kg maximum load capacity, with a front rack that can hold 15 kg and a back rack that can handle 50 kg. It has one battery as standard equipment, and a second battery may be added as an option to increase the range to up to 120 kilometres.
Kickscooters, a mobility startup, manufactures durable, premium scooters that are designed for sharing. Offerings include product training, customer after-sales services, and smart mobility software to increase vehicle efficiency, insights, and uptime.
Live data is gathered for fleet owners to enhance remote management, vehicle monitoring, service histories, and other safety controls with eWAKA’s fleet management platform.
eWAKA motorcycles are designed for last-mile delivery as well as metropolitan and country commuting. The motorcycle, its battery-swapping ecology, and the conversion kits for internal combustion engine motorcycles have all undergone extensive testing.