Copia Global Funding, Investors & Competitors

Copia Global has raised $123M across 7 funding rounds, most recently a $20M Series C in December 2023.

Last Copia Global funding round

$20M

Series C · Dec 2023

Cumulative funding Copia Global raised

$123M

across 7 funding rounds

Key investors in Copia Global

  • Goodwell Investments
  • Lightrock
  • U.S. International Development Finance Corp
  • KFW DEG
  • Perivoli Innovations
  • elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization
  • Endeavor Catalyst
  • D3 Jubilee

Copia Global Overview

About Copia Global

Copia Global is a Nairobi-based e-commerce platform serving rural Kenya. It delivers consumer goods via a mobile catalog and agent network, reaching underserved areas with products like electronics and groceries. Launched in 2013, it partners with local distributors to offer affordable pricing and last-mile logistics to millions in peri-urban zones.


Founded

2012

HQ

KenyaNairobi

Status

Privately held

Customer focus

B2C

Revenue model

Product sales

Copia Global Funding History

Copia Global has raised a total of $123M across 7 funding rounds.

Copia Global's first fundraising round was a $4M seed round in January 2015. The most recent completed round was a $20M Series C in December 2023.

Copia Global funding rounds

Copia Global funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedDeal Summary
Dec 2023Series CEnza Capital (lead); KFW DEG; elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization; Sorenson Impact Foundation; Perivoli Foundation; U.S. International Development Finance Corp; LGT group; Goodwell Investments$20MCopia Global is a Kenyan e-commerce and fintech platform serving middle and low-income consumers across rural Africa. The company operates a network of over 50,000 local agents and uses mobile technologies to deliver products at no delivery cost to customers, reaching markets untouched by traditional retail and Western e-commerce models. Founded in 2013, Copia focuses on providing quality goods at the lowest market prices with an emphasis on digital relationships. In December 2023, Copia Global raised $20 million in a Series C extension round led by Enza Capital, with participation from LGT, Goodwell Investments, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), German development finance institution DEG, Swiss impact fund Elea, Perivoli Foundation, and Sorenson Foundation. The funding round brought total capital raised to approximately $120 million since inception. John Lazar, ex-CEO of Microsoft subsidiary Metaswitch and co-founder of Enza Capital, joined Copia's board as a result of the investment. Copia had achieved 100% annual growth and was targeting annual revenues exceeding $60 million by the end of 2023. The company had previously raised $50 million in a Series C round in January 2022 led by Goodwell Investments. In response to global capital market downturns, Copia shifted its strategy from emphasizing scale to demonstrating healthy unit economics and pursuing profitability in Kenya before pursuing Pan-African expansion. In December 2023, concurrent with the funding announcement, Copia formed a strategic five-year partnership with Visa to offer digital financial services in Kenya, introducing a digital wallet within the Copia super-app to enable seamless integration of shopping and financial activities. However, the company had previously shut down operations in Uganda and suspended further African expansion in response to economic challenges and constrained capital markets.
Jan 2022Series CGoodwell Investments (lead); KFW DEG; Zebu Investment Partners; U.S. International Development Finance Corp; Koa Labs; Perivoli Innovations; Lightrock$50MCopia Global is a Kenyan B2C e-commerce platform founded in 2013 by Tracey Turner and Jonathan Lewis, targeting middle- and low-income consumers in rural East Africa. It combines mobile technology, a network of 30,000 local agents, and proprietary Copia Logistics to deliver essential goods, addressing distribution challenges in areas underserved by traditional retail and e-commerce. The company serves customers in Kenya, with plans to expand across East Africa including Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania, and potentially into Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, South Africa, Zambia, Mozambique, and Malawi based on market conditions. On January 18, 2022, Copia Global raised $50 million in a Series C equity round led by Goodwell Investments, with participation from new investors U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), KFW DEG, Koa Labs, Zebu Investment Partners, and existing investors Lightrock and Perivoli Innovations. This followed a $26 million Series B three years prior, bringing total funding to between $83.5 million and $103 million depending on source calculations. The funds aim to scale operations regionally and increase market penetration in Kenya from 50% to 80% of its serviceable market. At the time of the round, Copia reported 1.4 million unique customers with roughly 200% CAGR, over 10 million orders fulfilled, and daily deliveries to thousands of customers. Its agent-led model differentiates it from competitors like Jumia by enabling profitable delivery to rural areas, saving time and costs for consumers who otherwise travel long distances for goods. CEO Tim Steel and Goodwell's Els Boerhof highlighted its potential as a leapfrogging technology for African retail.
Sep 2020Series AU.S. International Development Finance Corp (lead)$5MCopia Global is an e-commerce platform operating in Kenya that uses an m-commerce model to aggregate orders and make global goods available to middle and lower-income consumers. The company received a Series C investment of $50 million from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, announced on January 18, 2022.
Nov 2019Series BLightrock (lead); elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization; Endeavor Catalyst; Perivoli Innovations; Nimble Ventures; Goodwell Investments$26MCopia Global is a Kenyan e-commerce company founded in 2013 by Tracey Turner and Jonathan Lewis, focusing on B2C sales to middle- and low-income rural populations in Kenya and Uganda through a network of local agents and last-mile delivery. The company serves underserved markets with mobile commerce, integrated FinTech services like agent loans, and plans for pan-African expansion. It has raised over $116M across multiple rounds from 15 investors including Goodwell Investments (Series B 2019, Series C 2022, Series C-II 2023), elea Foundation, Lightrock, DEG, DFC, Perivoli Innovations, and Zebu Investment Partners. A 2022 Series C round totaled approximately $50M in equity, with DEG contributing $7.5M to support core business growth, regional expansion, and FinTech additions; Goodwell led this round. Copia operated until bankruptcy/liquidation in May 2024 after raising over $100M total.
Jan 2019Series AGoodwell Investments (lead)$2M-
Sep 2018Undisclosed stageLightrock$16M-
Jan 2015SeedDOB Equity (lead); D3 Jubilee$4MCopia Global is a Nairobi-based e-commerce platform founded in 2013 that serves middle- to low-income consumers in developing markets, particularly in Kenya. The company enables users to browse and order products from local shopkeepers via a mobile application without needing direct internet access, leveraging a network of local agents for distribution and mobile payments for seamless transactions. In 2015, DOB Equity completed an investment in Copia Global, becoming a shareholder and partner during a pivotal expansion phase to support a multi-hub rollout across Kenya and eventually East Africa. DOB Equity, a Dutch impact investor, focused on companies with strong growth potential in sectors like supply chain and technology-enabled services. Copia Global aimed to reach 50% of Kenya's population from its then-current 19%, empowering small business owners and addressing fragmented retail chains in low-income markets. DOB Equity provided not only capital but also networks, expertise, and post-investment support, contributing to improved margins and monthly growth as noted by Copia Global's CEO.

Who has invested in Copia Global?

16 investors have backed Copia Global across its funding rounds, including Goodwell Investments, Lightrock, U.S. International Development Finance Corp, KFW DEG, Perivoli Innovations and elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization.

Lead investors include Enza Capital, Goodwell Investments, U.S. International Development Finance Corp, Lightrock and DOB Equity.


Copia Global Investors

Investors in Copia Global by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
Goodwell InvestmentsNetherlandsAmsterdam4LeadJan 2019
U.S. International Development Finance CorpUnited StatesWashington, DC3LeadSep 2020
LightrockUnited KingdomLondon3LeadSep 2018
KFW DEGGermanyCologne2ParticipantJan 2022
elea Foundation for Ethics in GlobalizationSwitzerlandZurich2ParticipantNov 2019
Perivoli InnovationsJerseySt. Helier2ParticipantNov 2019
D3 JubileeSouth KoreaSeoul1ParticipantJan 2015
DOB EquityNetherlandsZwolle1LeadJan 2015
Zebu Investment PartnersSouth AfricaJohannesburg1ParticipantJan 2022
Sorenson Impact FoundationUnited StatesSalt Lake City, UT1ParticipantDec 2023
Perivoli FoundationUnited KingdomLondon1ParticipantDec 2023
Koa LabsUnited StatesUnited States1ParticipantJan 2022
Endeavor CatalystUnited StatesNew York City, NY1ParticipantNov 2019

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Copia Global Competitors

Copia Global competitors include listed companies like Recruit Holdings, Uber, Prosus and DoorDash, and private ones like Vinted and Fetch.

Public and private companies comparable to Copia Global
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
VintedLithuaniaVilniusPrivate$1.3B-$9.3B7.3x
FetchUnited StatesMadison, WIPrivate$500M-$2.5B-
Recruit HoldingsJapanJapanPublicly listed$24B$4B$154B6.0x
UberUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$52B$6.2B$144B2.7x
ProsusNetherlandsNetherlandsPublicly listed$9.7B$1.1B$86B8.0x
DoorDashUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$14B$1.5B$84B4.9x

Copia Global Public Comps

Copia Global is still privately-owned, but its public comps include Amazon, Alibaba Group, Recruit Holdings, Uber, Booking Holdings, Pinduoduo, Airbnb, MercadoLibre, Prosus and DoorDash.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Amazon$717B$161B4.0x3.6x17.6x13.9x
Alibaba Group$153B$15B1.8x1.7x18.2x13.6x
Recruit Holdings$24B$4B6.3x6.0x37.6x25.1x
Uber$52B$6.2B3.0x2.7x24.7x14.5x
Booking Holdings$27B$8.3B4.8x4.5x15.6x12.2x
Pinduoduo$64B$14B0.7x0.7x3.2x2.9x
Airbnb$12B$2.4B7.2x6.5x36.4x18.3x
MercadoLibre$29B$3.7B3.4x2.6x26.7x24.6x

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Common questions about Copia Global

When was Copia Global founded?Copia Global was founded in 2012.
Where is Copia Global headquartered?Copia Global is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
Is Copia Global publicly listed?No, Copia Global is a private, VC-backed company.
How much funding has Copia Global raised?Copia Global has raised $123M across 7 funding rounds.
What was Copia Global's last funding round?Copia Global's last funding round was a $20M Series C in December 2023, led by Enza Capital.
Who are Copia Global's investors?Copia Global's investors include Goodwell Investments, U.S. International Development Finance Corp, Lightrock, KFW DEG, elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization, Perivoli Innovations, D3 Jubilee, DOB Equity, Zebu Investment Partners, Sorenson Impact Foundation and 6 others.
Which companies are comparable to Copia Global?Companies comparable to Copia Global include Vinted, Fetch, Recruit Holdings, Uber, Prosus and DoorDash.

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