- Companies
- Copia Global
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
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
Website
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
| Date | Stage | Investors | Raised | Deal Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2023 | Series C | Enza 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 | $20M | Copia 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 2022 | Series C | Goodwell Investments (lead); KFW DEG; Zebu Investment Partners; U.S. International Development Finance Corp; Koa Labs; Perivoli Innovations; Lightrock | $50M | Copia 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 2020 | Series A | U.S. International Development Finance Corp (lead) | $5M | Copia 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 2019 | Series B | Lightrock (lead); elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization; Endeavor Catalyst; Perivoli Innovations; Nimble Ventures; Goodwell Investments | $26M | Copia 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 2019 | Series A | Goodwell Investments (lead) | $2M | - |
| Sep 2018 | Undisclosed stage | Lightrock | $16M | - |
| Jan 2015 | Seed | DOB Equity (lead); D3 Jubilee | $4M | Copia 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
| Investor | HQ | Rounds | Role | First check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Lead | Jan 2019 | ||
| 3 | Lead | Sep 2020 | ||
| 3 | Lead | Sep 2018 | ||
| 2 | Participant | Jan 2022 | ||
| 2 | Participant | Nov 2019 | ||
| 2 | Participant | Nov 2019 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Jan 2015 | ||
| 1 | Lead | Jan 2015 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Jan 2022 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Dec 2023 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Dec 2023 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Jan 2022 | ||
| 1 | Participant | Nov 2019 | ||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all 16 Copia Global investors. Start Free Trial | ||||
Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples
Sign up to see data on 350K+ funding rounds and disclosed revenue and EBITDA valuation multiples, from seed, through growth stage, to pre-IPO.
Start Free TrialCopia Global Competitors
Copia Global competitors include listed companies like Recruit Holdings, Uber, Prosus and DoorDash, and private ones like Vinted and Fetch.
| Company | HQ | Status | Revenue | EBITDA | Valuation | Revenue Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private | $1.3B | - | $9.3B | 7.3x | ||
| Private | $500M | - | $2.5B | - | ||
| Publicly listed | $24B | $4B | $154B | 6.0x | ||
| Publicly listed | $52B | $6.2B | $144B | 2.7x | ||
| Publicly listed | $9.7B | $1.1B | $86B | 8.0x | ||
| Publicly listed | $14B | $1.5B | $84B | 4.9x |
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 FY | EV/Revenue | EV/EBITDA | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | EBITDA | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | Last FY | LTM | 2027E | |
| $717B | $161B | 4.0x | 3.6x | 17.6x | 13.9x | |||
| $153B | $15B | 1.8x | 1.7x | 18.2x | 13.6x | |||
| $24B | $4B | 6.3x | 6.0x | 37.6x | 25.1x | |||
| $52B | $6.2B | 3.0x | 2.7x | 24.7x | 14.5x | |||
| $27B | $8.3B | 4.8x | 4.5x | 15.6x | 12.2x | |||
| $64B | $14B | 0.7x | 0.7x | 3.2x | 2.9x | |||
| $12B | $2.4B | 7.2x | 6.5x | 36.4x | 18.3x | |||
| $29B | $3.7B | 3.4x | 2.6x | 26.7x | 24.6x | |||
This data is available for Pro users. Sign up to see all Copia Global competitors and their valuation data. Start Free Trial | ||||||||
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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