SUKHIBA, a pioneering conversational commerce and CRM platform, has successfully completed a $1.55 million seed extension round, spearheaded by EQ2 Ventures. This round also saw participation from prominent investors such as Accion Venture Lab, Musha Ventures, Quona Capital, and existing backers CRE Ventures.
Unlike other platforms tailored for developed markets that depend on email infrastructure, SUKHIBA was specifically designed to address the unique needs of emerging markets, with a particular focus on WhatsApp as the primary operating system. The platform integrates various services, including sales, marketing, customer service, and payments, directly within the WhatsApp environment, making it highly relevant for businesses in these regions.
Traditionally, manufacturers and distributors servicing SMEs in emerging markets have relied on physical visits and fragmented WhatsApp communications to manage orders and logistics, often leading to inefficiencies such as stockouts and lost sales. SUKHIBA addresses these challenges by providing a seamless, WhatsApp-based communication platform that integrates inventory ordering, payments, trade credit, delivery, and customer relationships. This system allows manufacturers and distributors to efficiently push shopping carts to wholesalers and retailers, reducing order delays and improving inventory management.
Since its inception in 2023, SUKHIBA has experienced significant growth and now operates in eight markets across Africa and India. The platform is used by over 35,000 SMEs to purchase products and services through merchant partners. SUKHIBA’s ability to scale is further enhanced by its integration with various payment companies and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, including SAP, ERPNext, Shopify, and WooCommerce.
The newly secured funds will be instrumental in accelerating SUKHIBA’s expansion across Africa and other emerging markets. The company’s vision of becoming the default CRM and sales force automation tool for these regions is supported by its strong customer base and investor confidence.
Ananth Gudipati, co-founder and CEO of SUKHIBA, commented on the milestone, saying, “SUKHIBA is designed to bridge the gap between brands, manufacturers, distributors, and their customers in emerging markets by leveraging the ubiquitous nature of WhatsApp. This seed extension marks a significant milestone for us, enabling us to scale our operations and enhance our SaaS platform to better serve our growing customer base of manufacturers, distributors, and D2C brands.”
Manish Phulwani, associate director at EQ2 Ventures, highlighted the confidence in SUKHIBA’s potential, stating, “Our follow-on investment in SUKHIBA is a strong vote of confidence, having witnessed the team’s consistent execution since the early days. Their exceptional product mindset is rare, positioning them to lead the transition of business and consumer transactions to WhatsApp across emerging markets. We look forward to continuing this journey with the team.”
Amee Parbhoo, managing partner at Accion Venture Lab, added, “We see that small retailers in emerging markets rely heavily on in-person interactions to manage their day-to-day commerce. SUKHIBA’s innovative platform can streamline many processes for small and medium enterprises, as well as large manufacturers and distributors—from integrating inventory management and payment processing to trade credit, logistics, and customer engagement—all within the familiar interface of WhatsApp, helping improve the client experience and boost productivity.”
With this fresh injection of capital, SUKHIBA is well-positioned to accelerate its mission of transforming the way businesses in emerging markets engage with customers and manage their operations.
