Even as quick commerce startups are retreating, consolidating or shutting down in many parts of the world, the model is showing encouraging signs in India. Consumers in urban cities are embracing the convenience of having groceries delivered to their doorstep in just 10 minutes. The companies making those deliveries — Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy’s Instamart […]
Sources: Wasoko-MaxAB e-commerce merger faces delays amid headwinds in Africa
Last December, Nairobi’s Wasoko and Cairo-based rival MaxAB — two B2B e-commerce startups that enable retailers to order fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) from suppliers via their respective apps — announced a planned “merger of equals.” The aim was clear: create better economies of scale in a sector that holds a lot of promise in the […]
Chinese e-commerce marketplace Temu faces stricter EU rules as a ‘very large online platform’
Temu, the super low-cost e-commerce marketplace owned by Chinese online retailer Pinduoduo, is to face the European Union’s strictest rules after authorities designated the company a “very large online platform” (VLOP) under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The news comes some two weeks after European consumer protection groups filed coordinated complaints against Temu over an […]
Adani to battle Reliance, Walmart in India’s e-commerce, payments race, report says
India’s Adani Group is plotting a move into e-commerce and digital payments, according to a Financial Times report, as the conglomerate seeks to diversify its portfolio and compete with Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance, Amazon, and Walmart’s Flipkart and PhonePe. The energy-to-infrastructure giant Adani Group is considering applying for a license to operate on India’s Unified Payments […]
Maad raises $3.2M seed amid B2B e-commerce sector turbulence in Africa
Maad, a B2B e-commerce startup based in Senegal, has secured $ 3.2 million debt-equity funding to bolster its growth in the western Africa country and to explore fresh opportunities in the wider Francophone region. The seed round was led by Ventures Platform, with participation from Seedstars International Ventures, Reflect Ventures, Oui Capital, Launch Africa, Voltron […]