“Can an African B2B e-commerce platform survive by pivoting from low-margin FMCG distribution to embedded credit for informal retailers?”
Founded 2013 as Sokowatch — a B2B e-commerce platform delivering FMCG goods to informal retailers across Africa. Rebranded as Wasoko in 2022 at peak valuation ($625M Series B led by Tiger Global). After the 2022-23 funding crunch, exited multiple markets, conducted major layoffs, and merged with Egypt's MaxAB in late 2023. By 2025, original founders had exited and the combined entity is reportedly pivoting away from pure e-commerce toward embedded finance (credit, PayLater/WKash) as the primary value proposition for informal retailers.
Wasoko was founded by Daniel Yu and is founded in 2013, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya.
Get a read on where your own stack stands against Wasoko and the rest of its category — what they built versus bought, which providers they use, and where the gaps in your own strategy and competitive set actually are.