Gebeya, an Ethiopian SaaS-enabled talent marketplace focused on strengthening Africa’s tech talent ecosystem, has acquired an undisclosed pre-series investment. This funding round was led by Inclusion Japan (ICJ), a Tokyo-based firm that provides VC funding for startups making Gebeya the second African-based startup the firm will invest in. This investment will help to enhance the company’s ongoing expansion and foster expansion plans.
Founded in 2016 by Amadou Daffe and Hiruy Amanuel, with headquarters in Ethiopia and offices in Kenya and Senegal, Gebeya is a VC-backed firm with a team of more than 50 committed individuals working to close the skills gap between skilled workers and African businesses.
Gebeya utilizes close connections to offer microloans, meaningful work opportunities, mentorship and coaching, upskilling, and certification to create a blooming pipeline of seasoned professionals with the proper attitude, mindset, and integrity.
Commenting on the investment round, Yasuhiro Yoshizawa, Director and Co-Founder at ICJ, said; “We are delighted to be investing in Gebeya. As a fund manager with a $100 million investment budget that will focus on the Africa region, I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to invest in Gebeya, which has the greatest potential in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
Since 2020, Gebeya claims to have received $4M in seed funding. It has always flourished on solid collaborations with like-minded organizations that appreciate Africa’s potential and understand that pooling resources are key to arriving at impact at scale.
Speaking on the investment partnership with ICJ and its vision goal, Amadou Daffe said; “Gebeya has always thrived off of strong partnerships with like-minded firms who recognize Africa’s potential and that pooling resources is critical to achieving impact at scale.”
With the help of ICJ’s strategic funding, the Pan-African talent marketplace will be able to improve both the supply and demand sides of its target markets while expanding its product lineup, particularly its Marketplace-As-A-Service.
Inclusion Japan is a venture capital for startup companies. Its vision to create a society that allows a person to work and live in harmony aligns with the startup’s vision to provide opportunities for skilled talents, in this case, Africa.
The new partnership between both parties will perfectly announce Gebeya into its new growth phase and help expand the startup’s ongoing focus on developing Africa’s Freelance Economy ecosystem. This will further help the continent create talents that will become competitive in the global tech market.
