Africa’s mobility startup eWaka secures $540K loan from SECO to accelerate growth
Kenyan mobility solutions provider eWaka has secured a $540K loan from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) of the Swiss Confederation. eWaka is a startup building commuter and commercial micro-mobility solutions that include bicycles, scooters, and motorbikes.
The company’s electric bicycle named Shujaa is the company’s pioneering product in the local market. It also has an electric motorbike named Jasiri Kickscooter. The $540,000 loan by SECO is meant to support the company’s 2023 ambitions to accelerate a growth strategy centered on providing innovative and sustainable mobility technologies across the continent.
Celeste Vogel, Co-founder and CEO, eWAKA: “eWAKA’s distinctive value add offering is the completeness of the ecosystem we offer in the domain of last-mile transportation. eWAKA is a platform for commuter and commercial micro-mobility fleets. We combine hardware, software, and servicing to respond to the increasing urban transportation needs on the continent while addressing the major climate challenges of this critical sector.”
Kenya has become a vibrant hub for companies building eco-friendly mobility solutions, particularly in the electric vehicle sector. The growth is accelerated by proactive government and private sector participation through policy and incentives.
Earlier this week, Kenya Power, the country’s electricity distributor has been actively engaged in e-mobility projects and initiatives with local and international partners. The company announced that it’s setting aside KSh.40 million to purchase three electric vehicles and to construct three electric vehicle-charging stations within Nairobi.
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