WaystoCap is an e-commerce firm taking part in the current Y Combinator program.
Wait…
“E-commerce, meh, done to death…” I hear you say….
True in part. Yes, in the U. S., Europe, Asia and elsewhere the consumer platforms are already in place. But there remains much more to be done across the world, particularly in markets were internet access is nascent and industries are yet to adapt to digital.
WaystoCap, for example, is tackling cross-border business-to-business sales in Africa — and its founders believe it is just scratching the service.
B2B sales is the way Alibaba, China’s $250 billion e-commerce gorilla, first started so there is clearly potential with the right recipe. WaystoCap began informally helping connect sellers across Africa, by virtue of CEO Niama El Bassunie’s own meandering career path which began with PWC, before settling on a marketplace model in 2015. So far, the company has sold $3.5 million in merchandise, with sales “much stronger” over the past few months.
Africa is a vast continent and there’s near-infinite scope for “B2B sales,” so focus is important. The young company initially specialized on the food business in 10 countries.
