Kenyan startups Fuzu and Kyosk have secured fresh investment from the Jobtech Alliance in a move that underscores growing investor confidence in African technology companies building solutions that create sustainable jobs, strengthen digital commerce, and improve livelihoods across the continent.
Although the value of the funding was not disclosed, the investment reflects the alliance’s continued commitment to supporting startups developing scalable technology platforms capable of addressing employment challenges while driving inclusive economic growth.
The latest funding will see the Jobtech Alliance work closely with both companies to strengthen their operations, expand their market reach, and accelerate innovation in sectors increasingly viewed as critical to Africa’s digital future.
These investments follow several previous backing rounds by the Jobtech Alliance, which has supported startups including Nigeria’s Bumpa and Kenya’s Flowcart and Twiva.
Explaining why Fuzu stood out, Nick Markham, Investment Lead at the Jobtech Alliance, said the company has evolved beyond the conventional job marketplace model.
“Most African talent platforms still operate as marketplaces, competing on volume and cheaper sourcing. Fuzu has already moved past that. They’ve built the infrastructure layer underneath the marketplace, and Fuzu Atlas is now using it to deliver managed teams that global clients can actually build with. It’s one of the more credible answers we’ve seen to where good digital jobs in Africa come from next.”
What is Fuzu and what does it do?
Fuzu has spent more than a decade building digital talent infrastructure across Africa. Initially known as an online platform connecting job seekers with employers, the company has significantly transformed its business model in response to the rapid growth of artificial intelligence and the increasing demand for skilled digital workers.
Today, Fuzu focuses on building and managing professional teams that support global companies with AI data operations, evaluation, quality assurance (QA), and other AI-related digital services.
Rather than merely connecting employers with workers, the startup now provides fully managed teams capable of delivering specialised AI support services for international clients.
According to the Jobtech Alliance, the investment emerged from its Digital Work Sector Scan, which examined how artificial intelligence is reshaping digital employment opportunities across Africa. The findings identified Fuzu as one of the companies best positioned to help African professionals participate in the expanding global AI economy.
How important is this investment for Fuzu?
Beyond providing financial support, the investment represents a strategic partnership designed to accelerate Fuzu’s next phase of growth.
Over the next six months, the Jobtech Alliance will work closely with the startup to attract more international clients, strengthen the market positioning of its AI-focused platform, Fuzu Atlas, and help the company move further into higher-value AI-related services.
The alliance believes this transition could significantly improve the quality of digital jobs available to African professionals by shifting away from low-cost outsourcing towards specialised AI-enabled services that command higher value globally.
As Markham noted, Fuzu has developed infrastructure that enables international businesses to build reliable, managed teams rather than simply sourcing individual freelancers, making the company a stronger long-term player in Africa’s evolving digital workforce ecosystem.
What is Kyosk and what does it do?
The second company receiving funding is Kyosk, a rapidly growing business-to-business (B2B) commerce platform serving more than 200,000 informal retailers across Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and Tanzania.
Kyosk enables neighbourhood shops and small informal retailers to purchase inventory digitally, access reliable product supplies, receive efficient deliveries, and streamline repeat ordering.
By digitising these everyday retail operations, the company helps small businesses improve efficiency while reducing many of the logistical challenges associated with traditional supply chains.
Its platform has become an important part of the daily operations of thousands of retailers who depend on consistent product availability to serve customers and sustain their businesses.
Why this funding matters to Kyosk
For Kyosk, the investment validates its operational strategy and growing influence within Africa’s informal retail economy. The Jobtech Alliance highlighted the company’s operational improvements, particularly its decision to simplify its warehousing strategy.
Instead of operating 25 warehouses across Kenya, Kyosk has shifted to a leaner model with one warehouse in each country where it operates, allowing it to focus more on delivery efficiency and profitability.
Commenting on the company’s progress, Mide Alonge, Senior Venture Builder at the Jobtech Alliance, said:
“African B2B commerce is maturing, and the platforms that win from here will be the ones that learn to bridge the fragmented workflows of informal retailers, inventory access, delivery reliability, repeat ordering.
“Kyosk’s shift from 25 warehouses in Kenya to one per country, with a sharper focus on route-level economics, is exactly the kind of operational discipline this market needs.”
The alliance believes these operational improvements position Kyosk to scale more sustainably while continuing to support hundreds of thousands of small retailers across multiple African markets.
Why Jobtech Alliance invested in these startups
The Jobtech Alliance was established as an ecosystem-building initiative focused on supporting inclusive job technology across Africa.
Steered by Mercy Corps and BFA Global, the alliance seeks to create an enabling environment where entrepreneurs can develop digital platforms that generate quality livelihoods, promote inclusion, and enable people to access decent work.
Its investment philosophy extends beyond providing capital. The alliance identifies startups capable of solving real economic challenges, then works alongside founders to strengthen strategy, operations, customer acquisition and long-term sustainability.
In Fuzu, the alliance sees a company capable of helping Africa become an important supplier of skilled AI talent to global businesses. In Kyosk, it sees a platform transforming the everyday operations of informal retailers by making inventory management, ordering and product distribution more efficient.
Together, the two investments reflect the Jobtech Alliance’s broader belief that Africa’s next generation of technology leaders will not simply build digital platforms, but create practical solutions that generate employment, improve productivity and strengthen the continent’s digital economy.
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