Harambeans Prosperity Fund Fuels MarketForce360’s Growth
The Harambeans Prosperity Fund, a donor-advised investment vehicle established through the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance’s network of influential families and corporations, has co-invested $100,000 in MarketForce360—a leading Harambean-founded venture that participated in Y Combinator. This funding was made in collaboration with Harambean-led funds, Launch Africa Ventures and Future Africa, as MarketForce360 scales its B2B retail marketplace, RejaReja. The platform targets manufacturers, retailers, and sales agents navigating the challenges of East Africa’s informal markets.
Strategic Investment in Market-Creating Innovation
Designed as a rules-based co-investment platform, the Harambeans Prosperity Fund strategically mobilizes capital to accelerate Harambean-led ventures. The fund fosters coalitions of forward-thinking investors and entrepreneurs, focused on driving scalable, market-creating innovations that redefine accessibility and affordability across Africa.
Founder Spotlight: Tesh Mbaabu H’20
Tesh Mbaabu H’20, Harambean and co-founder of MarketForce360 under the Mesozi Group, shared:
“We are thrilled to have the backing of the Harambeans Prosperity Fund and its partners, further building on the $350,000 seed funding we raised in 2020. Joining the Alliance’s 2020 cohort has been transformational, connecting us to an unparalleled ecosystem of entrepreneurial leaders. With RejaReja, we aim to revolutionize informal marketplaces, empowering businesses to thrive, create jobs, and deliver goods and services that uplift consumers’ lives.”
A Computer Science graduate from the University of Nairobi, Mbaabu embodies the entrepreneurial spirit, launching his first venture at just 18. He is also a distinguished fellow of the Harambean Oppenheimer Fellowship, a 12-month accelerator program providing tailored mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs and global industry experts.
Harambean Coalition Driving Transformation
Okendo Lewis-Gayle, Chairman of the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance, remarked: “We’re excited to align with Harambean co-investors Zachariah George H’19, Managing Partner of Launch Africa Ventures, and Iyinoluwa Aboyeji H’10, Founder and General Partner of Future Africa, to scale MarketForce360. Tesh and his team are building a game-changing platform that energizes East Africa’s informal retail sector. Watching Harambeans forge robust, supportive investment coalitions is a testament to the power of this global network.”
The Harambeans Prosperity Fund has already backed an impressive roster of Harambean-led ventures, including Ugwem Eneyo H’16 of SHYFT Power Solutions, Velani Mboweni H’18 of LULA, Dr. William Mapham H’18 of Vula Mobile, Ikenna Nzewi H’17 of Releaf, and Adetayo Bamiduro H’15 of Max.ng.
Investor Insights: Backing the Future of Africa
Zachariah George, Managing Partner at Launch Africa Ventures, commented: “As a Pan-African investment firm focused on early-stage B2B and B2B2C technology, RejaReja represents the type of disruptive innovation we’re committed to supporting. It’s transforming traditional retail by making critical goods and services more accessible and affordable—a hallmark of market-creating innovation.”
Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, General Partner at Future Africa, added: “At Future Africa, we’ve honed the art and science of venture building, helping launch some of the continent’s fastest-growing startups. Partnering with visionary founders like Tesh Mbaabu reinforces our mission to build high-growth, technology-driven businesses that deliver lasting socio-economic transformation across Africa.”