Led by EQ2 Ventures, the funding round also saw participation from Accion Venture Lab, Musha Ventures, Quona Capital, and existing investor CRE Ventures.

This latest investment follows a $1.5 million seed round raised in 2023.

Founded in 2021 by Ananth Raj Gudipati and Abhinav Reddy, Sukhiba Connect leverages WhatsApp as a primary operating system to provide a conversational commerce and CRM platform for medium and large enterprises.

The platform enables businesses to connect with customers, manage orders, accept payments, and provide customer service all within the popular messaging app.

The new funding will be used to accelerate Sukhiba Connect’s expansion into new markets and enhance its platform’s capabilities.

The startup aims to become the leading CRM and sales force automation tool in emerging markets, competing with other social commerce players like Kapu and MarketForce’s Chpter.

Sukhiba Connect has already experienced significant growth since its initial seed round, with operations in eight markets across Africa and India.

It has partnered with leading manufacturers, distributors, retail chains, and direct-to-consumer brands, serving over 35,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

“This seed extension marks a significant milestone for us,” said Gudipati. “It will enable us to scale our operations and enhance our SaaS platform to better serve our growing customer base.”