Kenyan start-up Twiva has secured funding from the
Sony Innovation Fund, the venture capital arm of Sony Group Corporation, in a
deal aimed at strengthening Africa’s fast-growing creator economy.
The undisclosed investment makes Twiva one of the
early African firms in Sony Innovation Fund’s portfolio, underscoring the
Japanese technology giant’s interest in the continent’s digital and
entertainment sectors.
Twiva runs a platform that connects social media
creators with brands for influencer marketing, social commerce, skills training,
and digital payments. The company says it wants to help content creators become
entrepreneurs, not just promoters.
“With Sony’s expertise in entertainment and
technology, we will be able to scale into new markets and create more
income-generating opportunities for Africa’s youth,” said Twiva chief executive
Peter N. Kironji.
“Our goal is to build an ecosystem where creators are
drivers of inclusive economic growth.”
Africa’s creator economy is growing rapidly, with more
than 250 million young people actively using digital platforms, according to
Twiva.
The firm has also developed tools such as Twiva
Academy for skills development and Twiva Pay for payments and financing of
influencer campaigns.
Antonio Avitabile, Managing Director for EMEA at Sony Ventures
Corporation, said the partnership reflects Sony’s belief in the sector’s
potential.
“We see significant untapped opportunities in Africa’s
digital creative industries, and Twiva’s platform is well positioned to enable
sustainable growth,” he said.
“We look
forward to working with the team as they expand across the continent.”
Twiva plans to use the funding to improve its
technology infrastructure, including AI-powered creator tools, and to grow its
operations in other African markets.
The company has set an ambitious target of creating
over one million digital jobs within five years, saying this will contribute to
broader socio-economic inclusion.
