Senegalese B2B marketplace, Kwely Emerges Winner of the 2022 MEST Africa Challenge

The 2022 MEST Africa Challenge winner, Senegalese B2B marketplace Kwely, received US$50,000 in equity capital as well as the title of champion.

MEST is a pan-African software and entrepreneurship training program, seed fund, and incubator that supports the establishment of technology firms all over the continent. It was established in Ghana in 2008 by serial entrepreneur Jorn Lyseggen.

So far, it has invested in more than 80 firms and trained tens of thousands of entrepreneurs from all over the continent. The MEST Africa Challenge is available to pre-seed to seed-stage digital entrepreneurs in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Kenya, and South Africa. Kwely, a B2B wholesale platform for made-in-Africa items, won the competition’s final demo day.

The startup follows others that have received US$50,000 equity investments, access to knowledgeable business coaches, mentors, and international investors, including Tanzania’s Kilimo Fresh, Ghana’s OZE, South Africa’s Snode Technologies, Kenya’s WayaWaya, and Nigeria’s Accounteer. The other finalists were Desert Green Africa, Hisa (Kenya), Swoove (Ghana), Sproutly (Nigeria), and (South Africa).

“For the Kwely Team and I, winning the MEST Africa Challenge means a lot. Although being an entrepreneur is never simple, it is truly my passion. Receiving this acknowledgement gives us the encouragement and assurance we require to move forward. When things get challenging, it’s critical to keep in mind that we have a network of incredible individuals supporting us, said Birame Sock, founder and CEO of Kwely.

“Five winners were selected from each of our major markets for the MEST Africa Challenge competition this year. After going through hundreds of applications and meeting dozens of smart and imaginative entrepreneurs from around the continent, I became even more passionate about technology startups on the continent and even more certain that it would be impossible to pick one ultimate winner. The talent is simply enormous! However, with the assistance of our judges and the raucous live and online crowd, Birame Sock of Kwely from Senegal was chosen as the final overall champion. According to Melissa Nsiah, director of portfolio at MEST Africa, “We are delighted to welcome Kwely into the MEST portfolio.