Kenya's Zydii becomes the second African company to join the portfolio of Dutch investor Dob Equity this year. The funds secured will finance its expansion.     

 Zydii, a Kenyan platform offering companies and their employees technical and soft skills training services, has raised pre-seed funding of an undisclosed amount.

The deal was announced on May 17 by Dob Equity, one of the four investors involved in the fundraising. The Dutch private equity firm was joined by Kenyan investor Kua Ventures, Africa-focused venture capital firm Kaleo Ventures, and the Nairobi Business Angel Network (NaiBAN).

Zydii was founded, in 2017, by computer scientist Joyce Mbaya (photo). Currently, it operates in Kenya, but with the funding, it will support its growth in Kenya and finance expansion in Nigeria and South Africa.                        

According to Joyce Mbaya, this plan aims to bridge the skills gap in the African job market and help improve the skills of the working population.

Indeed, SMEs employ almost 80% of Africa’s formal and informal workforce. But they generally have to contend with a lack of skilled labor, which undermines their businesses.

Zydii is the second African startup Dob Equity is investing in this year, the first one being Kenya’s Power Financial Wellness. According to the Dutch investor, this new deal included, local women-led businesses now account for a third of its portfolio. 

Chamberline Moko