Kenyan Shoe Manufacturing Sector Tipped to Grow As Local Company Secure $1.1 Million Funding

A Kenyan-based sports startup that specializes in sports shoes, Enda has raised $1 million in Series A funding to offer the first made-in-Kenya running shoes. The start-up will now be focusing on getting the shoes available to athletes around the world.

Enda got the funding from Talanton, an American Venture Capital Fund. Talanton led the funding round which also counted with participation from several undisclosed Kenyan angel impact investors. The funding will allow Enda to expand its global brand by boosting its product development and distribution efforts

Talanton made the decision to invest in Enda after the Kenyan founded and Kenyan led business met Talanton’s strict investment requirements and passed rigorous due diligence processes. Based on anticipated achievements of financial, spiritual and social impacts, Talanton led this $1.1 million Series A funding round to also include several Kenyan angel impact investors.

“We are thrilled about this investment,” said Iris Wen, a partner at Talanton. Enda is perfectly aligned with our mission of investing in companies that create high-quality jobs, especially in places where these jobs have the most impact by creating opportunity and reducing poverty. That they’re able to do this while satisfying customers around the world means they’re poised for growth and making a real difference in the world.”

With this investment, Enda aspires to be a top high-performance running shoe brand by further expanding its product lines and distribution, thus also creating more jobs and achieving positive social and spiritual impacts.

“We’ve been working hard to fulfill orders as thousands of people around the world are discovering our shoes. It is an exciting time for our company,” said Enda co-founder and CEO Navalayo Osembo. This is our moment to invest in further growth and help even more people “Run Kenyan” in 2022.”