Mr Viral
Purple Elephant Ventures (PEV), which styles itself as the “world’s first tourism-focused venture studio,” has raised $4.5 million in seed funding. The Nairobi-based venture studio will use the funding to scale its portfolio of startups and launch new ventures focused on addressing the most pressing challenges in Africa’s tourism industry.
The round saw participation from investors including Clear Creek Investment B.V, Klister Corp., Fede Pirzo-Biroli (founder of Playfair Capital), Anthony Rock, and Ian McCaig (former CEO of Lastminute.com).
PEV is part of a growing list of venture studios offering seed capital, strategic guidance, and mentorship to help startups scale across Africa. Others include Fast Forward Venture Studio, Grone Studios, Ceed Cap, and First Founders.
Launched in 2020, PEV helps founders craft hospitality Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions, sustainable procurement for tourism, and energy-efficient solutions for hospitality. The venture studio has launched five startups: Nomad Africa, a travel discovery platform and Kenya’s leading travel publisher and local agency; Kijani Supplies, a procurement tech company specializing in eco-friendly supplies for the hospitality industry; Zafari, a booking platform for African hospitality, streamlining operations for tourism operators; PowerTrip, a cleantech company delivering energy-efficient appliances to hospitality businesses; JOIN Africa, a startup that supports safari guides, created in partnership with Paul English, co-founder of Kayak.
“This funding is a testament to the untapped potential in African tourism innovation,” said Ben Peterson, PEV co-founder and CEO. “With this support, we’re poised to revolutionise the industry through groundbreaking travel technology in Africa, fostering economic growth while preserving the continent’s incredible natural and cultural heritage. The future of sustainable tourism in Africa has never been brighter.”
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