Amsterdam’s international calling app Talk360 raises €1.2M
Summary
Amsterdam-based Talk360, an international calling app from South Africa and the Netherlands, announced that it raised $1.4M (approximately 1.27M) in a pre-Series A round of funding.The funding will support the companys next growth phase, aiming to reach seven million people and achieve profitability.The round was led by long-standing investor Havaic. It included $1M from Havaic and $400K from other investors.Before this round, in 2022, the company raised $7M in seed funding from investors across Africa and Europe, including executives from Adyen and Mollie, and the founders of Tyme Bank.Talk360 aims to expand its user base among the African diaspora in the UK, US, and South Africa, and explore creating a payment aggregator to streamline transactions and address failed payment challenges in the fragmented African market.Hans Osnabrugge, co-founder and CEO of Talk360, says, Were incredibly proud of Talk360s growth. Committed to making reliable communication accessible to everyone, especially in emerging African markets, Talk360 plans to launch the worlds first single checkout platform for Africa.This platform will integrate local payment methods, currencies, and over 1 million cash points, enabling 500 million African consumers to access digital services.With offices in South Africa, Nigeria, India, and the Netherlands, Talk360 aims to connect people and bridge distances globally.Hans Osnabrugge, co-founder and CEO at Talk360, says, This payment platform has been exclusively used in-house to establish a strong foundation. We are strongly considering opening the platform to external merchants before Christmas 2024.With the new funding, Talk360 plans to localise into more African languages and establish additional partnerships with remittance companies, retailers, and brands.Dean Hiine, co-founder and MD Africa at Talk360, says, A better understanding of our audiences will also see the upcoming releases supporting languages such as Amharic and Portuguese. This new funding will help the business capitalise on that trust to create even more tailored solutions that deliver value at a local level.Ian Lessem, Managing Partner at Havaic, adds, Talk360s ability to navigate and succeed in challenging economic conditions speaks to the strength of its business model and clear vision.