African-born AI startup Rwazi just raised $12 million in Series A funding to scale its AI-powered market intelligence platform. The round was led by Bonfire Ventures, with participation from Newfund Capital, Alumni Ventures, Launch Africa, Konvoy Ventures, and Techstars. Disrupt Africa
What Rwazi Actually Does:
Forget outdated reports or gut feel decisions. Rwazi gives brands real time, zero party, data straight from consumers: what they buy, how often, how much it costs, and even why they choose it. Unlike scraped or third-party data, zero party means the consumer willingly provides the info no guesswork or trickery involved. Their edge? An AI co-pilot that constantly monitors trends, simulates scenarios, and gives brands actionable recommendations sort of like a marketing whisperer. TechCrunch
Who Uses Rwazi?
They’ve already got big names like Coca-Cola, Visa, Nestlé, and Pampers on their client list across 190+ countries. Not too shabby for a startup born in Mauritius. Empower Africa
Where the $12M Is Going:
According to CEO Joseph Rutakangwa, the funds will help:
- Grow engineering and data teams
- Expand their AI simulation engine (aka the co-pilot)
- Deliver more predictive insights to more global clien: PR Newswire – July 18, 2025
Why It Matters:
- For brands: Rwazi turns scattered market chaos into structured, usable intel.
- For Africa: It’s another home-grown tech story not just surviving but scaling on the global stage.
- For investors: Real-time market simulation is a hot space and Rwazi’s already ahead.
In Summary:
Rwazi isn’t guessing what consumers want. It is building a global AI system that knows thanks to millions of real inputs from real people, every single day. The Series A means one thing: they’re just getting started.
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