South African startup Flood, the creator of a “SuperApp-as-a-Service” platform, has secured $2.5 million in seed funding to scale its technology aimed at bringing digital commerce to offline retailers in emerging markets.
Founded by André de Wet, Flood offers a no-code, API-based commerce solution that enables telcos, banks, and enterprises to integrate marketplace, payments, logistics, loyalty, merchant onboarding, and real-time analytics directly into apps people already use.
“Ninety-five per cent of retail in emerging markets is still offline,” said André de Wet. “Flood bridges that gap by embedding commerce, loyalty and payments directly into the apps people already use, such as telco and banking platforms.”
Flood’s platform has already seen traction in South Africa, India, and the Maldives, with one deployment onboarding 8,000 merchants in just three months and seeing daily usage reach 28% of a country’s population, a testament to its potential in offline-driven markets.
The latest funding round follows a $1 million seed raise in July 2024 and was backed by investors including CRE.vc and angel partners, supporting Flood’s push to accelerate market entry, deepen telco and bank partnerships, and onboard thousands more merchants across the continent.
Flood is building the infrastructure layer for embedded commerce, making it easier for businesses with existing mass-app audiences to launch digital commerce without developing standalone apps or ecosystems from scratch.
By transforming everyday apps into shopping platforms, Flood accelerates digital inclusion, helps small merchants tap into formal trade, and supports financial inclusion across Africa and beyond.
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