The realisation that Africa, unlike more sophisticated economies in the West, has never experienced an industrial revolution may seem like “bad news” to many. However, this presented an excellent opportunity for Matta’s Founder, Mudiage Mowoe.
Inspired by the problem, he traced the missing gap in achieving self-sustaining economic growth in Africa to the continent’s heavy reliance on imports and a lack of global competitiveness within Africa’s primary and secondary manufacturing sectors.
Relying on his decade-plus experience in Sales and business development in the chemicals market, Mudiaga launched the VC-backed startup in May 2022.
Talking about what inspired Matta’s creation, he told techCabal;
“Chemicals, raw materials, ingredients, and commodities form the bedrock that supports manufacturing and trade activities in Africa. On one side, manufacturers need to source efficiently to produce finished consumer goods used by millions daily, and suppliers, on the other hand, need access to the proper logistical and financial infrastructure to run their businesses smoothly. That’s why we created a tech-enabled platform offering flexible and innovative solutions to facilitate a seamless trading and manufacturing ecosystem within the continent,”
Matta is a technology-enabled business-to-business (B2B) marketplace that facilitates the trade of liquid and solid chemicals, gases, and other industrial materials across Africa. Matta’s platform connects manufacturers and suppliers in a streamlined, efficient manner, challenging the conventional methods that have been the norm for decades in Africa’s manufacturing industry.
The startup is building the largest tech-enabled marketplace for trading chemicals, raw materials, ingredients, and commodities in Africa. To attest to its viability, Matta raised $5 million in a 2023 seed round led by CRE Venture Capital to fuel its mission of transforming Africa’s chemical supply chain.
Matta is streamlining the supply chain for Chemicals, Raw materials, Ingredients, and commodities to support industrialisation in Africa. The startup aggregates demand and supply from buyers and sellers and seamlessly manages the transactions via a marketplace platform, www.matta.trade
Mudiaga, like many African founders, is a massive believer in Africa’s potential and that Africans can solve real problems with technology. Matta is leveraging this belief to create sustainable solutions for African manufacturers.
Matta is also keen on building frameworks that will keep the startup running for decades and make it a trusted partner for African manufacturers. Mudiaga says,
“At Matta, we redefine workplace culture by going beyond conventional norms to satisfy our stakeholders and maintaining a culture that embodies our core values”.
Matta’s CEO believes that one of the fastest ways to grow African economies is to create frameworks that improve trading amongst African countries.
Speaking about Africa’s future, Matta’s CEO had this to say,
“The growth and future prosperity of the African economy rests significantly on its industrial sector and its players – manufacturers, suppliers, importers, logistics providers, financiers, and regulatory bodies. Matta is creating a one-stop-shop for everyone within the ecosystem.”
When asked to describe what he means by Matta being a ‘one-stop-shop’ for manufacturers, Mudiaga told tech Cabal;
“Our goal at Matta is to consistently facilitate a seamless trading experience between suppliers and buyers. To do this, we need to understand the needs of both demographics and create seamless solutions. Our services include marketplace trading, logistics, and operational support for manufacturers and suppliers. We are constantly creating new solutions to address the hyper-fragmentation in the chemical market.”
Matta is also keen on building frameworks that will keep the startup running for decades and centuries.
“Our goal is to build a company that our kids and grandkids would be proud to work in,” Mudiaga told techCabal.
Speaking about his team and the work culture at Matta, Mudiaga says,
“At Matta, we redefine workplace culture by going beyond conventional norms to satisfy our stakeholders and creating a lifestyle that embodies our core values.”
Beyond Nigeria, Matta has an operational and transactional presence in other African markets, such as Cote Ivoire, Senegal, and Mauritius. The startup plans to expand to new markets in South Africa and Eastern Africa before the end of 2024.
Speaking on Matta’s future, Mudiaga says that the company will continue to earn stakeholders’ trust and leverage that to create trade solutions that help African economies scale.
“In line with our brand’s mission to embrace innovation, we always seek solutions not only because it looks good on paper. We seek to be part of the building blocks towards a future where all of Africa develops its raw materials into finished goods and grows its economies by trading amongst one another.”
We look forward to seeing Matta’s continued impact on the African manufacturing sector.
For more on Matta, check out www.Matta.trade
