Jahazii Raises $400K to Digitize, Finance Africa’s Informal Workforce

STARTUP VENTURE CAPITALOctober 15, 2025 at 12:40 PM UTC

TLDR

Jahazii, a Kenyan fintech startup providing earned wage access and payroll infrastructure for Africa’s informal economy, has raised $400,000 in pre-seed funding
Jahazii helps workers access part of their earned wages before payday, while employers automate HR and compliance tasks
The company will use the new capital to scale its software platform that unifies HR management, payroll processing, and embedded financial services for operations-heavy sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture

Jahazii, a Kenyan fintech startup providing earned wage access and payroll infrastructure for Africa’s informal economy, has raised $400,000 in pre-seed funding to accelerate development of what it calls a “workforce operating system for Africa.”

The round—comprising equity, debt, and grants—drew participation from Antler East Africa, DEG Impulse, Jozi Angels, Innovest Afrika, and several strategic angel investors. The company will use the new capital to scale its software platform that unifies HR management, payroll processing, and embedded financial services for operations-heavy sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture.

Founded in 2023 by Sven Grospitsch, Vaidehi Tembhekar, and Martin Gitehi, Jahazii helps workers access part of their earned wages before payday, while employers automate HR and compliance tasks. The platform also offers tools for savings, insurance, and financial education, integrated directly into payroll systems.

“Informality is the biggest structural barrier holding back Africa’s economic transformation,” said CEO Sven Grospitsch. “By embedding financial services into the paycheck, we’re creating the infrastructure needed for Africa’s middle class.”

Over 80% of jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa are informal, leaving millions of workers without payslips, credit histories, or access to affordable finance. Jahazii’s model—partnering with employers rather than lending directly—differs from conventional digital lenders, often criticised for high interest rates.

The company is currently active in Kenya’s manufacturing and agricultural industries, which together employ over 10 million people, and plans to deepen partnerships with large employers across East Africa.

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Key Takeaways

Jahazii’s $400,000 raise underscores a structural shift in African fintech — from consumer lending toward embedded, employer-driven financial systems. By digitising payroll and linking wages to affordable financial services, Jahazii tackles the root of informality: lack of verifiable employment data. Its “infrastructure-first” approach mirrors the evolution seen in neobank models globally, where fintech becomes a layer within existing workflows rather than a standalone app. If successfully scaled, Jahazii could position itself as a backbone platform for Africa’s industrial and agricultural workforce, unlocking credit access for millions while providing investors exposure to a more sustainable, data-rich fintech model.

Venture Capital

Jahazii

Startups

Kenya

Payroll

Informal Economy