Taojaa.com Raises $104,000 in Pre-Seed Funding to accelerate Homegrown E-Commerce Infrastructure Across Nigeria

By Oladayo Nuel

Taojaa.com, a rising e-commerce startup committed to building a seamless, Nigeria-first online shopping experience, has announced a successful $104,000 seed funding round. The round was led internally by CEO Akinpelumi Akinniyi, with participation from a small group of angel investors focused on emerging markets and tech infrastructure in Africa. The funding initiative was driven alongside Technical Product Manager Chika Nkwocha, who is leading the platform’s next phase of product innovation and technical scale.

Founded in 2022, Taojaa.com is solving a growing but under-served need in Nigeria: building a localized, transparent, and scalable e-commerce platform tailored to the needs of Nigerian consumers and vendors. Unlike generalist global platforms, Taojaa was designed from the ground up with deep knowledge of local shopping behaviors, delivery infrastructure gaps, and the digital payment ecosystem.
The $104,000 raised will be used to accelerate platform development, optimize last-mile delivery coordination in key cities, expand vendor onboarding programs, and grow Taojaa’s product team. Key initiatives over the next six months include the rollout of a logistics partner dashboard, AI-driven product recommendations, and an upgraded vendor portal that allows small businesses to manage their online storefronts more efficiently.

“This raise marks a critical moment in our journey,” said CEO Akinpelumi Akinniyi. “We’re not trying to replicate Amazon for Africa; we’re building Taojaa for Nigeria, with systems that work within our realities, empower local vendors, and give customers a frictionless experience that earns their trust. This funding gives us room to prove that a truly local solution can scale profitably.”

Technical Product Manager Chika Nkwocha added, “We’re focused on intelligent, practical features that meet Nigerian consumers where they are on mobile, in cities with delivery challenges, using Naira-based payments. This funding allows us to scale our architecture responsibly, without losing sight of what makes Taojaa feel different: speed, simplicity, and cultural fit.”

Taojaa.com currently operates in Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, and Port Harcourt, with plans to expand into secondary cities where e-commerce logistics are still underserved. The company has onboarded over 300 vendors and is processing hundreds of daily transactions, powered by a lightweight but highly modular tech stack.

As part of the post-seed phase, Taojaa is also opening conversations with logistics and fintech partners to streamline integrated payments, vendor payouts, and rural delivery coverage. Additionally, the team is exploring AI-powered demand forecasting and inventory sync for high-volume sellers on the platform.

With a strong early community of users and a rapidly growing vendor base, Taojaa.com is poised to become one of the most trusted e-commerce platforms in Nigeria not just by selling products, but by building systems that empower small businesses, simplify discovery, and restore consumer trust in online shopping.