South African security startup Jonga Systems has secured a seed funding round from the Savant Venture Fund to implement its go-to-market strategy.
Founded in 2016 by Ntsako Mgiba and Ntando Shezi, Jonga provides community-based home security to lower income consumers.
It has designed, manufactured and tested hardware devices in Khayelitsha, which work in conjunction with a mobile app. Triggered by motion sensed by the Jonga device in the home, the app contacts members of an owner-built distribution list, such as neighbours, family, police, and security firms, after confirming with the owner that an alarm signal is genuine.
Jonga has been a Savant Technology Incubator client since early 2016 and, as such, was successful in raising a first round of seed funding through the TIA Seed Fund administered by the hardware incubator.
The startup has now raised a second round, via the Savant Venture Fund, to put in place its go-to-market strategy, which will see it manufacture more than 500 devices, gain market traction and commercial proof of concept, and thereby facilitate a broader VC investment.
The Savant Venture Fund achieved its first close in February after securing a commitment of ZAR110 million (US$7.8 million) from the SA SME Fund, and made its first investment – in medical device development and manufacturing company SmartBlade – in June. Jonga is the Savant Venture Fund’s second investment.
“We have worked with Ntsako and Ntando for a few years now and like who they are, how they work and what they’re doing. We believe they are providing a socially relevant solution into an underserved market, and if they can get their pricing and their business model right, they can really grow the business. The funding is to work on getting that right,” Savant founder Nick Allen told Disrupt Africa.
