South African international calling app Talk360 has raised US$1.4 million in pre-Series A funding to drive its goal of connecting seven million people by 2025 while strengthening its journey towards long-term profitability.
Co-founded in 2016 by South African venture builder Dean Hiine with Dutch entrepreneurs Hans Osnabrugge and Jorne Schamp, Talk360 is an easy-to-use calling app that helps consumers make affordable international calls to any mobile and landline number.
It is already Africa’s leading international calling app, with offices in South Africa, the Netherlands, India and Nigeria, and connected more than four million people in 2023. It secured a US$7 million seed round in 2022, and has now banked US$1.4 million in pre-Series A funding to boost its growth.
The round was led by long-standing Talk360 investor HAVAÍC, which invested US$1 million. Other investors injected the remaining US$400,000 capital, with the round valuing the startup at around US$30 million.
“We’re incredibly proud of Talk360’s growth. Over the past two years, we’ve gone from connecting 2.3 million users to 4 million in 2023. This funding will help us continue our mission of connecting African migrant communities with their families back home,” said Osnabrugge, CEO of Talk360.
“The additional funding will enable us to deliver on our next phase of growth to reach seven million people and achieve profitability across our global operations.”
With the additional funds in place, Talk360 plans to localise into more African languages and set up more local and global partnerships with remittance companies, retailers, and brands.
“Talk360’s ability to navigate and succeed in challenging economic conditions speaks to the strength of its business model and clear vision. We are confident this latest round of funding will empower them to deepen their impact, especially in underserved communities across Africa,” said Ian Lessem, managing partner at HAVAÍC.
