Zimi, a startup simplifying cross-border commerce for international merchants, has raised $2 million in seed funding led by Fearless Fund, with participation from Y Combinator and other investors.
Co-founded by Audrey Djiya and Peter Nsaka, Zimi’s platform tackles challenges like shipping, compliance, and payments to streamline global trade.
Tackling Challenges in Global Shipping
International merchants often face high shipping costs, long delivery times, and complex regulatory requirements.
Zimi addresses these pain points by providing US-based localized fulfillment centers, cutting down costs and delivery times while ensuring seamless handling of taxes, currency exchange, and compliance.
“Everything a merchant needs to do to sell internationally can be done in one place on our platform,” said Nsaka, Zimi’s Chief Technology Officer, according to TechCrunch.
The idea for Zimi came from personal experiences. Djiya, inspired by her family’s history in cross-border trade, saw potential in addressing inefficiencies in international commerce.
Nsaka, a former Shopify software engineer, was driven by the lack of African representation in global e-commerce visualizations.
Together, they built Zimi to create an inclusive platform for merchants worldwide.
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Driving Growth Through Relationships and Innovation
Zimi’s early success can be attributed to its hands-on approach with customers and the power of storytelling.
The founders used platforms like LinkedIn to share their journey, which not only built awareness but also attracted their first clients.
“We personally helped set up accounts, troubleshoot issues, and even packed some of the first orders ourselves,” said Djiya.
The $2 million seed funding will be used to scale Zimi’s US fulfillment networks and integrate artificial intelligence to enhance the user experience.
The company also plans to launch a payment solution in 2024, enabling merchants to receive payments in US dollars.
Feature Image Credit: Zimi
