Nigerian startup, Simplifyd, has raised US$500,000 in pre-seed funding as part of its moves to mitigate the challenges associated with accessing affordable data.
Two investors, Future Africa and Y Combinator, provided the new fund after Simplifyd was selected for the W22 batch of the Silicon Valley-based accelerator.
The startup was founded by Tomi Amao, Mayowa Amao, Sam Keiru and Abiola Fajimi in 2020 to provide affordable data to mobile and web app users in emerging markets across Africa.
Simplifyd has also launched ZeroData, a toll-free internet application platform to allow users enjoy access to data as part of its drive to become the preferred platform for data-free access to internet users across the African continent.
According to the startup, the ZeroData app is available for mobile (Android) and desktop (MacOS and Windows) and also allows users access instant data-free access to listed apps and websites, and by so doing, allowing businesses to bundle data with their apps
Speaking on the new app, the company’s co-founder and CEO Tomi Amao, explained that the ZeroData was created to support greater digital inclusion across the continent by solving challenges around affordability.
He clarified: “ZeroData is designed to cater to both users with active data plans and those with none. For users with an active data plan, their data plan isn’t consumed when they make use of the application. Our app also enables users with no active data plans to enjoy uninterrupted access to the internet apps listed on the platform.
“For us, the realisation that Africans pay the highest rate for mobile internet in the world proportional to income is worrying. This is a significant challenge that we are happy to solve sustainably through the launch of ZeroData.
“We are creating a convenient platform to access the internet away from the challenge of huge data consumption for the continent’s growing number of Internet users”, Amao added.
