In an explosive development, Kenyan e-commerce platform Copia is said to be terminating the services of all its remaining 1,500 employees. The affected staff is set to receive termination letters tomorrow. This comes as a blow to the company, which has recently suffered from extreme financial troubles and is going into administration—a huge downward spiral for the startup, which was promising at its inception.
Company Background and Funding
Copia Global, founded in 2012, was supposed to transform e-commerce in Kenya by taking goods and services to customers in rural areas. With a good number of years in operation, Copia had raised a substantial amount of venture funding, amassing $123 million across eight rounds. This week, the now eight-year-old company finds itself in a switch back to sustaining its business.
Layoffs and Date of Administration
The company had recently laid off 25% of its Kenyan workforce and suspended its operational activities in Uganda back in April. In fact, the country was hit in late May when Copia announced its administration status. At the time, administration consultancy KPMG, led by Makenzi Muthusi and Julius Ngonga, was selected to oversee the administration.
Key Places of Operation Shut Down
After announcing the administration on Friday, Copia ceased operations in a number of key towns, including Eldoret, Meru, Embu, Kericho, and Naivasha in Nakuru. In addition, operations in Machakos have been affected, with employees in the aforementioned towns now on leave. “This was a tough decision, but necessary, to temporarily stop serving our customers in Eldoret, Meru, Kericho, Embu, Machakos, and Naivasha,” said Anne Mwihaki, Copia’s Director of Human Resources, after the company indicated plans to resize and reshape its business model.
Financial and Administrative Constraints
The company is said to have had money to pay its workers in the month of May. Makenzi Muthusi, one of the administrators appointed, said that under the administration’s guidance, the plan was to try and come up with a plan that has a lower burn rate until Copia can be profitable. However, with the redundancy of its entire workforce, things are looking very bleak for Copia.
The Way Forward
A significant roadblock to Copia’s restructuring and achievement of profitability is just now surfacing: the complete layoff of its employees. The company’s vision to make e-commerce services more accessible to rural and underserved communities is now more uncertain than ever. For Copia, the ability to bounce back remains to be seen, marking the potential end of its operations.
The story of Copia is a case study in the start-up world and one that underscores the uncertainty and difficulties associated with business, no matter how well capitalized. As it makes the final steps under administration, it remains to be seen what broader implications exist for the Kenyan e-commerce landscape and its various stakeholders.
