Maad

Maad is Subsaharan Francophone Africa's fastest-growing Tech-Enabled Wholesaler for Informal Markets

Context: Across Africa’s growing €1+ trillion retail market, 80% - 95% of consumption still happens in informal mom and pop shops instead of modern supermarkets.

The problem: The supply chain for getting products to these small retailers is lengthy and inefficient. There are too many middlemen (each taking a commission on products), relying on traditional ways of working (pen and paper). This means higher prices for retailers and a complete lack of visibility for Brands on point of sale data.

What we are building: A tech-driven solution that allows retailers to order products from our one-stop shop. They enjoy reliable delivery, low prices, and fewer stockouts.

On top of this distribution infrastructure, we will layer additional high-value services for:

• Retailers: Working capital payment delays and Agent Network for Financial Services
• Brands: Data, Software and Services for advertising, distribution, and market understanding

Why does it matter: Supporting retailers means protecting millions of jobs in the informal sector, and helping shop owners survive and thrive with technology. It also means building the core logistics infrastructure that makes everyday-need products consistently available to poor populations.

Where are we doing it: We are based in Dakar, Senegal and aim to cover Francophone Africa.