Grace Ashiru
Aruwa Capital Management (“Aruwa”), a free African early-stage growth equity and gender lens fund, has invested $2.5 million in Taeillo, a female-founded furniture manufacturing company.
Jumoke Dada established the online furniture manufacturer and retailer Taeillo in 2018. Initially a B2B company, Taeillo switched to a direct-to-consumer strategy in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, citing a shift in the market as a result of several walk-in stores ceasing operations.
This choice was successful, as Taeillo quickly gained popularity after releasing its “Amakisi” table and sold more than 1,000 units in just six months.
Taeillo has since entered the Kenyan market, added ten more product categories, and shipped more than 10,000 pieces of furniture to more than 5,000 clients in both countries.
Through a $150,000 bridge round from CcHUB Syndicate in 2021, Taeillo tripled its revenue from the previous year.
Taeillo, on the other hand, has had trouble keeping up with demand, blaming prolonged wait times on working with third-party providers, such as suppliers and logistics services.
By pre-manufacturing some of its best-selling furniture, Taeillo plans to shorten delivery times. It also plans to expand its “Pay with Flexi” product, which lets customers buy furniture and pay for it over time.
As part of its marketing initiatives, Taeillo also intends to use augmented reality and virtual reality technology more frequently to power virtual showrooms.
