Ethnic grocery delivery startup Oja bags footballer Raheem Sterling as angel investor
Oja, pitched as the UK’s first ethnic digital supermarket focused on African and Caribbean goods, has raised a pre-seed extension led by LocalGlobe, with participation from Premier League and England football player Raheem Sterling.
Founded in 2020, Oja, which is Yoruba, a Nigerian language, for market, ships orders from its own warehouses and dark stores to homes across London, and has also recently launched its service in Birmingham
The funding will be used to further its expansion into new cultures and regions, as well as its B2B offering.
In addition to becoming an angel investor, Sterling will be the firm’s first brand ambassador.
Mariam Jimoh, CEO and Founder at Oja, says: “Our recent growth, the renewed backing of LocalGlobe and Raheem’s support truly speaks to the power of community, which is at the heart of my mission with Oja.”
“Within this community, we share a love of food. We feel the intrinsic link between who we are and how we relate to our cultures through food, and we share the frustration over its access.”
“This authenticity shines through and we’re thrilled that Raheem not only recognised the problem we’re trying to solve but wants to join us in solving it for even more people.”
Sterling comments: “There is such a natural connection with Oja for me. I can get my favourite home comforts, like Biggas and plantain chips, and having access to these products at short notice is amazing.”
“I am sure that the wider African and Caribbean communities will appreciate this too, and this is a key reason why I joined this investment round; I am excited to play a part in something with both potential and purpose.”
Continue reading…