Enda Raises $1M to Offer Africa-Made Running Shoes to Athletes All Around the World

Enda, a Kenya-based sports startup, has raised $1 million in Series A funding to offer the first made-in-Kenya running shoes to athletes around the world while boosting the local economy.

Talanton, an American Venture Capital firm, led the funding round which also counted with participation from several undisclosed Kenyan angel impact investors. The funding will allow Enda to expand its global brand by boosting its product development and distribution efforts. Iris Wen, Partner at Talanton, referred to the firm’s participation by stating:

“We are thrilled about this investment,” said Iris Wen, a partner at Talanton. Enda is perfectly aligned with our mission of investing in companies that create high-quality jobs, especially in places where these jobs have the most impact by creating opportunity and reducing poverty. That they’re able to do this while satisfying customers around the world means they’re poised for growth and making a real difference in the world.”

Despite being known for being the home of some of the best runners in the world, including marathon record-holder Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya doesn’t have a running shoe brand to represent it on the global stage. Enda was founded with the mission to become a top high-performance running shoe brand that helps athletes around the world to improve their running consistently. Enda co-founder and CEO Navalayo Osembo, said in this regard:

“We’ve been working hard to fulfill orders as thousands of people around the world are discovering our shoes. It is an exciting time for our company. This is our moment to invest in further growth and help even more people “Run Kenyan” in 2022.”

According to data aggregated by RunRepeat, there was an increase of 65% in running and jogging activities during 2020 as people around the world become increasingly interested in improving their health by exercising frequently. Enda believes that running can be more than just a means to improve physical and mental health but also increase fairness, justice, and equality around the world, a mission that drives its “Run Kenyan” slogan.