Founded in 2020 by British-born Nigerian entrepreneur, Mariam Jimoh, Oja has successfully raised an estimated $3.4M in pre-seed funding led by LocalGlobe. Oja’s investors include: Acequia Capital, Tiny VC and HoaQ, ‘a community of creators and operators backing entrepreneurs in building scalable businesses for Africa and its diaspora.’

Oja translates as “market” in Yoruba, and this investment paves the way for the startup to reposition how the UK’s growing ethnic minority communities are served in the digital marketplace. The platform also highlights and rectifies a problem within the grocery industry that has historically failed to meet the needs of diverse groups and cultures in the UK. The sizable investment will empower growing cultural communities in the UK.

Oja’s app, first of its kind, provides customers with a curated and extensive range of products from a selection of handpicked suppliers, who specialise in groceries and products for ethnic minorities. Oja currently serves homes across London, and the company promises to expand its services to other parts of the UK, as it grows in order to cater to its vast audience.

Jimoh, a 2021 Forbes 30 under 30 honoree believes that every community deserves access to products regardless of their culture or ethnic backgrounds. Through Oja she is able to ensure a more diverse market that caters to different communities and cultures in an increasingly globalised economy.