Kenyan based food startup, Kune, has announced that it has officially began commercial operations with four meal hubs located in strategic locations in Nairobi. The company plans to expand to other towns in Kenya in the next 12 months.
Kune, which is in the second phase of fundraising, is targeting to raise $3.5 million (Ksh. 400 million) from local and international investors. The funds will be used to increase production capacity and build a countrywide footprint by 2024.
The locations that will be fully operational by the end of March 2022 include Nairobi’s Central Business District along University Way, Sameer Business Park on Mombasa Road, Thika Road and Langata Road.
“Currently, Kune is delivering over 400 meals a day with a projection to be serving over 1,000 meals a day by the end of this quarter. Our factory production and delivery infrastructure are fully in place for us to scale our operations with our unique offering,” notes Faith Mwendia, the Managing Director Kune.
Kune’s MD added that $1 million pre-seed funding raised last year has enabled the company to develop its factory capacity, boost research capabilities and strengthen the delivery system. The company presently has capacity to produce and deliver up to 8,000 meals per day.
“In the past few months, we have seen tremendous growth in demand owing to our dynamic menu and friendly prices. We have invested heavily in research and development where we have a fully dedicated in-house team working consistently on our menu advancement so as to meet the changing demands of customers while also bridging the nutrition and price gap. Our prices range between Ksh. 250 to Ksh. 360 for a balanced meal including a fruit salad,” Ms Mwendia added.
Kune sources for food from Kenyan suppliers and employs production efficiencies and, at the moment, it is serving three balanced-diet meals (2 non-veg, 1 veg) a day while also utilising the fruits and vegetables in season. The investment in its own production and own mobile app has also enabled it to scale down on infrastructure costs with the benefits passed on to the consumer through affordable pricing of meals.
The Kune service is available via their mobile app which is on Google Play store and iOS Apple Store.