Marie-Reine Seshie is a pioneering entrepreneur from Ghana who is transforming the landscape for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by empowering businesswomen to make informed stock decisions.
From an early age, Seshie spent countless hours at her mother’s grocery store, where she witnessed firsthand the challenges of managing inconsistent stock levels of in-demand products and the persistent struggle to secure financing. These formative experiences ignited her determination to develop solutions for the everyday issues SMEs face when she came of age.
Deeply involved in the SME sector, Marie-Reine Seshie began offering management consulting and working directly with business owners. During this time, she discovered that many entrepreneurs prioritised steady sales over securing essential financing—a real challenge for sustainable growth. In response, she founded Kola Market in 2021, naming the venture in homage to Accra’s famous Makola Market.
Kola Market uses advanced data science techniques to identify profitable, fast-selling products and provides financing for these specific items for SMEs. By maintaining optimal stock levels and ensuring consistent sales, the company stabilises cash flows and improves the instability of small businesses. This strategy minimises the risks of overstocking and understocking, making small businesses more predictable and appealing for future investment.
The Kola Market’s impact in Ghana has been significant. In just 18 months, the platform has assisted over 500 small businesses, boosting their sales and profits by an average of 25%. It has facilitated over $5.8 million in gross merchandise value through product financing and the distribution of fast-selling food and livelihood items.
Ghanaian businesswomen have lauded Kola Market for its transformative support. The platform provides reliable sales channels and intelligent inventory insights, enabling these women to make well-informed financial and stock decisions that lead to more stable and profitable operations. As one customer noted, “My wholesalers are pleased now that I can adequately supply and meet their demands. I can now meet my sales targets.”
Additionally, the platform’s ability to aggregate demand enables business owners to negotiate better prices and secure financing for high-margin products, thereby improving their engagement in the global market.
In 2024, Kola Market secured $200,000 from the Madica Venture Programme—an initiative by US-based Flourish Ventures designed to empower underrepresented founders in Africa. This funding has been pivotal in scaling operations and extending the company’s reach.
Additionally, the startup was selected for the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa: Women Founders Cohort, a further testament to its potential to drive meaningful change in the SME sector.
Marie-Reine Seshie envisions Kola Market as a leading aggregation platform for African small businesses. Her goal is to serve over 100,000 SMEs within the next five years and expand services to at least three additional countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
By equipping SMEs with the tools to generate demand, obtain data-driven insights, and access crucial financing, Marie-Reine believes that Kola Market is set to transform how small businesses operate, ultimately fostering a more inclusive economy.
