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Jem

Cape Town, South Africa

series-a$8.4M raisedFreshly fundedEnterpriseHR TechFintech

Total Raised

$8.4M

Stage

series-a

Location

Cape Town, South Africa

Founded

2020

Team size

11-50

Links

About Jem

South African workforce management startup Jem has raised $8.4 million in a Series A round led by Quona Capital.

What sets it apart

Jem delivers workforce management and employee financial wellness tools through WhatsApp, making it accessible to frontline workers without requiring a separate app.

Sectors

EnterpriseHR TechFintechworkforce managementemployee benefits

Business

ModelSaaS

CustomerEmployers with deskless/frontline workforces, especially HR and payroll teams

Notable

  • Raised $8.4 million in a Series A round led by Quona Capital
  • Serves 200+ companies and over 250,000 frontline workers
  • Rebranded from SmartWage to Jem in 2022

Funding rounds

18 Aug 2026

Led by Quona Capital

With University Technology Fund, E4E, Next176/FutureGrowth, angel investors including former Old Mutual chief executive Iain Williamson, Next176, FutureGrowth, Iain Williamson

Source ↗

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FAQ

What does Jem do?

South African workforce management startup Jem has raised $8.4 million in a Series A round led by Quona Capital.

Where is Jem based?

Jem is based in Cape Town, South Africa, founded in 2020.

How much has Jem raised?

Jem has raised $8.4M in tracked funding and is currently at the series-a stage.

Who has invested in Jem?

Investors in Jem include Quona Capital, University Technology Fund, E4E, Next176, FutureGrowth and Iain Williamson.