Ridgeline Founder Stories: Mudiaga Mowoe of Matta is Aggregating Chemical Supply Chains in Africa

Mudiaga Mowoe, co-founder and CEO of Matta.

In the landscape of Africa's economic development, Matta has emerged as a noteworthy player in reshaping the region's chemical supply chain. With a vision of seamlessly connecting producers with manufacturers to foster economic prosperity and transform the continent's industrial landscape, Matta has been quietly but effectively streamlining the movement of chemicals and materials across the continent as the electric vehicle industry increases demand.

As a digital marketplace, Matta connects chemical producers with manufacturers, offering additional support through logistics and trade financing services. The company, led by co-founder and CEO Mudiaga Mowoe, is committed to addressing the complexities of the chemical supply chain. Recently securing a $5M seed round led by CRE Ventures with support from Ridgeline and others, Matta's steady growth underscores its potential to bring meaningful changes to Africa's industrial landscape.

We asked Mudiaga a few questions about his journey and vision for the future of the supply chain in Africa and beyond, including Matta’s part in it all. 

How did you become interested in chemicals?

MM: I've been in the chemical space for about a decade. Previously I worked at a company called Ferro Corporation in South Africa. Eventually, I moved to Nigeria and was in charge of sales for the whole country. My work with Ferro Corp built up my interest in the chemical space especially in Nigeria and parts of West Africa, because it made me aware of the various problems that existed in the space. 

What problems are you solving that inspired you to co-found Matta?

MM: We built Matta because one of the main things we saw was a mismatch between the demand and supply for chemicals in the market. People were making requests for chemicals that weren’t available more than the ones that were available. In my research, I found out there wasn't one central repository where you could go to, especially here in West Africa, to find all the information you needed and chemicals required for various manufacturing processes and operations. That was where the idea for Matta was really birthed.

Tell us about your team: Who’s on it, and how did you meet?

MM: I met my Head of Commercial, Zainab Omonaiye, our Head of Trade, Fisayo Fanika, and our first Head of Finance through personal introductions. It was primarily through introductions, referrals, meeting different people in different places, and speaking about the idea for Matta that built our initial team of six people. Eventually, we had to build our Human Resources department to handle recruiting as we built up our team to 50 people. 

Where do you see the global supply chain headed in the future?

MM: I think there's going to be an increase in demand primarily for minerals and commodities. The demand for minerals is happening because of the drive in the electric vehicle (EV) industry as we move from a combustion based economy to an EV-based economy. The demand for critical minerals will only continue to increase, and part of this increase will drive the development of certain African economies over this period of time. For commodities, mostly in the agro sector, there'll be demand for more agriculture as world populations increase. We can already see it now. Matta is present in three different countries, and primarily in West Africa we're beginning to see more and more demand for agricultural produce in Europe from Africa which was not very prevalent before but is beginning to become more prevalent. I believe the trend will be an increase in the requirements for commodities and minerals over the next couple of years.

“The demand for minerals is happening because of the drive in the electric vehicle (EV) industry as we move from a combustion based economy to an EV-based economy. The demand for critical minerals will only continue to increase, and part of this increase will drive the development of certain African economies over this period of time.”

What does success look like to you in the short term and long term?

MM: For Matta in the short term, success will be having the ability to create, or rather defragment demand across the continent in the verticals in which we operate. Our primary objective is to aggregate as much demand as possible in all the countries where we exist right now. By the end of next year, we intend to be in at least 15 countries. With that, in the long term, we want to create visibility in Africa on the supply and demand side, and the ability to do that in as many countries as possible would be a success for us. 

Learn more about Matta at matta.trade. Stay up-to-date with the latest news on Ridgeline’s portfolio by subscribing to our monthly newsletter!