Barely a month after e-commerce firm Copia Global shut down, three top executives have quietly launched new startups in Kenya.
Tim Steel (former CEO), Michael King (former CTO), and co-founder Tracey Turner are now behind Stahili, a cashback and rewards platform offering discounts and mobile data in exchange for user feedback. The company was incorporated in June 2024—just weeks after Copia went into administration—and is wholly owned by Copia Holding Company, a US entity linked to Turner.
Stahili is already live in Kenya, and it targets lower-income consumers with product deals tied to brand engagement. Its ownership by the same holding company that backed Copia raises questions about continuity, transparency, and whether any assets or data were carried over.
Turner has also co-founded Olverra, a US-headquartered venture that helps African artisans sell handmade products to global markets. The company, which is not yet registered in Kenya, lists Kenyan data engineer Vijay Otieno as CEO.
Copia, founded in 2012, had raised over $123 million from global investors to build a last-mile delivery network serving rural and peri-urban households. Despite the funding, it never turned a profit and formally shut down in September 2024.
None of Copia’s former investors have commented publicly on the new ventures, and it’s unclear whether they—or any new backers—are involved.
