HAVAÍC, a South African venture capital firm, has led a $1.4m secondary investment in a global calling app Talk360.

The transaction was supported by Universum Wealth, a limited partner in HAVAÍC’s $50m African Innovation Fund 3.

The latest investment will support Talk360’s next phase of product development and platform expansion. This includes further improvements to the user experience and the continued build-out of Shop360 - a new feature that enables users to instantly send mobile airtime, data bundles, and top-ups to family and friends in more than 180 countries.

“As Talk360 consolidates its place as a leader in the African market and moves into the growth phase of its startup journey, we are excited to further support management through greater shareholding and an ever-evolving relationship built on a common vision to solve real-world challenges in Africa and beyond,” said Ian Lessem, Managing Partner at HAVAÍC.

Founded with a clear purpose to become the most accessible calling app for African diaspora communities, both within Africa and abroad, Talk360 has steadily evolved into a global communications platform connecting 6 million+ people worldwide last year.

Since securing over $10m in backing from leading African venture capital and fintech-focused angel investors in 2022, the company has accelerated into its next stage of growth and has become profitable.

Key milestones along this journey include the successful spin-off of its payments arm into NjiaPay; addressing the gap left by the discontinuation of Skype-out for travellers and business users worldwide; and achieving profitable growth from 2025 onwards, marking Talk360’s transition from an early-stage scale-up to a disciplined, sustainable business.

For Talk360, the secondary investment represents a strong validation of both its trajectory and its long-term ambition: To become the world’s most reliable calling app and the trusted connection for anyone who needs to reach home, from African diaspora communities abroad and global travellers to international businesses saving up to 90% on global calling, with call quality that consistently outperforms traditional telcos.

More broadly, the deal reflects a maturing South African startup ecosystem. Following several notable exits in 2025, momentum is building across the market: scale-ups are reaching the next stage of growth, partial exits are becoming more common, and a healthier capital cycle is emerging, one where successful outcomes recycle capital into new innovation.

The transaction has also enabled several of Talk360’s earliest angel investors, who have supported the company since 2016, to realise partial liquidity, achieving up to 5x returns to date while continuing to participate in the company’s future upside.

“We are grateful for the continued conviction and support of HAVAÍC and Universum Wealth as we enter the next phase of our journey,” said Hans Osnabrugge, CEO of Talk360.