Venture Capital and Financial Performance of E-Commerce-Driven Firms in Kenya
Authors: Mwendwa Muinde , Gatauwa James , Mungai John 
Published: April 2024

Purpose: Businesses that rely on e-commerce for growth frequently find that their ability to obtain sufficient capital is critical to their success. Funding from venture capital firms is essential in this context. Due to insufficient capital, e-commerce-driven businesses in Kenya have continuously underperformed financially. Numerous of these businesses, such as Rupu, OLX Kenya, and ePay, encountered financial difficulties and eventually lost the ability to continue operating. This study's main objectives were to evaluate the impact of capital management support, financing options, and cost of capital on the financial performance of Kenyan e-commerce businesses. Additionally, the study sought to fully evaluate the moderating impact of regulatory structure on venture capital funding and the financial performance of Kenyan e-commerce-driven firms. The trade-off, stakeholder, financial liberalization, and agency theories all lend credence to this research. The research philosophy of positivism, which emphasizes the use of empirical data to evaluate theories and hypotheses, was applied to perform this study.

Methodology: The study examined a population of 45 e-commerce-driven businesses that obtained venture capital financing between 2017 and 2022 using a descriptive cross-sectional survey research approach. A stratified simple random sampling design technique was employed to choose 45 e-commerce-driven businesses as a sample. Surveys were distributed to collect primary data. Important stakeholders, including investors, executives, and founders, were among the participants in the study. Descriptive statistics were employed to summarize the data, such as measures of central tendency (particularly the mean), variability (expressed by the standard deviation), and frequency distributions. Regression analysis, an inferential statistic, was also employed in the study to investigate the relationship between venture capital funding and financial success. The gathered data were coded before entering into the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) program to make the analysis process easier. The analysis's final results were provided as tables.

Findings: The findings showed that the cost of capital, financing strategies, and capital management support significantly impact Kenyan e-commerce enterprises' financial performance. The aggregate score of 3.73 in cost of capital indicated consensus among participants on the impact of venture capital on e-commerce companies' financial performance. Participants perceived a significant correlation, with a standard deviation of 1.15 reflecting varying opinions. Most agree that lower venture capital costs lead to better financial success, influencing organizations' financial decisions significantly. The study concluded that venture capital funding has a considerable impact on the financial performance of e-commerce-driven enterprises in Kenya. The report advised management to thoroughly understand the total cost of capital related to venture capital funding.

Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study on venture capital and financial performance of e-commerce-driven firms in Kenya has made significant contributions to theory, practice, and policy. It has enhanced theoretical understanding by examining the relationship between venture capital investments and the financial performance of e-commerce firms, providing insights into the dynamics of these markets. In practice, the study has offered valuable guidance to e-commerce entrepreneurs and investors by identifying factors that influence financial performance and informing strategic decision-making. Additionally, the findings have implications for policy formulation, as they highlight the importance of fostering an enabling environment for venture capital investments in the e-commerce sector to spur economic growth and innovation in Kenya.