Lua Raises Ksh 748M to Expand Human-AI Agent Collaboration

Lua, a Kenya-tested global startup, has secured Ksh748M ($5.8 million) in fresh funding to scale its platform that enables businesses to build and manage AI-powered agent workforces.

The funding round was led by Norrsken22, with participation from Flourish Ventures, 20VC, P1 Ventures, Enza Capital, Phosphor Capital and Y Combinator. 

Notable angel investors include Henri Stern, CEO of Privy, Kaz Nejatian, CEO of Opendoor, and Med Benmansour, CEO of Nuitee.

Lua was founded by Lorcan O'Cathain and Stefan Kruger. The two founders previously worked together in East Africa’s fintech space. 

Lua’s platform allows teams to create, deploy and manage AI agents that can automate tasks and collaborate with their human workforce.

According to O'Cathain, the future of business will depend on how well companies integrate AI agents into their workforce. 

He noted that many businesses are currently limited by complex tools or rigid systems that fail to match how teams actually operate.

“Most businesses are either blocked by technical complexity or locked into rigid tools that don't reflect how their teams actually work. Most agent platforms compound this with black box tooling and per-outcome pricing: the more your agents succeed, the more you pay, with no pathway to improving your agent economics,” O'Cathain stated.

“Lua is built on the opposite principle: teams own their agents, own their outcomes, and build compounding efficiency over time.”

On her part, Norrsken22 General Partner Lexi Novitske highlighted that Lua’s global footprint and practical experience in emerging markets positioned it for significant growth and adoption.

“They are a global company that has deployed in Africa, Asia, the U.S. and Europe with deep experience, a volume of data, and a pricing intuition that's difficult to replicate. We’re excited to help them build out this operating system for human and agent workforces,” Novitske remarked.

Currently, the AI platform has been deployed in Africa and Asia, with customers also in Europe and the US. A number of leading companies in Kenya are already using Lua on a wide range of client management functions. They include managing loan applications among lenders, handling claims in insurance, and automated shopping in eCommerce sites, among others. 

Since launching its developer platform in October 2025, Lua has recorded rapid growth, with revenues increasing by nearly 30% week-on-week. 

The company also reported that in February 2026 alone, more agents were built on its platform than in the entire period since its launch, signalling strong adoption.

On April 13, Lua hosted 120 participants from various business fields for a hackathon in Nairobi, to build real, functional AI agents for challenges such as lending, agriculture, and commerce. The hackathon continues globally, with Singapore hosting the latest series last weekend on Saturday, April 18.