KaiOS Technologies, maker of mobile operating system KaiOS, has confirmed Orange's participation in a recent Series B funding round led by Cathay Innovation.

According to a statement by KaiOS, the added participation of Orange in the Series B investment strengthens its leadership in the rapidly growing smart feature phone segment, in a market where 827 million people in Africa still have no access to the internet.

Based on Kai's collaboration with key telecoms operators such as Orange, KaiOS-powered devices are available in 22 countries across Africa.

"It's partnerships such as this one with Orange that has made KaiOS the third leading mobile operating system with devices in more than 100 countries; further propelling us towards our goal of connecting the next billion users," said Sebastien Codeville, chief executive officer of KaiOS Technologies.

Alioune Ndiaye, chief executive officer Orange Middle East & Africa, said: "Today the two main barriers to internet access are the lack of infrastructure, for which Orange is investing one billion euros per year, and the cost of the device. As part of our effort to overcome this second barrier, I am very pleased to have this opportunity to develop our partnership with Kai through a direct investment. Providing our customers with access to affordable devices is a crucial step in our ambition to democratise access to the Internet in Africa."

At Mobile World Congress in February 2019, Kai and Orange announced Sanza - a smart feature phone integrating voice-recognition, long battery life and popular apps and sold for US$20.

The device is now available in Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Mali, and will be rolled-out in other countries across Orange's footprint in the coming months.

Based on Kai's collaboration with key telecoms operators such as Orange, KaiOS-powered devices are available in 22 countries across Africa.