Capria Ventures and pan-African venture capital (VC) fund, Wuri Ventures, invest in mobility data start-up WhereIsMyTransport as a part of its latest US$14.5mn Series A Extension.
WhereIsMyTransport is mapping the ‘route more travelled.’
Informal transport networks are 10x the size of formal transport networks, as urban growth outstrips infrastructure and the development of formal transportation options. Due to the resultant lack of centralized coordination, these networks can be unpredictable, inefficient and unsafe. Journey-planning apps work well for commuters in developed markets, but often do not cover informal networks in emerging markets.
WhereIsMyTransport collects and standardizes data including routes, bus stop information, type and quality of vehicles as well as point of interest and user data, making it available through their data marketplace to leading mapping applications like Google Maps and others. As CEO Devin de Vries notes, Google turned to WhereIsMyTransport for mobility data to enrich the Google Maps user experience in Mexico City.
Launched in Cape Town, South Africa, the company mapped major cities across the continent of Africa including Dar Es Salam, Addis Ababa, Gauteng and others, before expanding globally, mapping mega-cities like Mexico City and Dhaka. Currently, WhereIsMyTransport has covered over 950,000 km of routes in 40 cities and plans to roll out the services to mega-cities across emerging markets in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Tijan Watt, General Partner, Wuri Ventures said, "The colourful and ubiquitous mini-buses we have all heard about like Matatus in Kenya, Danfo in Nigeria, and Car Rapide in Senegal, actually reveal a challenge in public transportation in many parts of Africa, where the informal private sector has to shoulder the burden in absence of centralized options. As a result, you’re faced with inefficiency, insecurity and congestion."
"We realized that technology could play a role in providing coordination and transparency in this industry, taking the place of a central dispatch. WhereIsMyTransport has been at it for longer than most and now they are the global leader in informal public transportation mapping. Another great example of frog-leaping, technology launched in Africa and then propagating to the rest of the world.”
Commenting on the second investment in a logistics solution, he further adds, “Since our inception, we have invested in six start-ups and advised dozens. We are a pan-African fund and we invest in companies in all sectors where innovation can help to solve some of the most persistent challenges due to inefficiencies and lack of coordination amongst market participants.”
Devin DeVries, CEO and co-founder, WhereIsMyTransport commented, "We're thrilled to welcome Wuri Ventures as investors in WhereIsMyTransport, with each organization sharing our strategic focus on emerging markets. Wuri Ventures are increasing their existing holding, a testament to the vast opportunities created by our work producing accurate and comprehensive mobility data in Majority-World megacities."
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