Yango Ventures invests in BuuPass, aiming to revolutionize long-distance travel within Africa.
In a significant development, Kenyan mobility startup BuuPass has announced a strategic investment from Yango Ventures, a $20 million Africa-focused corporate venture fund launched by ride-hailing company Yango Group. Although the exact amount of funding for BuuPass remains undisclosed, this investment marks a key milestone in accelerating BuuPass’s efforts to digitize and integrate long-distance travel and logistics across Africa.
Founded in 2016 by Sonia Kabra and Wyclife Omondi, BuuPass has been steadily expanding its operations in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Africa, partnering with over 150 transport providers and processing bookings worth more than $70 million in 2024. The platform offers a comprehensive solution for booking buses, trains, flights, and parcel delivery, while providing software tools for operators including inventory management and fleet tracking.
Following its 2023 acquisition of South African startup QuickBus, BuuPass has expanded its regional footprint and aims to further expand into up to 12 African countries by the end of 2025. This ambitious growth plan leverages strategic partnerships with telecom operators, financial institutions, and digital platforms to enhance scale and connectivity across fragmented transport markets.
Yango Ventures’ CEO Daniil Shuleyko emphasizes that the investment goes beyond capital, aiming to provide operational expertise and strategic networks to help BuuPass scale efficiently and foster inclusive growth across African communities. BuuPass CEO Sonia Kabra highlighted Yango’s insightful partnership, which complements their understanding of Africa’s unique mobility challenges.
The investment from Yango Ventures is part of a $20 million early-stage fund launched by ride-hailing company Yango Group. This move positions the company as a strategic player in Africa's evolving intercity mobility infrastructure, with BuuPass at the forefront. Rising smartphone penetration and growing access to mobile payments and digital services in Africa position BuuPass well to lead intercity ticketing and transport operations.
With this investment, BuuPass is positioning itself as a foundational player in Africa's evolving intercity mobility infrastructure. The company's vision is to transform disjointed, paper-based intercity travel systems into an integrated, tech-enabled mobility ecosystem that serves millions of travelers and transport operators continent-wide. Yango's participation offers valuable understanding of Africa's mobility dynamics, setting the stage for integrated mobility services across Africa.
In the realm of technology, this investment from Yango Ventures into BuuPass signifies a move towards digitizing and integrating long-distance travel and logistics across Africa, a key aspect of business expansion. With the funds, BuuPass plans to leverage strategic partnerships with financial institutions and digital platforms to foster growth across African communities, bridging the gaps in the fragmented transport market.
