Kenyan mobility tech startup BuuPass has secured investment from Yango Ventures, the venture capital arm of global ride-hailing and tech giant Yango Group, marking one of the first investments from its newly launched $20 million fund focused on early-stage startups in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Founded in 2016 by Sonia Kabra and Wyclife Omondi, BuuPass has rapidly become a key player in digitizing Africa’s intercity transport sector. Its platform enables users to book buses, trains, flights, and parcel deliveries, while also offering transport operators digital tools to manage inventory, payments, and fleet operations.
Yango Group CEO Daniil Shuleyko emphasized the company’s broader mission beyond technology, stating: “We are more than just a tech company; we are an ecosystem committed to empowering entrepreneurs worldwide. Through Yango Ventures, we’re sharing our expertise and network to help startups scale, thrive, and drive meaningful change in their communities.”
By 2024, BuuPass had processed over $70 million in bookings and issued more than 20 million tickets, working with over 150 transport operators across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Africa. Its 2024 acquisition of South African rival QuickBus further boosted its regional footprint following a $1.3 million pre-seed round in 2023.
BuuPass is now setting its sights on becoming Africa’s unified API for mobility, integrating various modes of transport into a seamless digital ecosystem.
According to CEO Sonia Kabra, the investment from Yango Ventures represents more than funding,it is a strategic partnership aimed at scaling this vision.
For Yango, which is headquartered in the UAE and operates across Latin America, the Middle East, and North Africa, the BuuPass investment signifies a strategic entry into Africa’s dynamic digital infrastructure landscape.
Through its venture arm, Yango is targeting seed to Series B investments in sectors including online-to-offline (O2O) platforms, B2B SaaS, and fintech.
Unlike traditional VCs, Yango Ventures brings more than capital to the table. It offers startups access to a global ecosystem of ride-hailing, logistics, and software platforms, along with operational know-how and a proven playbook for scaling tech solutions across fragmented markets.
This deal also reflects a broader wave of global tech investment into African startups. In 2023, inDrive launched a $100 million fund aimed at tackling systemic inequality through startup funding in emerging markets. While Yango’s approach is more commercially driven, its focus on infrastructure and scalability could pave the way for long-term, transformative impact.
Still, Africa’s startup environment presents unique challenges,ranging from regulatory diversity to market fragmentation. What works in Nairobi may require significant adaptation to succeed in Lagos, Kinshasa, or Accra. The success of BuuPass and other mobility platforms hinges not only on innovation but also on deep local understanding and agile execution.
As digital transport solutions gain momentum, BuuPass is emerging as a front-runner in shaping the continent’s mobility future. The Yango partnership represents a major leap toward realizing that vision—one that could redefine how Africans move, connect, and transact across borders.
For BuuPass, it’s a defining milestone. For Yango Ventures, it’s a calculated first step into Africa’s growing innovation frontier. And for the continent’s tech ecosystem, it’s further proof that global investors are no longer sitting on the sidelines.
