Kenyan Logistics Startup Leta Raises USD 5 M Seed To Expand AI System

Nairobi-based logistics startup Leta, founded in 2021 by Nick Joshi, has raised USD 5 M in seed funding to expand its AI-powered platform, which helps businesses optimise delivery routes, track shipments in real-time, and streamline logistics costs. The round was led by Speedinvest, with backing from Google’s Africa Investment Fund and climate-tech fund Equator.

Leta addresses Africa’s high transportation costs, where logistics can make up 75% of product prices, driving up costs for essential goods. By automating dispatch planning and optimising vehicle usage, Leta enables businesses to reduce fleet sizes while maintaining delivery efficiency, cutting fuel costs and emissions. The startup has grown considerably since its USD 3 M pre-seed round in 2022, expanding across Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Leta integrates directly with business ERP, POS, and OMS systems, using live data to match orders with the best available vehicles and optimise loading methods. Its AI-powered routing system continuously updates based on real-time conditions, avoiding traffic disruptions such as construction, flooding, or police checkpoints.

The platform has attracted major clients, including KFC, Diageo, EABL, and Gilani, optimising over 10,000 daily trips and powering 4.5 million deliveries, a significant jump from 500,000 in 2022. Revenues have grown 5x in that period, its Founder says, and Leta now manages 7,400 vehicles, up from 2,000 two years ago.

Beyond logistics, Leta is expanding into embedded finance, piloting services like fuel cards, asset financing for vehicles, and supply chain financing for FMCG merchants. Google, one of its investors, also sees strategic value in Leta’s real-time mapping technology, which is more up-to-date than Google Maps in some African cities.

With this funding, Leta aims to double revenues and expand further across Africa and the Middle East, offering a software-driven alternative to traditional asset-heavy logistics models.