In the average African city today, catching transport isn’t as easy as hailing a cab in New York or ordering an electric bike ride in China. Because most of these fast-growing metropolises comprise “emerging markets”, people typically rely on public transport to move from place to place.
Besides hellish traffic in cities like Lagos and Nairobi, public transport in Africa can be inconvenient due to its inconsistency. What’s more, it’s a sector notorious for unpredictability and, sometimes, discomfort.
As such, in places like Johannesburg and Cape Town, there’s a whole lot of people in need of easy ways to get to work and back. It’s all about spending less time commuting.
That’s why WhereIsMyTransport—a South African mobility startup—exists. The journey-planning service was founded in 2016 by Devin de Vries, Chris King, and Dave New.
Last week, WhereIsMyTransport unzipped a USD 14.3 Mn Series A extension. The startup’s USD 7.5 Mn Series A round was secured in February last year.
WhereIsMyTransport’s new funding was co-led by Naspers Foundry, the investment arm of Naspers—Africa's most valuable firm, and Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund. The startup is now the fifth firm to get a slice of Naspers Foundry’s largely-untouched ~USD 100 Mn stash.
Google, Nedbank, and Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TTC), and Lil Ventures are earlier bettors on WhereIsMyTransport. What is the company doing that’s attracting so many investors?
