Nigerian-based logistics startup Kobo360 has raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding round soon after being accepted into the YCombinator class of 2018.
The round was led by Western Technology Investment and Nigeria’s Verod Capital Management.
Kobo360 has developed an Uber-like app that connects Nigerian truckers to companies with freight needs. The startup intends to use the funds to pay drivers online immediately after completing a successful haul.
In 2016, Kobo360 co-founder Obi predicted that Kobo would surpass FedEx, UPS, and DHL to become Nigeria’s largest and most innovative logistics platform, a dream the company is working hard to realize.
Within just 4 months since their launch, Kobo360 reportedly processed orders worth an estimated $2.8 million. The company reportedly coordinates 5,000 trips a month, has served 324 businesses and moved north of 37 million kilograms of cargo since 2017. It currently has 5,480 active drivers using the platform.
Kobo360 is looking to launch its app in Hausa and Pidgin by August this year. It also plans to add 20,000 trucks on its platform and expand to Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Senegal.
