Startups and founders - Afrikan Heroes

Nigeria’s Autochek Expands To North Africa, Acquires Three-year-old Kifal Auto

May 19, 2022

Autochek, the African automotive technology firm that makes automobile ownership more accessible and inexpensive, has recently acquired Kifal Auto, Morocco’s largest automotive technology startup. The Nigerian’s goal is to promote its expansion in North Africa.

The purchase that marks the first significant expansion of a West African company into North Africa, laying the groundwork for an ideal pan-African collaboration to spur innovation in the continent’s booming automotive market.

For the record, Nizar Abdallaoui Maane founded Kifal Auto in 2019 with the goal of transforming the experience of buying/selling used cars in Morocco by providing a transparent process throughout the transaction, allowing access to financing, mechanical breakdown warranty, insurance subscription, and other value-added services.

Because of these innovations, the Moroccan operator became the first startup to be approved into the inaugural cohort of CDG Invest’s “212 Founders” support program, which aims to finance and promote creative enterprises with international ambitions in Morocco.

Kifal Auto has built a reputation as a reliable partner for Moroccan individuals and businesses looking to buy or sell used cars.

Morocco is a critical market for Autochek and one of the most mature in Africa, with over 180,000 new automobiles and 560,000 used cars sold each year.

Because of different political developments and infrastructure improvements, the Moroccan automotive sector is predicted to grow steadily over the next five years, reaching almost $14 billion.

Furthermore, Autochek envisions Morocco as an innovative technology hub, powered by a thriving startup ecosystem that will benefit the automotive industry in the next years.

Autochek will be in a unique position to capitalize on the full potential of Morocco’s dynamic used automobile industry as a result of this acquisition. Many solutions will be deployed to address the many difficulties of the value chain and to further integrate the pan-African automobile sector in order to offer a compelling proposition for all players: customers, manufacturers, financial institutions, and other stakeholders.

Indeed, Autochek is known across the continent as a first-choice partner for facilitating access to finance for used automobiles in Africa, thanks in part to technology and artificial intelligence for data analysis, which allows financial institutions to offer credit to consumers more easily.

Autochek will cover a third region of Africa thanks to Kifal Auto, as it is already present in West and East Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Uganda), where it has over 1,500 dealerships and garages and more than 70 partner banks, including Access Bank, Ecobank, UBA, Bank of Africa, and NCBA Bank.

“From my first interaction with Nizar and his team, I was impressed by their passion, their commitment and the work they accomplished in such a short time to provide effective and innovative solutions,” Etop Ikpe, the CEO and co-founder of Autochek said: “They have developed an excellent platform and we are delighted to have them on board Autochek to strengthen the work we are doing to improve access to automotive finance in Africa. Moreover, there are many parallels in our individual stories, it is the beginning of a long relationship which will be mutually beneficial for us for years to come.”

“I have long admired the work done by Autochek to improve the value chain of buying/selling used cars in Africa. We have so much to learn from each other and I look forward to using my experience and expertise to bring more innovation to Morocco and elsewhere,” added Nizar Abdallaoui Maane, the CEO and founder of Kifal Auto. “In our sector, and especially in an African context, it is key to develop by consolidating with a major player. In addition, Morocco is a gateway to North Africa and I am convinced that we will create even more.’’

Autochek Kifal North Africa Autochek Kifal North Africa

Nigerian Healthtech Startup, Carepoint Raises $10M For African Expansion

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard. You can book a session and speak with him using the link: https://insightsbyexperts.com/view_expert/charles-rapulu-udoh

Digital Services Leader Inetum Acquires Morocco’s EditInfo-IT

May 11, 2022

Inetum, a pioneer in digital services and solutions, has announced the purchase of EditInfo-IT, a specialist in management software integration targeting Moroccan SMEs and mid-market enterprises.

This acquisition thus adds to the Inetum Group’s growth on the African continent by enhancing its ability to integrate and offer the best digital solutions to its clients and partners on a local level.

Hugues Ruffat, EEMEA General Manager of Inetum

“Inetum is increasing its offer for SMEs and ETIs on the Moroccan market and the African continent as a result of this purchase, and we now have more than 100 Sage professionals to help our clients. The integration of EditInfo-IT will allow the Group to strengthen its position in assisting local businesses with their digitization projects and to speed their adoption. This move enables us to invest in vertical services that address specific sectoral needs in Africa in 2022, as well as grow our portfolio of SAAS and Cloud offerings,’’ Hugues Ruffat, EEMEA General Manager of Inetum, said

Mohamed Sebti, General Manager of EditInfo-IT, stated:

“We hold the highest level of certification as a Sage Platinum Partner across all product lines. Because of our renowned competence in the deployment of management systems, we are pleased to join the Inetum group.
We recall that Inetum has operations in six African countries: Ivory Coast, Angola, Senegal, Cameroon, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Since 1986, Editinfo IT is the business software integrator specialist targeting MidMarket companies in Morocco and most generally in Africa.

South African HR And Payroll Platform Radar Acquired By Firepay

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard. You can book a session and speak with him using the link: https://insightsbyexperts.com/view_expert/charles-rapulu-udoh

South African HR And Payroll Platform Radar Acquired By Firepay

May 10, 2022

Firepay, a wholly owned subsidiary of South Africa’s Standard Bank and the company behind the contactless mobile payment technology SnapScan, has acquired Radar, a South African-based HR, payroll, and benefits solutions for SMEs.

The acquisition comes as co-founders Kobus Ehlers and Gerrit Greeff transition from Radar, their second firm, to SnapScan, their first.

While SnapScan makes it simple and safe to pay and receive payments in-store, online, at home, and on the go with a simple snap rather than cards, cash, or time-consuming EFTs, Radar helps small and medium-sized businesses manage and expand their team through a single platform and a straightforward process.

For nearly a decade, Ehlers and Greeff have developed different payment products used by banks, with SnapScan serving as the pinnacle, becoming South Africa’s largest mobile payments product prior to its acquisition by Standard Bank in 2016.

In 2019, they both co-founded Radar with Richard Oakley, and Radar has now been bought by Firepay, the business behind SnapScan and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Standard Bank, in a move that both sides stated had the potential to unlock a number of value-added solutions for SnapScan clients.

According to Ehlers, Firepay was one of the first investors in Radar because of the close strategic fit between their service and what they established at Radar. Both organizations attempt to solve different difficulties that their SME customers face.

“When Radar began exploring for a strategy to extend our distribution and take the product to the next level, it became clear that collaborating closely with SnapScan would be an excellent approach to do it. When you combine our solution with the SnapScan team’s reach and knowledge, you have some pretty interesting possibilities. We are excited to watch the product flourish and improve the lives of South African small company owners,” Ehlers said.

Firepay CEO Marin Cundall expressed her joy at Radar’s addition to the organization. She stated that the company’s mission is to provide the finest experience for businesses and that the acquisition will help them achieve that goal.

Firepay acquired Radar Firepay acquired Radar

Egypt’s Paymob Raises $50M Series B, Backed By PayPal

Newly Funded Tunisian AI Startup InstaDeep Launches In The United States.

May 8, 2022

InstaDeep, a Tunisian business specializing in deep learning, will soon establish a presence in the United States. Karim Beguir, the company’s co-founder and CEO, has confirmed this in a statement.

As of today, InstaDeep has offices in six different countries, including Tunisia, the United Kingdom (UK), France, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Nigeria, and South Africa.

Karim Beguir,CEO InstaDeep — Karim Beguir, CEO InstaDeep

The company’s future US branch will be the company’s first office in North America. The startup market in the United States is vast, but it is also quite competitive. When InstaDeep enters this industry, they may be provided with more opportunities to scale.

A Look At What InstaDeep Does

Founded in 2014 by Karim Beguir and Zohra Slim, InstaDeep uses advanced machine learning techniques to bring AI to applications within an enterprise environment.

The AI and machine learning capabilities of the eight-year-old company, according to Beguir, tackle a variety of problems. They can range from a huge shipping corporation attempting to figure out how to transfer thousands of containers efficiently to a railway station with over 30,000 kilometers of track seeking to automate 10,000 train schedules. Designing sophisticated therapies with silicon and arranging components on a printed circuit board are two further examples.

In late November last year, the startup built an early warning system (EWS) in partnership with Google for detecting high-risk SARS-CoV-2 variants, which was one of its best efforts. According to a report from the Financial Times, this EWS discovered more than 90% of World Health Organization (WHO) designated variations two months ahead of time on average, and spotted Omicron three days before it was categorized as a variant of concern by the WHO.

Beguir claimed the startup started with just “two computers, $2,000, and a lot of passion,” with many investors and observers in the African tech and AI industry dismissing InstaDeep’s ambition to partner with the likes of DeepMind and Google.

InstaDeep now employs more than 170 people. More than 130 people work in AI research, engineering, machine learning, and DevOps, with half of the team based in South Africa, Nigeria, and Tunisia.

Instadeep United States Instadeep United States

Started With Just $2K, Tunisian AI Startup InstaDeep Lands $100M From Google, BioNTech

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard. You can book a session and speak with him using the link: https://insightsbyexperts.com/view_expert/charles-rapulu-udoh

Egyptian Fintech Startup Khazna Obtains Final Approval From Central Bank Of Egypt

May 1, 2022

Egyptian fintech startup Khazna has received final approval from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) for its Khazna card, a Meeza prepaid card launched in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) that will provide unbanked users access to the fintech startup’s financial services, according to a press statement released by the company

Khazna cardholders that are unbanked will be able to make withdrawals and deposits, as well as online and in-store purchases and bill payments. It will also provide users with prior access to their income, allowing them to better manage their short-term cash flow concerns between paychecks in the meantime.

Through its salary advance app, Khazna provides online financial services to Egyptians who do not necessarily have a bank account, such as those who are self-employed. The Cairo-based firm, which was founded in April 2019, received an undisclosed amount of seed money in early 2020 from a group of investors led by Algebra Ventures. Khazna raised around USD 38 million in equity and debt in a Series A headed by Quona Capital, with participation from Nclude, the high-profile bank-backed fund managed by Global Ventures in the United Arab Emirates.

Khazna central bank Egypt

Newly Launched Fund Nclude Backs Egypt’s Khazna In $38m Series A Round

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard. You can book a session and speak with him using the link: https://insightsbyexperts.com/view_expert/charles-rapulu-udoh

Egypt’s SWVL Acquires UK’s Largest Smart Bus Platform Zeelo For $100M

April 29, 2022

Swvl Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SWVL), a global supplier of disruptive technology-enabled mass transit solutions, has announced the completion of a formal agreement to purchase Zeelo, the UK’s largest smart bus platform and technology scale-up by bookings, for US$100 million. Joining forces with Zeelo builds on Swvl’s recent successful acquisitions of Viapool and Shotl, as well as previously announced acquisitions of Volt Lines and door2door, and provides a springboard for rapidly establishing and expanding business operations in three strategic developed markets, including the UK, South Africa, and the United States, with Zeelo’s seasoned team of over 160 employees globally, including 29 software engineers based in Zeelo’s R&D hub in Barcelona.

Mostafa Kandil, Egyptian CEO and founder of Swvl

“Swvl was founded on the belief that accessible transportation is essential to unlocking economic opportunity. Swvl and Zeelo share a vision and mission to provide reliable transportation that gets riders where they need to go in an affordable, safe, and environmentally-friendly manner. With an impressive suite of turnkey TaaS and SaaS solutions and an established footprint in the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the United States, Zeelo rapidly advances our leading market position as a provider of technology-enabled mass transit solutions on a global scale,” Mostafa Kandil, Swvl Founder and CEO, said.

In line with Swvl’s objective, Zeelo has a well-established track record of accelerating the transition from single-occupancy vehicles to zero-emission mass transit and deploying mobility services to link more people to jobs and educational opportunities. The transaction is scheduled to close in May 2022.

Transaction Highlightsi:

The transaction provides Swvl enhanced scale, strengthens its capabilities and creates substantial value for shareholders:

Drives continued global expansion: Deepens penetration in the attractive UK market and provides an entry point into the US and South Africa.

Offers a complementary suite of B2B mobility solutions with proven ability to reduce overall costs for organizations:

Leading fully managed TaaS platform connects riders via their employers and schools to operators and drivers

SaaS licensing platform enables third party fleet operators to manage own programs

Asset light-delivery model by partnering with existing fleet partners, including over 200 bus operators in the UK and the US.

Provides access to a blue-chip enterprise customer base:

Contracts established with major employers and schools across >100 sites

Proven track record of expanding customer deployments with multi-site customers already in place

Sam Ryan, Zeelo Founder and CEO, said, “Swvl is revolutionizing the mass transit industry and we are thrilled to join forces with them on this next phase of Zeelo’s journey to firmly establish smart bus transport as the best-in-class shared mobility solution that takes account of all income levels and the needs of ordinary, every-day travelers. Bus transport done well with tech can take us beyond our dependency on cars and taxis which are not suitable for commutes from non-urban areas. We look forward to bringing Swvl insights from Zeelo’s strategic pivot during the global pandemic and we’ve been impressed by Swvl’s fast growth in challenging markets. We are excited to leverage their global experience as we embark on a shared journey to develop safe, affordable, and low emission mass transportation options, and expand economic opportunity for the people who need it most through our mobility solution. Especially shift workers, professionals and students living in transport-poor areas in the developed markets.”

Youssef Salem, Swvl CFO, said, “The acquisition of Zeelo offers Swvl a superb entry point into the US and South Africa, extends our position in the UK, and provides a complementary suite of new mobility products. Combined with our past acquisitions and announced acquisitions, today’s announcement further demonstrates our ability to utilize our growth capital and public currency to pursue organic and inorganic strategic initiatives. We look forward to capitalizing on the numerous opportunities provided by this transaction to advance our market position as a provider of technology-enabled mass transit solutions on a global scale.”

Zeelo is a digital firm with few assets that modernizes daily bus travels to meet the needs of frontline workers and students through B2B contracts with organizations and family-run bus operator networks. Zeelo is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Businesses, employment agencies, independent schools, and colleges throughout the United Kingdom, South Africa, and the United States that require a private transportation solution for those who live in areas with limited transportation options rely on Zeelo’s system for assistance. This comprises a driving accreditation school, leased fleets, and proprietary technology such as a SaaS platform and several customer apps, which take advantage of sophisticated GPS route optimization and ride-sharing software, among other things.

A Look At What SWVL Does

In more than 115 cities across 20 countries and four continents, Swvl is a global provider of innovative technology-enabled mass transit solutions, including intercity, intracity, business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) transportation. Individuals who are unable to access or pay private transportation can benefit from the Company’s platform, which offers complimentary semi-private alternatives to public transit. Swvl’s parallel mass transit systems enable people to go where they want, when they want, every day, making mobility safer, more efficient, more accessible, and more ecologically friendly. Customers can book their journeys through a simple-to-use proprietary software that offers a variety of payment choices as well as access to high-quality private buses and vans around the clock.

Swvl was co-founded by Mostafa Kandil, who was previously responsible for the launch of Carmudi in the Philippines, which grew to become the country’s largest car classifieds platform in less than six months. After then, he worked as the Director of Operations for Rocket Internet. Careem, a ride-sharing business and the first unicorn in the Middle East, hired Kandil in 2016, and he has since expanded its services to numerous other markets.

Zeelo, The UK Startup That Went To South Africa Before SWVL, Just Raised $12m

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard. You can book a session and speak with him using the link: https://insightsbyexperts.com/view_expert/charles-rapulu-udoh

Pan-African Crypto Exchange Yellow Card Is Now Live In Côte d’Ivoire, Its 16th African Country

April 28, 2022

Chris Maurice, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Yellow Card

Yellow Card, a pan-African cryptocurrency exchange, is now open to Ivorians who want to purchase and trade cryptocurrencies. This would be the sixteenth African country to host the pan-African platform, following its original launch in Nigeria in 2018. Sylvio Contayon, the general manager of Yellow Card Côte d’Ivoire, believes that there are numerous chances to be exploited in this new industry, particularly in terms of becoming a market leader.

‘‘It is the fact that bitcoin is a fresh and untapped territory in the Ivorian market that intrigues us. We have the opportunity to establish ourselves as the market leader by introducing something novel and original to the market. As of 2018, there are an estimated 343,000 bitcoin holders in Côte d’Ivoire, according to Sylvio Contayon. If we do things correctly, we have the potential to grow the figures and monopolize the market,” he says.

With the launch of Yellow Card in Côte d’Ivoire, the company has completed a funding round that began in September of last year and included contributions from Blockchain.com Ventures as well as Polychain Capital, BlockFi, Fabric Ventures and Square Inc. The round was led by Valar Ventures, Third Prime, and Castle Island Ventures, and it took seven months to complete. The $15 million in Series A financing that the company received was meant to be used for the development of its team, the introduction of new goods, and the pursuit of its African expansion.

Cryptocurrency is currently generating a lot of interest in Africa, where regulations are slowly becoming more accommodating. Africans got $105.6 billion in cryptocurrency payments between July 2020 and June 2021, according to blockchain analytics platform Chainalysis, despite the fact that the continent still only receives 2% of the total global value of all cryptocurrencies. In a single year, this is a 1,200 percent gain.

Yellow Card intends to carry out financial education activities in parallel with its trading activities in Côte d’Ivoire in order to ensure the success of its operations and the enthusiasm of the Ivorians who will be involved.

Pan-African Crypto Firm Yellow Card Financial Expands To Senegal

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard. You can book a session and speak with him using the link: https://insightsbyexperts.com/view_expert/charles-rapulu-udoh

Algeria Venture Launches An Acceleration Program In Partnership With Google

April 27, 2022

In the presence of Yacine El-Mahdi Oualid, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister responsible for the knowledge economy and startups, Algeria’s national startup accelerator “Algeria Venture” officially launched a startup acceleration program in partnership with the “Google for startups MENA” network on Tuesday in Algiers.

This program, dubbed “Boost Competencies Entrepreneurship (BCEP),” which has already promoted 14 startups from seven provinces across the country, aims to accelerate the growth of these startups by training and assisting them in acquiring and developing necessary skills through courses and workshops.

Oualid highlighted during a press conference held on the sidelines of the ceremony that this program enables startups to benefit from training provided by Google executives with the goal of increasing managerial and technological abilities.

According to Sid Ali Zerrouki, Managing Director of Algeria Venture, this program, in collaboration with the Google network for MENA startups, enables the provision of “quality training and effective acceleration with the support of pioneering international skills and expertise in the formation of world-leading ecosystems.”

“Today marks the launch of the inaugural campaign, which brings together 14 entrepreneurs operating in a dozen distinct sectors. New promotions will begin shortly with the goal of achieving 100 accelerated startups before the end of the year,’’ Zerrouki stated.

Salim Abid, the representative of Google responsible for the growth of the startup ecosystem in the MENA area, emphasized the computer giant’s support for Algerian startups “for several years.”

“At the moment, we’re interested in assisting all startups, project leaders, and students. We’ve trained approximately 100,000 project leaders and Algerian students over the last two years on the most cutting-edge technologies, from artificial intelligence to clouds (virtual storage), using the Android platform, in order to transfer the Google experience to these entrepreneurs,” Abid explained.

It’s worth noting that the program’s first promotion will focus on entrepreneurs operating in ICT, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, e-commerce, logistics, and education.

MTN Mobile Money And Jumo Launch MoSente, A New Mobile Loan Service In Uganda

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard. You can book a session and speak with him using the link: https://insightsbyexperts.com/view_expert/charles-rapulu-udoh

Egypt’s Swvl Acquires Turkey’s Volt Lines To Expand Further In Europe

April 26, 2022

Swvl Holdings has announced the signing of an agreement to purchase Volt Lines, a Turkey-based B2B and mobility-as-a-service company. The transaction’s financial specifics were not disclosed. Swvl’s tech-enabled mobility solutions will be strengthened as a result of the acquisition, which also brings in over 110 enterprise customers, including Mondelez, Axa Insurance, Pirelli, CMA-CGM, MetLife, and ICBC.

Volt Lines anticipates a 127 percent revenue CAGR since its inception in 2018. Based on Q1 2022 statistics, Swvl will gain around $4.3M in annualised sales. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022. SWVL stock is down 12% in pre-market trading.

“We are confident our solutions will meaningfully contribute to the Swvl platform, and together we will be able to deliver superior transportation alternatives for commuters around the world. We’re also excited about scaling our R&D center in Istanbul into a global technology hub, giving Swvl a reliable access to Turkey’s technical talent,” said Volt Lines Founder and CEO Ali Halabi.

A Look At What SWVL Does

Swvl is a global provider of transformative tech-enabled mass transit solutions, offering intercity, intracity, B2B and B2G transportation. Swvl’s platform provides semi-private alternatives to public transportation for individuals who cannot access or afford private options. Every day, Swvl’s parallel mass transit systems are empowering individuals to go where they want, when they want — making mobility safer, more efficient, accessible and environmentally friendly. Customers can book their rides on an easy-to-use proprietary app with varied payment options and 24 / 7 access to high-quality private buses and vans that operate according to fixed routes, stations, times, and prices.

Swvl was co-founded by Mostafa Kandil, who began his career at Rocket Internet, where he launched the car sales platform Carmudi in the Philippines, which became the largest car classifieds company in the country in just six months. He then served as Rocket Internet’s Head of Operations. In 2016, Kandil joined Careem, a ride-sharing company and the first unicorn in the Middle East. He supported the platform’s expansion into multiple new markets. Careem is now a subsidiary of Uber, based in Dubai, with operations across 100 cities and 15 countries.

Egyptian Transport Startup SWVL Now Present In 115 Cities

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard. You can book a session and speak with him using the link: https://insightsbyexperts.com/view_expert/charles-rapulu-udoh

Newly Funded Moroccan Ecommerce Startup Sle3ti Deploys Its New Logistics Platform

April 16, 2022

Sle3ti, Morocco’s first digital network connecting retailers to distributors and FMCG companies, announces the launch of its retail logistics platform.

eCommerce : Sle3ti lève 12 MDH auprès du fonds d'investissement du groupe Richbond — *Ayoub Harij is the founder and CEO of Sle3ti. Credits: Sle3ti*

This service is in response to a request made by retailers who utilize the internet platform to procure supplies. On the logistical front, a first warehouse in Casablanca is currently operational, and a second will open in the coming months. On an operational level, deliveries are made by a variety of logistical vehicles, including trucks and vans, but mainly scooters painted in the Sle3ti colors. The goal is to reduce logistical costs by more than 40% compared to market standards while ensuring client needs are met in less than 24 hours.

Following Casablanca, this new service will be gradually introduced across the Kingdom’s major cities.

As a reminder, Sle3ti raised 12 million DH from the Richbond group’s investment fund at the end of 2021. This is the largest fundraising round a Moroccan startup has ever conducted with Moroccan investors. More than a year after its inception, Sle3ti is trusted by over 120 brands and distributors (2,000 references) and 8,000 stores throughout the territory.

Sle3ti platform Sle3ti platform

How COVID-19 Helped Founder Of Newly Funded Moroccan B2B Marketplace Sle3ti Nab Huge Opportunity

Charles Rapulu Udoh

Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard. You can book a session and speak with him using the link: https://insightsbyexperts.com/view_expert/charles-rapulu-udoh