Kobo360 Expands Its New Operation to Kenya

TechInAfrica – African e-Logistics startup, Kobo360, has decided to expand its new operation to Nairobi, Kenya. The startup made an announcement yesterday emphasizing that the effort is to mark its physical expansion into East Africa.

According to the company, the new regional office will be led by the startup’s CEO of the African region, Kagure Wamunyu. By expanding to Kenya, the company seeks to drive seamless intra-African trade, connects and supports cargo, owners, truck owners and drivers, as well as cargo recipients.

Kobo360 has been in beta operation in Kenya for five months. During the five-month period, the startup has obtained access to more than 3,000 trucks and truck owners. It has also worked with local partners, such as Bidco Africa, Union Logistics Limited, and Intraspeed ARCPRO Kenya LTD. In additions to the partnership, Kobo360 also serves millers like Bakhresa Group, Rafiki Millers and McNeel Millers.

Kenya is a strategic market for the Kobo360 as its port Mombasa is the largest and busiest port in the East African region. It handles over 13 million tons annually as it provides a direct connection to more than 80 ports worldwide. At the same, the port is also a gateway to other east African countries, including Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Southern Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“Kobo360 has a deserved reputation for enabling an agile and connected supply chain, as well as reducing logistics frictions. Over the past five months, our homegrown team has been running operations in beta to ensure that we build a strong fleet of trucks and service businesses in Kenya looking to efficiently move goods,” said Wamunyu speaking during the official launch event in Nairobi.

She added, “As the largest port in East Africa, Kenya’s Mombasa serves as a gateway to other East African markets. Our presence in Kenya means we are in a position to leverage the nation’s high technology adoption rate in order to fuel logistics in East Africa and beyond. We anticipate strengthening our links across this region, which will bring us closer to building our Global Logistics Operating System (G-LOS) to ensure fast and low-cost movement of goods for businesses on the continent.”

Besides the Kobo360 team, the launching event was also joined by Darshan Chandria, CEO and Director of Chandria Industry; Rajan Malde, CEO of Pwani Oil; and Katsutoshi Nishi, General Manager of Mitsubishi Itochu. Additionally, Managing Director of Exxon Group, Ateet Jetha also attended the launching event.

“We are excited to see Kobo360’s presence in Kenya. Since operating in beta, we’ve seen how they utilize technology to power enterprise and the logistics sector. We look forward to building a strong strategic partnership with Kobo360, as we fix supply chain inefficiencies across East Africa,” said Jetha, commenting on the official launch.

About Kobo360

Kobo360 is a digital logistics platform that aggregates end-to-end haulage operations to help cargo owners, truck owners and drivers, and cargo recipients to achieve an efficient supply chain framework. Developing an all-in-one logistics ecosystem, Kobo360 leverages data and technology to reduce logistics frictions, empowering rural farmers to earn more by reducing farm wastages and helping manufacturers of all sizes to find new markets. Kobo360 enables unprecedented efficiency and cost reduction in the supply chain, providing 360-visibility while delivering products of all sizes safely, on time and in full. The Kobo360 mission is to build the Global Logistics Operating System that will power trade and commerce across Africa and emerging markets. With operations in Nigeria, Togo, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda, Kobo360 is one of the fastest-growing tech start-ups out of Africa.