The digital technology platform that aims to disrupt African third-party logistics, Kobo360, has announced its launching operations in Nairobi Kenya. This comes after the recent announcement it had secured $30 Million Series-A funding led by Goldman Sachs.
The new regional office, led by Kobo360 CEO – African region, Kagure Wamunyu, comes as the company looks to foster seamless intra-African trade by connecting and supporting cargo owners, truck owners & drivers, and cargo recipients.
Kobo360 has been in beta operation in Kenya for five months, with access to over 3,000 trucks and truck owners. The company is delivering huge values and positive experiences to Kenyan logistic partners including Bidco Africa, Union Logistics Limited, and Intraspeed ARCPRO Kenya LTD as well as serving millers such as Bakhresa Group, Rafiki Millers and McNeel Millers.
Kenya’s Port of Mombasa is the largest and busiest port in East Africa, handling more than 13 million tonnes every year. The port provides a direct connection to over 80 ports worldwide, whilst serving as a gateway to other East African countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, and Southern Sudan. As the technology logistics platform revolutionizes the logistics value chain in Africa, currently estimated at $150Bn, Kobo360 is growing its reach in East Africa in order to support the thousands of freight companies who require a safe, reliable and cost effective delivery of their goods to cargo recipients across the region.
Speaking at the official launch event in Nairobi, Wamunyu said, “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 have 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.
“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 on the nation’s high technology adoption rate in order to fuel logistics in East Africa and beyond. We anticipate to strengthen 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”.
Joining Wamunyu and the Kobo360 team at the launch were Darshan Chandaria [CEO and Director, Chandaria Industries], Rajan Malde [CEO, Pwani Oil] and Katsutoshi Nishi [General Manager, Mitsubishi Itochu]. Also in attendance was Ateet Jetha, Managing Director of Exxon Group. Commenting on the official launch, he said, “We are excited to see Kobo360’s presence in Kenya. Since operating in beta, we’ve seen how they utilise 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”.
Kobo360 efficiently connects end-to-end haulage operations to help cargo owners, truck owners and drivers, and cargo recipients to achieve an efficient supply chain framework. Through an all-in-one robust logistics ecosystem reducing logistics frictions in supply chain via a combination of Internet of Things (IOT), mobile technology and data analytics. In less than six hours, Kobo360 matches a user’s request with a selection of quality trucks of all categories, anytime with service delivery guaranteed – no telephones, opaque pricing or expensive middlemen needed.
