Kenyan BuuPass Secures Investment from Yango Ventures’ $20M Africa-focused Fund

News World

Published by Stephen Oluwadara at July 9, 2025

How Mobility Startup BuuPass Operates

Founded in 2016 by Sonia Kabra and Wyclife Omondi, BuuPass has emerged as one of the most critical players in Africa’s under-digitized intercity transport sector. The platform enables consumers to book buses, trains, flights, and parcel deliveries while also providing operators with back-office software for managing inventory, payments, and fleet logistics.

By 2024, the Kenyan company had processed over $70 million in bookings and sold 20 million tickets, working with more than 150 transport providers across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Africa.

Its acquisition of South Africa’s QuickBus last year, following a $1.3 million pre-seed raise in 2023, helped consolidate BuuPass’s footprint in key African travel corridors. The company’s mission is to become the unified API that powers how Africa moves — whether by road, rail, or air.

Yango Ventures’ decision to back BuuPass aligns with that philosophy. “Yango leans in with insight, not just capital,” BuuPass CEO Kabra said, alluding to the fund’s operational approach. While neither party disclosed the investment size, the partnership positions BuuPass to scale its infrastructure further and integrate more deeply into fragmented mobility ecosystems across the continent.

About UAE Yango’s $20 million Fund

Yango sees this investment as more than just a financial opportunity. This investment represents a strategic move to establish a long-term presence on the continent.
Based in the UAE, Yango Group has established operations across Latin America, the Middle East, and North Africa — but its latest fund, Yango Ventures, explicitly prioritizes Sub-Saharan Africa.

The $20 million fund will target startups from seed through Series B rounds, focusing on online-to-offline platforms, B2B SaaS solutions, and fintech ventures. These sectors, where digital and informal economies often intersect, represent some of Africa’s most promising yet complex opportunities. Local startups are increasingly building tools that combine software with real-world services, precisely the kind of hybrid innovation Yango Ventures says it aims to amplify.

“We are more than just a tech company; we are an ecosystem committed to empowering entrepreneurs worldwide,” said Yango Group CEO Daniil Shuleyko. “Through Yango Ventures, we’re sharing our expertise and network to help startups scale, thrive, and drive meaningful change in their communities.”

This “ecosystem” approach is key. Unlike traditional VC funds, corporate venture arms like Yango Ventures offer startups more than just capital – they provide access to proven business models, global infrastructure, and experienced operators. For BuuPass, this could mean deeper integration into Yango’s ride-hailing, logistics, and software operations, particularly as urban and intercity mobility solutions converge.

Yango isn’t alone in seeing opportunity. In 2023, inDrive launched a $100 million venture and M&A arm focused on startups addressing systemic inequalities in emerging markets. While Yango Ventures appears more sector-focused than mission-driven, its emphasis on infrastructure and scalability may offer stronger commercial alignment with high-growth startups seeking more than capital.

Heating Competition for Africa’s Most Promising Startups

However, competition for Africa’s most promising startups is intensifying. As international capital flows into the continent, funds like Yango Ventures will need to identify startups that address local pain points and can scale sustainably across fragmented markets. Africa’s diversity means solutions that work in one market may not work in another, requiring adaptable strategies.

Early signs indicate that Yango’s entry via BuuPass could be well-timed. Infrastructure players, particularly those streamlining access to transport, payments, and logistics, are in high demand as African startups tackle the complex challenges of scale and informality. BuuPass’s success could determine whether foreign-backed corporate venture funds can support, rather than disrupt, this journey.

For BuuPass, the partnership is another milestone in its mission to digitize mobility across Africa. For Yango Ventures, it’s a strategic first move. And for Africa’s tech ecosystem, this deal signals that investors are taking the continent’s innovators seriously – one step at a time.

Main Image: BuuPass Cofounders Sonia Kabra and Wyclife Omondi. Image Credit: BuuPass