Yango Ventures invests in BuuPass, aiming to revolutionize intercity transportation throughout Africa
Kenyan Mobility Startup BuuPass Secures Strategic Investment from Yango Ventures
BuuPass, a Kenyan mobility technology company, has secured a strategic investment from Yango Ventures, a $20 million Africa-focused fund launched by the UAE-based Yango Group. This partnership aims to accelerate BuuPass's pan-African expansion and deepen its integration into the continent's fragmented mobility ecosystems.
Founded in 2016 by Sonia Kabra and Wyclife Omondi, BuuPass operates a B2B2C digital platform that facilitates the search, comparison, and booking of travel tickets (bus, train, flight, parcel delivery) via web, app, USSD, and offline agents. It also offers SaaS tools to transport operators for inventory management, payments, and operations.
The exact funding amount from Yango Ventures remains undisclosed, but it comes from the fund's early-stage targeting of startups in Africa. The investment is strategic, focusing on long-term growth and operational support beyond capital infusion.
BuuPass has processed over 16 million ticket sales and enabled more than $100 million in travel transactions since its launch in 2016. The company's expansion milestones include the acquisition of South Africa’s QuickBus in 2024, extending its reach to southern Africa and Nigeria. Today, BuuPass operates across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and Nigeria, with plans to expand to up to 12 African countries by the end of 2025.
The investment from Yango Ventures offers BuuPass not just capital but also operational expertise and strategic networks, aiding its scale-up and ecosystem building. The backing supports enhancements in technology stack, agent network, and integration with telecom, fintech, and digital platform partners. This partnership strengthens BuuPass’s position as a foundational company in Africa’s evolving digital intercity mobility infrastructure, aiding the transition from fragmented, paper-based systems to integrated digital platforms.
Yango Ventures targets seed to Series B startups in Africa with a focus on online-to-offline platform models, B2B SaaS, and fintech solutions that bridge digital and informal economies. This investment sets the stage for integrated mobility services across Africa.
Riding the wave of rising smartphone penetration and growing access to mobile payments and digital services, BuuPass is well-placed to lead intercity ticketing and transport operations across Africa's rapidly digitizing travel landscape. The company plans to use strategic partnerships with telecom operators, financial institutions, and digital platforms to drive scale.
As BuuPass continues to grow, it is positioning itself as a foundational player in Africa's evolving intercity mobility infrastructure. The recent acquisition of QuickBus has extended its reach into key markets like Nigeria and South Africa. By combining SaaS tools for operators with a consumer-facing marketplace, BuuPass is creating an integrated digital mobility platform, marking a continent-wide transition from disjointed, paper-based transport systems.
This strategic investment from Yango Ventures empowers BuuPass to accelerate continental growth, expand digital mobility infrastructure, and leverage partnerships that drive the modernization of Africa’s intercity travel landscape.
BuuPass, with its focus on modernizing Africa's intercity travel landscape, will utilize the strategic investment from Yango Ventures to strengthen its position in the finance sector, particularly in investing in technology for integrated mobility services. This long-term partnership with Yango Ventures will aid BuuPass in expanding its business across various African markets.
The investment from Yango Ventures, primarily targeting startups in Africa with a focus on fintech solutions, will enable BuuPass to enhance its technology stack and agent network, thereby deepening its integration into the continent's business and technological ecosystems.
