BasiGo Secures $1.5 Million Boost to Fuel Expansion into Rwanda

BasiGo, a Kenyan electric mobility startup, has secured $1.5m to boost its operations in Rwanda.

Before now, BasiGo joined forces with AC Mobility, a Rwandan company that provides high-tech systems for collecting fares on public transportation. Together, they plan to grow their operations in Rwanda.

BasiGo received $1.5 million (which is about KSh 227 million in Kenyan currency) from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to support their expansion in Rwanda. This funding will also help them launch an electric bus project in partnership with Kigali’s top bus operators. They aim to bring their solutions to Rwanda as quickly as possible.

BasiGo has some big plans for Rwanda. They’re about to introduce the country to its first set of electric buses, and they’re thinking big – aiming to provide 200 electric buses by the year 2025.

Before this expansion, as of June 2023, BasiGo already had 19 buses operating in Kenya. These buses work with private partners called Matatu Saccos and use a mileage-based, pay-as-you-drive lease system.

To make their Rwanda plans even better, BasiGo is looking into lease agreements with some Rwandan public transportation providers. They want to see if they can secure more funding. To get the whole picture, they’re diving into market research, talking to both operators and passengers. This way, they can figure out if the test will work and set up a system to keep an eye on urban pollution.