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E-Moti 🚌
Sustainable Public Transport
Alan Mwangi
October 03, 2024
Bridging the gap between Investors and Ventures
Setting the Scene
Kenya’s transportation sector has long been plagued by inefficiency, high costs, and environmental concerns. With urban populations rapidly growing, mobility solutions must evolve to meet the increasing demand for affordable and eco-friendly options.
Enter E-Moti, an ALX Ventures startup that is transforming intra-city transport by leveraging electric buses, real-time data, and a mission-driven approach to sustainability.
Why does this happen?
Kenya’s urban transportation system faces several deep-rooted challenges: inefficient services, unreliable routes, high costs, and increasing pollution. These issues are compounded by rapid population growth and the overwhelming reliance on traditional, carbon-heavy transport options.
Lack of Infrastructure: Electric and eco-friendly transport options are underdeveloped in the region, leading to a dependence on polluting vehicles.
Inefficiency in Public Transport: SACCO (Savings and Credit Cooperative Organization) bus routes are often not optimized, resulting in long waits, higher costs, and traffic congestion.
High Operational Costs: Traditional buses are expensive to maintain and operate, with frequent breakdowns and a high cost of fuel.
In a Sentence
E-Moti is a mobility startup focused on providing affordable, convenient, and eco-friendly transport solutions for personal and group travel across Africa.
Clean Energy: E-Moti’s electric buses run on clean energy, significantly reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainability.
Sustainability: E-Moti not only reduces the carbon footprint of urban transport but also funds reforestation initiatives, planting trees with every trip.
Technology: E-Moti leverages its proprietary real-time transport information system, Manara, using machine learning and IoT to optimize routes, improve operational efficiency, and reduce travel time for passengers.
A “bridge” Version: E-Moti is pioneering clean energy transportation in Kenya with electric buses and real-time optimization technology, offering an eco-friendly alternative that reduces reliance on traditional, polluting fuel sources.
The Basics
Industry: Mobility, Clean Energy, Technology
Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya
Year Founded: 2024
Employee Count: 6
Revenue (USD): $7,756 in 45 days
Burn: $3,000 per month
Fundraising: Raising $300k Pre-seed (£1,000 Grant from Chatham House)
Business Model: B2B partnerships with corporations, intra-city commuters (B2C), and revenue from carbon credits and advertisements on buses
Early Traction: Over 12,000 customers within 45 days, and 10,000 customers serviced in the first 37 days
Unique Selling Point: Real-time public transport information system (Manara) with route optimization, cost calculators, and carbon footprint tracking
Due Diligence
WHAT WE LIKE
Market Opportunity: E-Moti is addressing a $1.56 billion market opportunity within Nairobi alone, providing an eco-friendly, affordable transportation alternative.
Defensible: With its real-time transport management system (Manara) and sustainable business model, E-Moti stands out in the competitive public transport market by offering unmatched operational efficiency and environmental benefits.
Social Impact: E-Moti not only reduces carbon emissions but also reinvests a portion of its revenue into tree planting, aligning with global climate goals and Kenya’s sustainability agenda.
POTENTIAL RISKS
Operational Scaling: As E-Moti expands, the unpredictability of B2C revenue and the challenge of scaling electric bus fleets could pose risks.
Adoption: Despite the benefits, shifting entrenched public transport behaviors and SACCO alliances may take time, impacting the speed of scaling.
Founder Profile
Muchoki Kirera, CEO: With a strong background in financial modeling and leadership, Muchoki leads the charge for E-Moti’s growth, leveraging his experience in governance and resource mobilization.
Billy Mwangi, COO: A Millennium Fellow with experience in tech-driven projects like nano-satellites, Billy oversees the operational and technological side of the business, including the deployment of Manara.
To request an introduction to the founder, respond to this email.
Comps
Optibus: Provides AI-driven transport solutions for city mobility.
BasiGo: Leading the electric bus transition in Kenya, focusing on clean energy and reducing transport costs.
Kinetic Green: Specializes in affordable electric vehicles in developing markets, driving sustainable mobility solutions.
Why E-Moti?
By providing eco-friendly electric buses and real-time optimization technology, E-Moti is revolutionizing Kenya’s urban transport. Their solution reduces carbon emissions, lowers operational costs, and promotes sustainable mobility—all while supporting Kenya’s clean energy goals. This startup is poised to be a game changer in the future of African transportation. 🚍🌱
📢 EVENTS BOARD
Latitude59 Kenya Edition 2024 🇪🇪 🇰🇪
🎉🎉 Big News: We are excited to announce that the second edition of Latitude59 Kenya will take place on November 28, 2024, bringing together innovators, investors, and ecosystem builders from across Africa and Europe to discuss key topics such as startup growth, funding, and market entry strategies.
This November, Latitude59 joins forces with Tech Safari to open doors to East Africa and connect the international tech community. The event will offer an unparalleled opportunity to engage with leading founders, VCs, and policymakers from both continents, focusing on how European-African partnerships can drive tech innovation and investment.
“Latitude59 Kenya Edition 2023 was even bigger and more successful than we dared to hope. And this is just the beginning of our bigger vision of building a Global Village, bringing diverse communities together to make the tech world more human. Working on another continent was a new challenge for our team, but it was an amazing experience, well worth it, and we are so proud of what we put together,”.
- Liisi Org, the CEO of Latitude59.