Kenya's BuuPass Raises Strategic Funding from Yango Ventures
TLDR
- Kenyan mobility startup BuuPass has secured strategic funding from Yango Ventures, the corporate venture arm of global ride-hailing firm Yango Group
- BuuPass operates a B2B2C platform that enables users to search, compare, and book travel tickets via web, app, or USSD
- The company previously raised $1.3 million in pre-seed funding in 2023 and acquired South Africa’s QuickBus
Kenyan mobility startup BuuPass has secured strategic funding from Yango Ventures, the corporate venture arm of global ride-hailing firm Yango Group. The amount was not disclosed.
Founded in 2016 by Sonia Kabra and Wyclife Omondi, BuuPass operates a B2B2C platform that enables users to search, compare, and book travel tickets via web, app, or USSD. It also provides bus operators with SaaS tools to manage operations and inventory.
To date, BuuPass has sold over 16 million tickets and generated more than $100 million in gross merchandise value. The company previously raised $1.3 million in pre-seed funding in 2023 and acquired South Africa’s QuickBus. It is also a graduate of Google for Startups Accelerator Africa and a recipient of the Black Founders Fund.
Yango Ventures, launched in April 2025 with a $20 million fund, is targeting early-stage African startups as part of a wider strategy to build a local ecosystem. The investment in BuuPass marks its first disclosed deal on the continent.
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Key Takeaways
Yango’s backing of BuuPass signals growing interest from global mobility players in Africa’s tech-driven transport solutions. With a dual focus on consumers and transport operators, BuuPass offers both scalability and infrastructure depth, two key factors for strategic investors entering the continent. For Yango, the deal marks a first step in deploying its new venture fund and aligning with startups that fit its regional expansion goals. The move comes amid rising demand for digitized public transport systems across African cities, where fragmentation and cash-based transactions still dominate. Strategic capital, coupled with operational expertise, could accelerate BuuPass’s growth in new markets. The deal also reflects a shift in investor behavior—from passive capital to active partnerships—aimed at shaping Africa’s mobility and logistics future.
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