BasiGo, the first company to bring electric buses to Kenya, has raised $6.6 million in new funding from Mobility54, the corporate venture capital arm of Toyota Tsusho, Trucks VC, a Silicon Valley venture capital fund focused on transportation, and Novastar Ventures, a global venture capital firm that helps entrepreneurs change markets in Africa.

The round also includes investments from Moxxie Ventures, My Climate Journey (MCJ), Susquehanna Foundation, Keiki Capital, and OnCapital.

The new round brings BasiGo’s total funding in 2022 to $10.9 million and will enable the company to begin commercial delivery of locally manufactured electric buses and charging infrastructure through the company’s unique pay-as-you-drive financing model.

Speaking about the startup, the startup CEO, Jit Bhattacharya, disclosed, “BasiGo is thrilled to have the backing of investors who are leaders in the automotive sector and climate finance.

Over 90% of Kenya’s electricity already comes from renewables. Yet Kenya’s transport sector relies entirely on imported petroleum fuels. By electrifying Kenya’s public transport, we can make an immediate dent in climate emissions, clean up the air in our cities, and give bus owners relief from the rising cost of diesel. With this new funding, BasiGo is ready to bring the benefits of state-of-the-art electric transport to all people in Africa.”

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Over 100,000 privately owned buses and minibuses, often called "matatus," are part of Kenya's public transportation system.

According to the startup, their electric buses have driven over 110,000 kilometres and carried over 140,000 passengers as part of fleet operations with two Nairobi bus operators: Citi Hoppa and East Shuttle.

“We strongly believe in the potential of electric buses in Africa. BasiGo’s strong capability to implement the concept and its cutting-edge technology is the key to transforming conventional diesel buses to environmentally-friendly electric buses. We are extremely excited to build a solid partnership with BasiGo, and to support their growth by fully leveraging the business assets under Toyota Tsusho and CFAO.” Takeshi Watanabe – CEO of Mobility54, said in a statement.