Moving goods across Africa is expensive, far more expensive than it should be. Costs of transportation on the continent are among the highest in the world, with businesses spending up to four times the global average.
That inefficiency translates into higher prices for everyday essentials. Leta, a Nairobi-based logistics technology company, says it has a solution.
The company just secured $5 million in funding to expand its platform, which helps businesses move products faster and at lower costs. The investment was led by European venture capital firm Speedinvest, with backing from Google’s Africa Investment Fund and Equator, an Africa-focused climate tech fund.
In 2022, Leta pulled in $3 million in pre-seed funding to strengthen its presence in five key markets: Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Since then, the company has scaled really fast, powering 4.5 million deliveries and managing over 7,000 vehicles.
Interestingly, Leta is about making logistics less chaotic. Most businesses in Africa still rely on manual processes to plan and execute deliveries, leading to delays, inefficiencies, and wasted resources.
Leta’s software changes that by automating key steps—matching shipments to the right vehicles, optimising delivery routes, and tracking orders in real time.
Founder and CEO Nick Joshi explains it simply: “A company with 70 trucks saves about $30,000 monthly using Leta.” That’s because the platform doesn’t just plan routes but reduces the number of vehicles needed for deliveries. Businesses move the same volume of goods but at a lower cost.
The system also makes quick adjustments based on real-world conditions. If a road becomes a trouble spot due to flooding, police stops, or construction, the platform immediately flags it. “For example, if there’s a roundabout where trucks or motorbikes repeatedly fail to complete a turn on that route, the AI flags it,” Joshi said. This flexibility ensures deliveries are completed without unnecessary detours or delays.
Leta is already testing financial products that integrate directly with its platform. These include fuel cards for delivery drivers, financing for fleet owners, and supply chain credit for merchants. Investors see this as a logical next step.
Deepali Nangia, a partner at Speedinvest, explained why her firm backed Leta: “It leverages logistics as a gateway and fintech as a growth driver, unlocking new business opportunities.”
Leta’s approach differs from earlier African logistics startups like Sendy and KOBO360, which focused on aggregating trucks. Many of those companies struggled with high costs of operations and eventually pivoted or shut down. Leta is betting on a software-first model instead—partnering with existing fleet owners rather than managing assets itself.
With the new funding, Leta plans to enter more African and Middle Eastern markets. It already counts major brands like KFC and Diageo as clients and aims to double its revenue in the coming months.
Since 2022, Leta has grown from handling 500,000 deliveries to 4.5 million. It has increased its fleet from 2,000 vehicles to over 7,400 and helped businesses transport 150,000 tonnes of goods.
