The Nigerian Startup Digitising Africa's Supply Chains

At its height, Kobo360 was one of Africa’s boldest attempts to bring structure and visibility to the continent’s fragmented trucking industry. Founded in 2017 by Obi Ozor, its founding CEO, and Ife Oyedele II, its founding CTO and later Chief Growth Officer, the Nigerian logistics-technology company created a digital marketplace connecting manufacturers and cargo owners with truck operators.

Through real-time tracking, route optimisation and data-driven freight matching, Kobo360 aimed to make moving goods across Africa more predictable, transparent and cost-efficient.

The platform gave businesses access to trucks without owning fleets, while helping transporters secure more trips, reduce empty return journeys and receive payments faster.

At its peak, Kobo360 had access to more than 50,000 trucks, served major companies including Unilever, Dangote and DHL, and expanded across seven African markets. It also raised more than $79 million in equity and debt, including a landmark $30 million financing package in 2019 backed by Goldman Sachs, the International Finance Corporation and other investors. An IFC profile reported that customers saved an estimated 7% on logistics costs through the platform.

Kobo360’s rapid expansion ultimately exposed the working-capital pressures within African road freight, particularly the gap between paying transporters and collecting from large corporate customers. By late 2024, the company had paused most operations and entered restructuring; Ozor returned in 2025 to lead a turnaround centred on debt restructuring, long-term haulage contracts and more sustainable financing.

Despite those challenges, Kobo360 remains an influential case study in African logistics innovation. It was named Disrupter of the Year at the 2019 Africa CEO Forum Awards, its founders joined the Endeavor global network in 2020, and the company received the Best E-Logistics Platform Award at the 2022 Digital Tech Awards.