Crowd-sourced hyperlocal delivery is now a thing. I guess the best way to describe it is Uber for deliveries (I’m lowkey getting tired of the Uber-for prefix).
Kenyan logistics startup, Sendy has opened up their service to users in Kisumu City. Sendy launched in 2014, and connects customers with packages to dispatch riders and truck drivers via their mobile app. Customers can track the location of their packages in real time via said mobile app, and until now, they had kept operations restricted to Nairobi and Thika.
Much like Uber, Sendy doesn’t actually own any of these motorcycles or trucks. They are merely a middleman who has captured the attention of a large audience and earns money by taking a small piece from the delivery charge paid to each rider/driver.
Last year, Kenya’s largest telco, Safaricom invested in Sendy from their $1 million Safaricom Spark Venture Fund. The fund was created to help entrepreneurs in Kenya access financing, mentorship and other resources to help scale already viable businesses. Each eligible startup received anywhere between $75,000 and $250,000.
Hat tip to Techweez for this one.
