BasiGo
BasiGo is a Nairobi-based e-mobility company that sells, leases, and locally assembles electric buses for public transport operators and SACCOs in Kenya and Rwanda through a Pay-As-You-Drive financing, charging, and service model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What BasiGo does
BasiGo is a Nairobi-headquartered e-mobility company founded in 2021 by Jit Bhattacharya (CEO) and Jonathan Green (CFO) that sells and leases electric buses to public transport operators in East Africa through a proprietary Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) financing and service model. Its core product stack includes multiple locally-assembled vehicle platforms — the E9 Kubwa and the new King Long KL-9 city bus for Kenya, the R10 Rumuri and i8 Intercity Coach for Rwanda, and the MA3e electric van — combined with a depot-based DC fast-charging network, an in-house PAYD SaaS platform with telematics, and authorized CATL battery service operations in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The company generates revenue primarily through mileage-based PAYD leases of full buses or batteries (bundling charging, maintenance, insurance, and a 90% uptime guarantee), direct electric-bus sales or leases to institutional customers such as schools and corporates, premium fixed-route commuter fares in Nairobi (KES 150–200 per trip with BasiGo retaining ~20% of route revenue alongside SACCO partners), and bundled managed services around charging and battery maintenance. Its go-to-market combines direct field sales to bus operators and transport SACCOs (with 29+ SACCO partnerships across Kenya and Rwanda), embedded OEM distribution through Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers (KVM) assembly, and channel partnerships such as Shell-hosted charging stations and AC Mobility fare-collection integration.
BasiGo targets a 1,000 electric-bus deployment milestone across East Africa within three years, supported by US$42M in Series A equity and debt raised in October 2024 led by Africa50, plus follow-on capital from Proparco in November 2025. As of March 2026 it operates 134 electric buses, carries roughly 20,000 passengers per day in Kenya alone, has driven over 7 million electric kilometres, and is expanding into inter-city corridors, the school transport vertical, electric vans, and additional East African geographies.
BasiGo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BasiGo
- Legal name
- BasiGo Limited
- Website
- https://basi-go.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BasiGo is a Nairobi-based e-mobility company that sells, leases, and locally assembles electric buses for public transport operators and SACCOs in Kenya and Rwanda through a Pay-As-You-Drive financing, charging, and service model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BasiGo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electric Bus Manufacturing and Leasing
- NAICS
- School and Employee Bus Transportation (4854)
- SIC
- Services-Auto Rental & Leasing (No Drivers) (7510)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Transit Bus Leasing/Rental (City/Urban) (TLABADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Electric Bus & Coach Leasing/Rental (Battery-Electric) (TLABADAI)
Keywords
Where BasiGo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nairobi
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices11 records
Markets served
BasiGo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Full Electric Bus Lease (Pay-As-You-Drive): Mileage-based leasing of the entire electric bus with a low security deposit. Bundles free charging at BasiGo depots, nightly inspection/cleaning, free 15,000 km maintenance, roadside assistance, comprehensive insurance, monitoring/analytics, and 90% uptime guarantee. Owners can break even on deposit in less than 12 months.
- Battery Lease: Operators purchase the E-Bus without the battery for a price similar to a diesel bus and lease the battery from BasiGo through an affordable mileage-based Pay-As-You-Drive fee. Includes free 15,000 km service.
- Electric bus sales to institutional customers (schools, corporates): Sale or lease of electric buses to institutional buyers such as schools (e.g., School of the Nations, Kenya's first school to transition to e-mobility) and corporate staff transport (e.g., Del Monte Kenya).
- Scheduled commuter service fares: Premium fixed-route commuter service in Nairobi with pre-sold seats at KES 150-200 ($1.16-$1.55) per trip, operated in partnership with Saccos (Saccos retain ~75% of revenue, BasiGo takes ~20%).
- Managed services (charging, maintenance, insurance) bundled in PAYD: All-inclusive service wrapper around PAYD leases covering depot charging, scheduled maintenance, roadside assistance, and vehicle insurance for bus operators.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Full Electric Bus Lease (PAYD) — low security deposit plus mileage-based PAYD fee including charging, service, cleaning, insurance, and analytics. |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Battery Lease — purchase E-Bus without battery at diesel-bus-equivalent price; lease battery via PAYD fee. |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Premium commuter service fare in Nairobi scheduled route pilot. |
Go-to-market motion5 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
BasiGo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BasiGo manufactures, leases, and operates electric buses for African public transport under a Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) model that bundles the bus, depot-based DC fast charging, scheduled maintenance, insurance, and telematics into a single mileage-based fee. The company locally assembles electric buses (E9 Kubwa, KL-9, R10 Rumuri, i8 Intercity Coach, MA3e vans) at the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers plant and operates a charging and service network across Kenya and Rwanda for transport SACCOs, bus operators, and institutional fleet buyers.
Product overview
BasiGo offers a unified e-mobility platform centered on electric buses for African public transport, combining multiple vehicle products (the locally-assembled E9 Kubwa, the King Long KL-9 city bus, the Rwanda R10 Rumuri, the i8 Intercity Coach, and the MA3e electric vans) with an integrated Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) financing and service model. The PAYD platform ties together all vehicle offerings by bundling the bus lease, charging, maintenance, insurance, roadside assistance, and a PAYD Mobile Application that provides real-time telematics, fleet analytics, and fare visibility for operators. Layered on top are software modules including the Jani passenger platform and the Smart Bus Locator (which together with AC Mobility Tap-and-Go integration enable cashless ticketing and bus tracking), as well as a depot-based Charging & Service Network that powers both the Kenya and Rwanda operations through dedicated DC fast chargers and CATL battery service capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- KL-9: Next-generation electric city bus launched by BasiGo in partnership with King Long Bus Company and Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers for the Kenyan market, carrying 54 passengers with up to 400 km daily range and CATL battery with 10-year/1 million km warranty.
- i8 Intercity Coach
- R10 Rumuri
- MA3e
- Jani
- Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD)
Products and services
- Electric Bus Solutions (E9 Kubwa) BasiGo's core 9-metre electric city bus sourced from CHTC Motor Co. and locally assembled at Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers (KVM) in Thika, Kenya; designed specifically for the Kenyan PSV market and offered under the Pay-As-You-Drive lease or for direct sale to bus operators and SACCOs.
- KL-9 Electric City Bus Next-generation electric city bus developed with King Long Bus Company and KVM; carries 54 passengers, up to 400 km daily range, 2-hour recharge, powered by CATL battery with 10-year / 1 million km warranty, targeting CKD production of 20 units per month.
- R10 Rumuri Electric Bus Kigali's first fully electric bus with 70-passenger capacity, powered by renewable energy and offered through BasiGo's Pay-As-You-Drive lease model for Rwandan operators on Kigali Zone 1 and Zone 2 routes.
- i8 Intercity Coach Electric intercity coach designed for long-distance travel across Rwanda's hilly terrain with 350 km range on a single charge; available in 35-seater and 42-seater configurations, with reclining seats, USB charging, WiFi, TV screen, cashless payment via AC Mobility Tap-and-Go, and a 10-year / 1 million km CATL battery warranty.
- MA3e Electric Vans Electric vans in 16-seat and 19-seat configurations piloted for inter-city matatu routes in Kenya with up to 300 km range and 1.5-hour recharge; BasiGo plans to deploy over 1,000 electric vans across Kenya and begin local assembly to support job creation and climate goals.
- Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) Tech-enabled mileage-based leasing program that eliminates the high upfront cost of an electric bus; offers full bus lease or battery-only lease, including free charging at BasiGo depots, nightly inspection/cleaning, free maintenance at 15,000 km intervals, roadside assistance, comprehensive insurance, real-time monitoring/analytics via the PAYD Mobile Application, and a 90% uptime guarantee.
- Charging & Service Network Depot-based charging and service network featuring DC fast chargers (up to 160 kW with GB/T and CCS2 connectors) capable of charging up to 100 buses daily through sequential charging; includes dedicated service centres for CATL battery maintenance and a 90% uptime guarantee for operators.
- Hire an E-Bus Self-serve booking service allowing customers to hire a BasiGo electric bus for private use in Kenya.
Quantifiable outcome
- 70-90% CO2 emissions reduction per electric bus vs diesel; 3,000+ tCO2e avoided to date
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use BasiGo
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
BasiGo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature7 records
BasiGo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.
- BloombergNEF (BNEF)minorBasiGo is a 2026 BNEF Pioneers winner; the relationship provides global visibility and credibility for BasiGo's climate technology among investors and policymakers.
- Shell (Kenya)coreShell hosts BasiGo EV fast-charging stations at its service stations along Kenyan corridors (third site opened at Shell Athi River in December 2025). Expands BasiGo's charging footprint and Shell's non-fuel retail offering.
- Rwanda Energy Group (REG)flagshipStrategic power-sector partner in Rwanda; REG powers BasiGo's Rwandex and other charging depots with dedicated infrastructure, enabling 24/7 guaranteed charging for BasiGo customers.
- Kenya PowerflagshipStrategic electricity utility partner; BasiGo's charging depots use Kenya Power's e-mobility tariff and tap into excess nighttime grid capacity. Kenya Power's MD has publicly endorsed BasiGo's infrastructure rollout.
- King Long Bus CompanyflagshipPartnership to launch the KL-9 next-generation electric city bus for Kenya, powered by CATL batteries with 10-year/1M km warranty. BasiGo, King Long, and KVM are scaling CKD production of the KL-9 to 20 units per month.
- CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co.)flagshipBasiGo appointed as CATL's first authorized battery service agent in Sub-Saharan Africa in August 2025; service teams in Kenya and Rwanda receive specialized training, diagnostic tools, and spare parts. BasiGo also serves as a collection hub for end-of-life CATL batteries for second-life applications.
- Volcano Express (Rwanda)coreVolcano Express operates BasiGo's R10 Rumuri buses in Kigali and 12 BasiGo intercity electric buses on the Muhanga-Kigali-Nyanza-Huye routes. Long-time Rwandan partner and a launch recipient of i8 Intercity Coaches.
- Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers (KVM)flagshipStrategic local assembly partner operating Kenya's first dedicated high-volume electric bus assembly line at KVM's Thika plant. Together with BasiGo, targets 1,000 locally assembled electric buses over three years and creation of 300 green manufacturing jobs. KVM is partly owned by Toyota Tsusho.
- Toyota Tsusho Corporation / Government of Kenya Green Energy Value ChaincoreIn February 2024, Toyota Tsusho, CFAO Group, and CFAO Motor Kenya joined forces to establish a green energy value chain supporting Kenya's transition to carbon neutrality, with KVM revival (Toyota Tsusho committed KSh 800M) and aligned with BasiGo's local assembly ambitions.
- CHTC Motor Co., Ltd.coreOEM partner from which BasiGo sources E9 Kubwa bus kits for local assembly at KVM. Each bus bears the 'Built in Kenya' mark.
- AC Mobility (AC Group Rwanda)coreIntegration partnership connecting BasiGo's electric bus financing platform to AC Mobility's Tap-and-Go fare collection system used across most of Kigali's public transport buses. AC Mobility agents sell i8 Intercity Coach tickets.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights9 records
BasiGo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- BYD: World's largest EV and e-bus manufacturer with a growing African footprint, including a Kigali dealership launch with CFAO (BasiGo's strategic investor). Directly comparable as a global e-bus OEM competing for the same PSV/matatu electrification opportunity in East Africa, though BasiGo differentiates on PAYD financing, depot operations, and local assembly.
- Proterra: US-based electric bus and battery technology company (operating under restructuring) that pioneered North American transit e-bus deployments. Comparable as a vertically integrated e-bus OEM and battery service provider, though its focus has been on US/EU transit agencies rather than emerging-market PSV operators.
- Yutong Bus: World's largest bus manufacturer by volume, with a full electric city bus and coach range. Yutong is a direct competitor in supplying e-buses to African PSV operators and governments, comparable to BasiGo's E9 Kubwa and i8 Intercity Coach but without PAYD, depot, or local assembly integration.
- Zhongtong Bus: Top-5 Chinese bus manufacturer with a significant electric bus portfolio, exporting to Africa and other emerging markets. Directly comparable as a low-cost e-bus OEM competing for the same East African PSV electrification opportunity; Zhongtong offers a competing product but no equivalent PAYD or charging-depot model.
- Higer Bus: Major Chinese bus OEM with a growing electric city bus and coach product line. Comparable as a potential alternative e-bus supplier for African PSV operators and governments; Higer competes for the same international bus procurement deals that BasiGo is targeting, though it lacks PAYD-style financing and depot integration.
Emerging players
- Spiro: Pan-African e-mobility company operating battery-swap networks for electric motorcycles across Benin, Togo, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, and Rwanda. Comparable as an African e-mobility platform combining vehicle deployment with proprietary charging/battery infrastructure, though focused on two-wheelers rather than buses; relevant given Spiro's parallel Kenya and Rwanda footprint.
- Opibus: Kenya-based EV company converting ICE vehicles and assembling electric motorcycles and tuk-tuks for African markets. Comparable as a fellow East African EV manufacturer pursuing local assembly and transport decarbonization; targets a different vehicle category (two- and three-wheelers) than BasiGo but shares the same localized EV-production thesis.
- Roam (Roam Air): Nairobi-based electric motorcycle and vehicle manufacturer building locally-assembled EVs for the African market. Comparable as a Kenya-headquartered EV startup targeting informal transport operators, with parallel mission of local assembly and decarbonization, though focused on motorcycles and personal mobility rather than PSV buses.
Direct peers
- CHTC Motor Co. Chinese commercial vehicle OEM that supplies BasiGo's E9 Kubwa bus kits for local assembly at KVM. Functions as both supplier (in Kenya) and a competitor elsewhere; comparable as an e-bus chassis and kit supplier targeting the same low-cost African PSV market.
- King Long Bus Company: Chinese bus OEM and BasiGo's strategic partner on the KL-9 platform, jointly scaled to 20 units/month CKD production at KVM. Functions as both a partner (in Kenya) and a direct competitor in other African markets where BasiGo does not yet operate; comparable as a CKD-based e-bus supplier targeting emerging-market PSV operators.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
BasiGo social profiles
Digital presenceBasiGo compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
BasiGo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BasiGo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
BasiGo subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
BasiGo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds14 records
Investors24 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BasiGo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BasiGo
What does BasiGo do?
BasiGo manufactures, leases, and operates electric buses for African public transport under a Pay-As-You-Drive (PAYD) model that bundles the bus, depot-based DC fast charging, scheduled maintenance, insurance, and telematics into a single mileage-based fee. The company locally assembles electric buses (E9 Kubwa, KL-9, R10 Rumuri, i8 Intercity Coach, MA3e vans) at the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers plant and operates a charging and service network across Kenya and Rwanda for transport SACCOs, bus operators, and institutional fleet buyers.
Is BasiGo a public or private company?
BasiGo is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was BasiGo founded?
BasiGo was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BasiGo based?
BasiGo is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, in the Africa region.
How does BasiGo make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Full Electric Bus Lease (Pay-As-You-Drive) is the primary driver. The others are battery Lease, electric bus sales to institutional customers (schools, corporates), scheduled commuter service fares and managed services (charging, maintenance, insurance) bundled in PAYD.
Who are BasiGo's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are BYD, Proterra, Yutong Bus, Zhongtong Bus and Higer Bus. Emerging players are Spiro, Opibus and Roam (Roam Air). Direct peers are CHTC Motor Co. and King Long Bus Company.
Does BasiGo have an API?
No public API is recorded for BasiGo.
What industry is BasiGo in?
BasiGo's product category is Electric Bus Manufacturing and Leasing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLABADAB, Transit Bus Leasing/Rental (City/Urban), with a secondary code of TLABADAI, Electric Bus & Coach Leasing/Rental (Battery-Electric). Its NAICS code is 4854 and its SIC code is 7510.