What Sendbox does

Sendbox is a Lagos-based private company (legally Sendbox Software Technologies Limited, incorporated in Nigeria) that builds shipping logistics and payment infrastructure for African social commerce. Its platform serves sellers operating on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, as well as personal users, retailers, couriers, platforms, and agents, offering local and international delivery, an escrow-based payment system with buyer and seller protection, a pre-paid wallet, optional shipping insurance, and a forthcoming Sendbox Store feature for merchant storefronts. The technical stack includes iOS and Android mobile applications, a self-serve web platform, integration with NIPOST for postal infrastructure and customs digitization, and a GIS-enabled alphanumeric digital postcode system under development with NIPOST.

The company monetizes through transaction-based fees: a 2.5% payment processing fee, a NGN 100 listing fee per item, shipping fees with up to 15% volume discounts, a N250 flat fee for account-to-account escrow transfers, and a 3% fee on escrow payments received. Sendbox has raised $1.8 million in seed funding (October 2021) from 4DX Ventures and Y Combinator, alongside earlier Microtraction and Musha Ventures participation, and serves over 10,000 Nigerian SMEs. More recently (2025-2026), Sendbox has positioned itself within NIPOST's digital transformation initiatives, co-launching a digital customs duty payment portal with Paystack and Messenger and collaborating on a national digital addressing system, signaling an intent to evolve from a seller-side logistics app into broader e-commerce and postal infrastructure for Nigeria and, eventually, other African markets.

Name

Sendbox

Legal name

Sendbox Software Technologies Limited

Website

https://sendbox.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sendbox is a Lagos-based social commerce platform providing shipping, escrow-based payments, and wallet services for Nigerian SMEs and individual sellers operating on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, with recent expansion into NIPOST-backed postal and customs digitization infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Commerce Logistics & Payments

NAICS

Direct Mail Advertising (541860), Couriers and Express Delivery Services (4921)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)

akta.pro primary industry

Mailroom & Package/Parcel Management Services (BPABAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Email Marketing Services (Campaigns, Deliverability, Lifecycle) (BPAFAKAB), Carrier-Owned Parcel Locker Networks (TLAAAMAA), Prepaid Reload Networks & Distribution (Retail Top-Up) (FSAMANAO)

Keywords

• Social commerce logistics
• E-commerce shipping platform
• Payment processing services
• Escrow payment platform
• Last-mile delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Lagos

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Payment Processing Fees: 2.5% transaction fee charged on payments received through the platform. Additionally, N250 flat fee for escrow payments between Sendbox accounts.
2. Listing Fees: NGN 100 listing fee per item. Listings remain active for 4 months or until sold.
3. Shipping Fees: Shipping fees charged per shipment based on weight, dimensions, destination, and value. Volume discounts up to 15% available for platform sellers.
4. Escrow Payment Fees: 3% charge on all payments received through Sendbox escrow service. Shipping fees are billed immediately upon shipment confirmation and are pre-paid.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sendbox is a Nigerian e-commerce and logistics platform that provides integrated shipping, payment processing, and online store services for social commerce sellers operating on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. The platform offers local and international shipping, escrow payment protection with fraud monitoring, a pre-paid wallet system, and tools for creating online stores with discovery and promotional features.

Product overview

Sendbox is a Lagos-based Nigerian e-commerce and logistics platform providing integrated shipping, payments, and online store services primarily for social commerce sellers on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. The core offering consists of Sendbox Shipping & Delivery for local and international logistics, Sendbox Escrow for secure payment processing with fraud protection, and a Sendbox Wallet for pre-paid transaction management. The platform also includes Buyer & Seller Protection for dispute resolution, Insurance services (Standard and Extended tiers), and a forthcoming Sendbox Store feature for creating online storefronts. The platform serves multiple customer segments including individual users, offline/online/social sellers, retailers, brands, couriers, marketplace platforms, and franchise partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sendbox Shipping & Delivery A logistics and delivery service enabling local and international shipping for individuals and businesses, with pickup or drop-off options and support for personal, e-commerce, and social commerce shipments.
• Sendbox Escrow A secure escrow payment service covered by Sendbox Fraud & Buyer Protection that holds funds until transaction completion, with 24/7 fraud monitoring. Fees include a N250 flat rate for account-to-account transfers and 3% per payment received.
• Sendbox Wallet A pre-paid account balance system where users maintain funds for service charges. Shipping fees are billed immediately upon shipment confirmation, and accounts must maintain a positive balance at all times.
• Sendbox Buyer & Seller Protection A dispute resolution and fraud protection program covering tangible goods paid via Sendbox Escrow and shipped via Sendbox Shipping, addressing non-delivery, items not matching description, damage during shipping, and counterfeit items, with a 3-day dispute window.
• Sendbox Insurance Shipping insurance offered in two tiers: Standard Insurance (free, covering up to N10,000 compensation) and Extended Insurance (2% of package value, covering up to N200,000).

Quantifiable outcome

• Grow sales by 200% with platform tools and reach
• +1 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• NIPOST (Nigerian Postal Service)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2025NIPOST partnered with Paystack, Messenger, and Sendbox to launch a Digital Payment Solution for Inbound Postal Items in Abuja. The initiative streamlines customs duties and postal charges for incoming parcels, addressing customer frustrations with customs and payment inefficiencies. It represents a milestone in NIPOST's digital transformation and supports Nigeria's digital economy goals.
• PaystackcoreTechnology or Integration · 30 October 2025Paystack partnered with NIPOST and Sendbox to develop the digital customs duty payment portal. The partnership enables improved parcel delivery, reduced delays, and addresses issues with hidden customs charges through secure payment processing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Paystack: Nigerian online payments processor (acquired by Stripe). Already a partner alongside NIPOST and Sendbox in the digital customs payment solution; comparable as Nigerian payment infrastructure serving African SMBs and a potential long-term competitor or acquirer.
• Jumia: Largest African e-commerce platform with pan-African logistics infrastructure (Jumia Logistics). Overlaps with Sendbox on shipping infrastructure, marketplace dynamics, and Nigerian SME seller relationships, but operates a much broader portfolio.
• Konga: Nigerian e-commerce marketplace with an integrated logistics arm (Konga Logistics). Comparable end-to-end commerce-plus-delivery positioning for Nigerian sellers and buyers, though much larger scale and broader scope.
• Flutterwave: Pan-African payments infrastructure company with broad merchant services. Comparable as a Nigerian/African payments enabler for SMBs, with the scale and capital to expand into adjacent shipping and commerce services.
• Shopify: Global SMB e-commerce platform with integrated shipping (Shopify Shipping) and payments (Shop Pay). Comparable target customer (SMB merchants) and product surface (storefront + shipping + payments), though operating globally at vastly greater scale.

Direct peers

• Kwik Delivery: Nigerian last-mile delivery platform serving online retailers and e-commerce SMBs. Closest comparable: same Nigerian geography, same e-commerce seller customer base, and a similar asset-light model aggregating courier capacity.
• Gokada: Nigerian last-mile delivery and logistics provider that pivoted from motorcycle ride-hailing into B2B parcel delivery. Comparable operating geography, e-commerce parcel volumes, and reliance on partner/owner-driver fleets.
• MAX: Nigerian mobility and logistics platform offering delivery services to businesses. Comparable target customers (SMBs) and asset-light delivery model operating in overlapping Nigerian corridors.

Emerging players

• TradeDepot: African B2B commerce enablement platform connecting retailers with brands via embedded financing and distribution. Comparable mission of digitizing African SMB commerce, though its B2B retail focus differs from Sendbox's social commerce anchor.
• Wasoko: African B2B e-commerce platform (formerly Sokowatch) providing inventory financing and last-mile delivery to informal retailers. Comparable digitization-of-African-SME thesis with similarly integrated logistics, but operating in B2B retail rather than social commerce.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sendboxng

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors11 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sendbox