YellowBIRD (all in one)

What YellowBIRD (all in one) does

YellowBIRD is an integrated technology platform founded in 2017 in Kampala, Uganda, that operates an on-demand ride-hailing, logistics, and last-mile delivery network across East Africa (Uganda, Kenya, Zambia), with planned expansion into Cameroon and Gabon. The platform serves individual consumers via its mobile app (Boda Boda motorcycles, cabs, trycycles) and serves e-commerce merchants, FMCG distributors, telecoms, and fintech firms through tiered subscription packages (Growth, Business, Enterprise) and API-driven integrations. Core technology includes a proprietary Logistics Management System (LMS), Warehouse Management System (WMS), zonal rider allocation architecture, an address enrichment layer that resolves Uganda's informal addressing into delivery coordinates, and a bidirectional API with HMAC-signed webhooks supporting automated order ingestion and status event delivery.

Revenue is generated through transaction-based fees on rides and deliveries (per-km and per-minute pricing), subscription/managed-service fees from B2B packages, and take rates on the freelance driver network. The company operates a hybrid go-to-market model combining product-led growth via consumer mobile apps, community-led freelancer acquisition, API-first integration with e-commerce marketplaces (most notably MoMo Market processing 1,000+ daily orders), and enterprise field sales with dedicated account managers and SLA-backed commitments. The business has reached 22,000+ consumers, 3,000+ service providers, and 170,000+ cumulative transactions with $1M in processed transaction value, while maintaining 99.9% platform uptime.

Name

YellowBIRD (all in one)

Legal name

YellowBird Group Technologies Private Limited

Website

https://yellowbird.mobi

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

YellowBIRD is a Ugandan-founded mobile platform offering ride-hailing, last-mile delivery, and warehousing across East Africa, serving individual consumers, e-commerce merchants, and enterprise clients via a proprietary logistics API and zonal rider network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Last-Mile Delivery & Ride Hailing

NAICS

Taxi and Ridesharing Services (485310), Local Messengers and Local Delivery (4922)

SIC

Trucking & Courier Services (No Air) (4210)

akta.pro primary industry

Ride-Hailing Platform Technology Providers (White-Label, Dispatch, Payments) (THADADAM)

Keywords

• Ride hailing services
• Last-mile delivery
• On-demand logistics
• Warehouse fulfillment
• E-commerce delivery API

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ride-Hailing Transaction Fees: Revenue generated from per-ride transactions on the platform. Customers pay base fare plus price per kilometer and price per minute. Vehicle types include Boda Boda (motorcycle), Cab Standard, Cab SUV/XL, and Trycycles with different pricing tiers.
2. Delivery Services: Revenue from instant delivery (1-2 hours), same-day delivery (6-8 hours), and consolidated shipping services. Pricing includes base fare (UGX 1,000 for instant), per km charges (UGX 550), per minute (UGX 150), with minimum fare of UGX 5,000.
3. Subscription Packages: Three-tier subscription model: Growth Package for growing e-commerce merchants, Business Package for established platforms with API integration and high-volume processing, and Enterprise Package for large-scale operations with dedicated logistics infrastructure.
4. API Integration and Technology Services: Revenue from API integration services for e-commerce marketplaces, FMCG distribution systems, call centers, and inventory/warehouse management systems. Includes automated order ingestion and webhook event management.
5. Freelancer Driver Network: Commission-based model where freelance drivers and couriers earn income through the platform. Drivers can earn additional income through the referral program, receiving commissions when referred drivers or customers complete transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

YellowBIRD is an integrated technology platform offering on-demand ride hailing (Boda Boda motorcycles, Cab Standard, Cab SUV/XL, and Trycycles), last-mile delivery (instant, same-day, and consolidated shipping), warehousing and fulfillment, and a Logistics API for e-commerce merchants. The platform connects individual consumers, SMB merchants, and enterprise clients to a network of 3,000+ vetted freelance drivers and couriers organized into geographic delivery zones across Uganda, Kenya, and Zambia.

Product overview

YellowBIRD is an integrated technology platform offering on-demand ride hailing, logistics, and last-mile delivery services across East Africa (Uganda, Kenya, Zambia). The platform operates a multi-module architecture centered on three core service lines: (1) Ride Hailing covering Boda Boda (motorcycle taxis), Cab Standard, Cab Suv/XL, and Trycycles; (2) Logistics encompassing Instant & Same Day Delivery, Consolidated Shipping, and Storage & Warehousing; and (3) Ecommerce Inclusion enabling merchants without technical capability to access logistics. The platform is supported by proprietary technology including a Logistics Automation & API Integration layer, a Warehouse Management System (WMS), and the YellowBIRD Driver App. Service tiers are structured through Growth, Business, and Enterprise packages providing scalability from individual merchants to large-scale operations. The platform connects to e-commerce marketplaces (Market by MoMo), accepts multiple payment methods including mobile money (MTN, Airtel) and cards (Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Google Pay), and provides real-time tracking, goods-in-transit insurance, and digital proof of delivery throughout the delivery lifecycle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Boda Boda On-demand motorcycle taxi service for quick urban transport and parcel delivery. Starting from UGX 5,000, with instant delivery (1–2 hours, max 20 kg) and same-day delivery (6–8 hours) options for individual consumers in East African cities.
• Cab Standard Professional cab driver service for safe, fast, and reliable urban transportation. Starting from UGX 13,000 for individual consumers and corporate riders across YellowBIRD's operating cities.
• Cab SUV/XL Larger vehicle option for groups and travelers needing extra space. Premium-priced professional cab service targeting passengers requiring extended capacity around town.
• Trycycles Tricycle transport service offering a semi-motorized vehicle category for travel around the city. Base fare UGX 4,000, price per km UGX 1,300, price per min UGX 250, minimum fare UGX 14,000.
• Instant & Same Day Delivery On-demand parcel delivery with two service tiers: instant delivery (1–2 hours, up to 20 kg, 50 km max distance via motorbike) and same-day delivery (6–8 hour pickup window, 50 km limit). Base fare UGX 1,000, price per km UGX 550, price per min UGX 150, minimum fare UGX 5,000.
• Consolidated Shipping Cost-effective next-day delivery service that groups multiple orders destined for the same delivery zone into a single optimized dispatch run, with grouped shipments, optimized routes, secure handling, and next-day delivery commitment.
• Storage & Warehousing Warehouse infrastructure providing inventory storage, order picking and packing, cross-docking, and real-time inventory visibility through a Warehouse Management System (WMS). Offered to merchants with zero capital outlay required.
• Logistics Automation & API Integration Bidirectional API connecting commerce platforms, ordering systems, and inventory management tools to YellowBIRD's last-mile delivery network. Supports outbound order triggers, inbound webhook receivers (ORDER_RECEIVED, RIDER_ASSIGNED), HMAC signature validation, TLS encryption, and sandbox environment for development and testing.
• YellowBIRD Driver App Mobile application for freelance drivers and couriers to receive ride and delivery requests, navigate to pickup and delivery locations, confirm deliveries, and manage earnings. Available on the Google Play Store and requires background checks and training.
• YellowBIRD App Consumer mobile application providing a single interface for booking rides (Boda Boda, Cab Standard, Cab SUV/XL, Trycycles), requesting instant and same-day deliveries, and tracking orders in real time. Available on the Google Play Store.
• School Pick and Drop Safe transportation service for children to and from school, addressing parental challenges of managing multiple locations while ensuring kids' transportation needs are reliably met.

Quantifiable outcome

• System uptime of 99.9%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MoMo Market (Market by MoMo)coreTechnology or Integration · 25 November 2024Flagship partnership where YellowBIRD provides the logistics infrastructure for MoMo Market's e-commerce platform. YellowBIRD integrates via API to handle all order fulfillment, with zonal rider allocation, real-time tracking, and delivery confirmation for hundreds of merchants on the marketplace. This is YellowBIRD's primary proof-of-concept integration demonstrating their platform's ability to handle multi-merchant, high-volume e-commerce logistics at scale.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Uber: Global ride-hailing incumbent with operations in Uganda and Kenya across UberX, UberBoda, and UberEats. Comparable on ride-hailing and food delivery, though broader geographic and product footprint than YellowBIRD.
• Glovo: Multi-category delivery platform operating across Africa including Kenya and Uganda. Comparable on-demand delivery business model and freelancer rider network, though broader category coverage (food, groceries, packages) than YellowBIRD.
• Jumia: Pan-African e-commerce marketplace with its own last-mile logistics arm (Jumia Logistics). Comparable as a marketplace requiring delivery infrastructure and overlapping e-commerce merchant customer base, though much larger and broader.

Direct peers

• Sendy: Kenyan last-mile delivery and fulfillment platform connecting businesses to motorcycle, van, and truck drivers. Directly comparable to YellowBIRD's B2B delivery, warehousing, and API integration offerings for e-commerce merchants.
• SafeBoda: Ugandan-founded boda-boda ride-hailing and delivery platform operating in Uganda and Kenya. Most directly comparable peer on motorcycle ride-hailing, with similar target customers and pricing tiers to YellowBIRD's boda-boda product.
• Bolt: Direct ride-hailing competitor operating across East Africa including Uganda and Kenya, offering cars, boda-boda-style motorbikes, and delivery. Closely comparable business model and target market to YellowBIRD's core ride-hailing service.

Regional players

• Gokada: Nigeria-based motorcycle ride-hailing and delivery platform. Comparable on motorcycle delivery and fleet operations, but operates exclusively in Nigeria rather than East Africa, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.
• MAX (formerly MAX.ng): Nigeria-focused mobility and delivery platform offering ride-hailing, motorcycle delivery, and B2B logistics. Comparable multi-vertical mobility + delivery model to YellowBIRD but operates in West Africa only.
• Little Ride: Nigerian ride-hailing and delivery startup with comparable small-team, multi-vertical mobility model. Provides reference point for emerging African ride-hailing startups, though geographically focused on Nigeria.

Emerging players

• Zipline: Drone-based medical and commercial delivery service operating in Rwanda, Ghana, and other African markets. Partial overlap on African last-mile delivery thesis but different delivery modality and B2B/government customer focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yellowbird-mobi

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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 YellowBIRD (all in one)