Direx

What Direx does

Direx is a cloud-based SaaS company that provides an all-in-one ticketing, booking, and business management platform aimed at SMB tourism attractions in Africa. Founded in 2022 and headquartered in London with primary operations in Lagos, Nigeria, the company serves museums, galleries, theme parks, zoos, heritage and cultural sites, water parks, aquariums, national parks, and gardens. Its platform is currently operational in five African countries — Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania.

The product is built as an integrated suite comprising four modules: a Payment and Booking Engine that sells tickets online (via website and social channels) and offline (through proprietary POS hardware) with Paystack as the integrated payment gateway; a Back Office Management System covering bookings, payments, CRM, staff accounts, communications, and analytics; an AI Website Builder for mobile-responsive, SEO-friendly sites with a built-in CMS; and Direx-branded mobile POS hardware for ticket booths, souvenir shops, and activity areas. Integrations with TripAdvisor and Google Business Review support automated review collection. The platform is delivered via web browser with no installation required, and pricing is denominated in Nigerian Naira with 256-bit SSL and reliance on PCI-DSS-compliant third-party processors for payment security.

Direx monetizes through three streams: a 1% booking transaction fee capped at NGN 1,000 per transaction on the free tier; a Premium subscription at NGN 5,000/month or NGN 50,000/year for unlimited staff accounts, SMS/email support, and advanced functionality; and a Website Builder subscription at NGN 4,000–5,500/month depending on domain extension. GTM is product-led with self-serve onboarding, supplemented by demo-driven sales, social-channel ticketing, accelerator and partner referrals (Tech Nation, Envision, Barclays, Phocuswright, Africa Tourism Partners), and participation in travel-tech pitch competitions. The company has three known employees — Co-founder/CEO Ibukunoluwa Salau, Co-founder/CTO Oluwatobi Towobola, and Head of Sales Ruth Iwuchukwu — and is privately held, incorporated as Direx Technologies Inc in Delaware, USA, with no disclosed institutional funding.

Name

Direx

Legal name

Direx Technologies Inc

Website

https://getdirex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Direx is a cloud-based SaaS platform that provides ticketing, booking, payment processing, back-office management, website building, and POS hardware for SMB tourism attractions across Nigeria, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Ticketing Software

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Ticketing, Registration & Event Technology (Badging, Apps) (BPAFAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

White-Label Booking Engine Platforms (SaaS/Widget) (THALADAN)

Keywords

• Tourism ticketing software
• Attractions management platform
• Online booking engine
• Hospitality SaaS platform
• Payment processing software

Headquarters

HQ city

Lagos

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Booking Transaction Fees: Primary revenue stream from booking fees charged as 1% of transaction value, capped at NGN 1,000 per booking.
2. Premium Subscription: Monthly or annual subscription for enhanced features including unlimited accounts, email and SMS communications, and advanced functionality.
3. Website Builder Services: Additional subscription for website hosting, custom domains, chatbot integration, and business emails.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Direx is an all-in-one cloud-based ticketing and business management SaaS platform purpose-built for African tourism attractions. It enables online and offline ticket sales, payment processing, bookings, staff and customer management, analytics, communications, and website building through an integrated suite including a Payment and Booking Engine, Back Office Management System, AI Website Builder, and POS Hardware.

Product overview

Direx is an all-in-one ticketing and business management platform for African tourism businesses, operating as a unified platform with four integrated modules. The core offering consists of the Payment and Booking Engine for ticket sales and payment processing (both online and offline), the Back Office Management System for centralized operations including CRM, analytics, and staff management, the AI Website Builder for automated responsive website creation, and POS Hardware as a mobile add-on for in-person sales. These modules work together to provide end-to-end digitalization for tourist attractions, museums, parks, and other ticket-based venues across Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Payment and Booking Engine A ticketing and payment processing system that enables tourism businesses to sell tickets and accept payments online through websites and social media, as well as offline through POS hardware. Supports multiple currencies and integrates with third-party payment gateways such as Paystack.
• Back Office Management System Centralized operations management platform providing unified workflows for bookings, payments, ticketing, staff accounts, customer relationship management, review collection, communications, and data analytics for tourism businesses.
• AI Website Builder Automated website creation tool that generates mobile-responsive and SEO-friendly websites with a built-in content management system, allowing tourism businesses to maintain their online presence and serve as a key sales channel.
• POS Hardware

Quantifiable outcome

• Booking fees capped at NGN 1,000 regardless of transaction size
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tech NationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDirex was selected as a City Winner in Tech Nation Rising Stars 5.0, a prestigious UK-based technology accelerator program that provides mentorship, networking, and visibility for high-growth startups.
• Envision AcceleratorcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDirex participated in the Envision Accelerator program, which supports early-stage tourism and hospitality technology companies.
• Barclays Black Founders AcceleratorcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDirex was selected for the 2023 Barclays Black Founders Accelerator cohort, gaining access to mentorship, funding opportunities, and corporate resources.
• PhocuswrightcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDirex won the Phocuswright/WIT Global Startup Pitch Competition for Middle East and Africa region and was featured in Hot 25 Travel Startups.
• Web in Travel (WIT)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization in the Phocuswright/WIT Global Startup Pitch Competition where Direx was regional winner.
• Africa Tourism PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAfrica-focused tourism development organization that Direx partners with for industry visibility and network access.
• PaystackcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party payment gateway integration for processing online payments in Nigeria. Direx connects to Paystack for payment processing without additional integration costs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/getdirex

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Direx