Nairabox
Nairabox is a Lagos-based Nigerian digital ticketing platform that lets consumers discover and purchase event and cinema tickets online via a self-serve website, monetizing through transaction fees across the country's entertainment market.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersLagos, Nigeria
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Nairabox does
Nairabox is a Nigerian digital ticketing and lifestyle platform headquartered in Lagos, founded around 2015. The company operates a direct-to-consumer online platform that enables users to discover and purchase tickets for entertainment events including concerts, live shows, and cinema screenings, with stated scope also encompassing food ordering, bill payment, and airtime purchases. The underlying technology is a self-serve web platform functioning as an intermediary between event organizers/cinemas and end consumers, without disclosed proprietary stack differentiation or developer-facing APIs.
Nairabox monetizes through transaction fees on tickets sold through its platform. Its go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, using its website as the primary discovery and transaction channel, supplemented by digital and social media marketing. The platform targets Nigerian entertainment consumers on a horizontal basis — any individual seeking digital ticketing for live events or cinema — with no disclosed enterprise or B2B customers. Headcount is reported at 11-50 employees, and no institutional funding rounds, revenue figures, or pricing details are publicly disclosed.
In October 2025, Nairabox was acquired by Wakanow, Nigeria's leading online travel company (itself backed by a $40 million Carlyle Group investment in 2018). The deal represented Wakanow's strategic expansion into entertainment and lifestyle, with stated intent to integrate travel, ticketing, and lifestyle services into a single platform. Following the acquisition, Nairabox ceased operating as an independent entity and became a subsidiary of Wakanow.
Nairabox firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nairabox
- Website
- https://nairabox.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Nairabox is a Lagos-based Nigerian digital ticketing platform that lets consumers discover and purchase event and cinema tickets online via a self-serve website, monetizing through transaction fees across the country's entertainment market.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nairabox industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Event Ticketing Platform
- NAICS
- Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Ticketing, Invitations & RSVP Management (HSACADAM)
Keywords
Where Nairabox is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lagos
- HQ country
- Nigeria
- HQ region
- Africa
Markets served
Nairabox business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Ticket Transaction Fees: Nairabox generated revenue through transaction fees on event and cinema tickets sold through its digital platform, serving as an intermediary between event organizers/cinemas and consumers.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Nairabox product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nairabox operated as a Nigerian digital ticketing and lifestyle platform, enabling consumers to discover and purchase tickets for entertainment events (concerts, live shows) and cinema screenings online. The platform also supported ancillary lifestyle services such as food ordering, bill payments, and airtime purchase. Revenue was earned through transaction fees on tickets sold, with the platform functioning as an intermediary between event organizers/cinemas and Nigerian consumers.
Product overview
Nairabox was a single-product digital ticketing platform focused on event and cinema booking in Nigeria. The company operated as a unified service offering digital ticketing capabilities for entertainment and lifestyle experiences. In October 2025, Nairabox was acquired by Wakanow as part of its expansion strategy into the experience economy beyond travel services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nairabox
Companies that use Nairabox
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Nairabox technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Nairabox partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- WakanowcoreIn October 2025, Wakanow, Nigeria's leading online travel company, acquired Nairabox. The acquisition was driven by Wakanow's strategic interest in expanding beyond travel into entertainment and lifestyle sectors. Wakanow aimed to create an integrated platform combining travel, entertainment, and lifestyle services, with emphasis on distribution and regional presence. The deal followed nearly a decade of Nairabox's development in Nigeria's digital ticketing market.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Nairabox competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Paystack: Nigerian payments infrastructure company. Adjacent rather than competitive — Nairabox's bill payment and airtime features rely on similar payment rails, and Paystack serves as potential payments partner/infrastructure peer for Nairabox.
Broad incumbents
- Ticketmaster: Global live event ticketing leader. Comparable to Nairabox in providing online ticketing for concerts and entertainment events, with substantially greater scale and direct relationships with event organizers.
- BookMyShow: India's largest digital ticketing platform for movies, events, plays, and sports. Comparable in core ticketing model (cinema + events) to Nairabox, though at significantly larger scale in a different geography.
- Eventbrite: Global self-serve ticketing and event discovery platform. Comparable to Nairabox in offering a DTC ticketing marketplace for entertainment events, though Eventbrite operates globally and at much greater scale.
- Fandango: US-based movie ticketing platform with adjacent event ticketing. Comparable to Nairabox in its cinema ticketing focus and DTC consumer model, though Fandango operates within the mature US market.
Direct peers
- Wakanow: Nigerian online travel company that acquired Nairabox in October 2025. Now the parent, but operates an adjacent DTC platform for Nigerian consumers, with overlapping lifestyle/travel verticals post-acquisition.
- Tix.africa: African event ticketing platform operating across multiple African markets. Direct competitor to Nairabox in the digital ticketing space for entertainment events across the continent.
Regional players
- Quicket: South African self-service event ticketing platform. Closest direct peer for Nairabox given similar DTC ticketing model, African market context, and focus on live events and experiences.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Nairabox social profiles
Digital presenceNairabox financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nairabox leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Nairabox funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nairabox 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 Nairabox
What does Nairabox do?
Nairabox operated as a Nigerian digital ticketing and lifestyle platform, enabling consumers to discover and purchase tickets for entertainment events (concerts, live shows) and cinema screenings online. The platform also supported ancillary lifestyle services such as food ordering, bill payments, and airtime purchase. Revenue was earned through transaction fees on tickets sold, with the platform functioning as an intermediary between event organizers/cinemas and Nigerian consumers.
Is Nairabox a public or private company?
Nairabox is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Nairabox founded?
Nairabox was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Nairabox based?
Nairabox is headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, in the Africa region.
How does Nairabox make money?
One revenue line is on record: ticket Transaction Fees.
Who are Nairabox's main competitors?
Paystack is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Ticketmaster, BookMyShow, Eventbrite and Fandango. Direct peers are Wakanow and Tix.africa. Quicket is listed as a regional player.
Does Nairabox have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nairabox.
What industry is Nairabox in?
Nairabox's product category is Event Ticketing Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSACADAM, Corporate Ticketing, Invitations & RSVP Management. Its NAICS code is 7131 and its SIC code is 7900.