What Data Transport does

Data Transport is a privately held, mission-driven "catalyst" organization headquartered in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, that operates across Francophone Africa to modernize urban mobility through open data, open-source tooling, and applied artificial intelligence. Its core activities are the field collection, mapping, and standardization of informal public transport networks — most of which are undocumented and absent from global transit feeds — into GTFS-compliant datasets for cities including Bamako, Grand Abidjan, and the 17 regional capitals of Burkina Faso. The technology stack is anchored on OpenStreetMap collaborative mapping, the Mergin Maps/QGIS geospatial field-data platform (in partnership with Lutra Consulting since August 2025), and a proprietary computer vision pipeline ("AI for Transport") that detects and classifies vehicles, counts passengers, and analyzes traffic flows using cameras, drones, and smartphones adapted to African urban realities.

The organization delivers work through three product pillars: Data Transport Labs (data collection, processing, GTFS standardization, and visualization), AI for Transport (computer vision analytics), and Data Transport Academy (training and capacity building via DT Academy at dt-academy.org). Revenue is generated primarily through project-based professional services contracts funded by multilateral and bilateral development finance institutions — notably the World Bank (via GFDRR and the PMDUVS project), the French Development Agency (AFD), and the World Resources Institute (WRI) — alongside training fees for DT Academy courses and consulting services tied to the Mergin Maps partnership. Customer segments include national and municipal transport authorities (AMUGA in Abidjan; Burkina Faso Ministry of Construction), formal and informal transport operators (Sotra, STL, Citrans), and international development institutions.

Commercial engagement is sales-led and procured through competitive tenders with development finance institutions or direct government mandates; the organization does not publish pricing and operates without a software-as-a-product distribution model. Data Transport does not disclose revenue, headcount trends, funding rounds, ownership structure, or executive leadership, and has no parent company, subsidiaries, or acquisition activity on record. Strategic positioning centers on open-data advocacy, capacity building, and partnership-based expansion through coalitions such as the Digital Transport for Africa initiative and the Transport Data Commons.

Name

Data Transport

Legal name

Data Transport

Website

https://data-transport.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transport Data Services & Mobility Analytics

NAICS

Other Support Activities for Transportation (4889)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)

akta.pro primary industry

Transit, Traffic & Mobility Data Platforms (BPAMANAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mobility Data Exchange & Analytics Platforms (MDM, Data Hubs, Insights) (THADALAJ)

Keywords

• Open transport data
• GTFS standardization
• Transit mapping
• Mobility analytics
• Transport data training

Headquarters

HQ city

Abidjan

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Project Consulting & Technical Studies: Data Transport generates revenue by securing funded projects from development finance institutions (World Bank, AFD) and government ministries. These projects include transport mapping studies, mobility observatory design and operationalization, and data infrastructure development. Revenue is project-based, typically scoped over several months with defined deliverables.
2. Training & Capacity Building (DT Academy): DT Academy delivers specialized training programs on transport data, GTFS, OSM mapping, e-mobility, and related topics to transport agencies, operators, NGOs, and students. Programs are offered in-person, remote, or hybrid formats, with a published training catalogue. This represents a recurring revenue stream through course fees.
3. Mergin Maps Training & Consulting: As an official Mergin Maps partner, Data Transport provides specialized training and consulting services on the Mergin Maps platform in Francophone Africa, generating service fees through Data Transport Academy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Data Transport operates a transport data and technology hub that collects, processes, standardizes (GTFS), and visualizes mobility data for West African cities. It delivers AI-powered computer vision solutions for vehicle detection, traffic flow analysis, and informal route mapping, alongside a specialized training academy (Data Transport Academy) offering capacity-building programs in GTFS, OSM, QGIS, Mergin Maps, and e-mobility for government agencies, transport operators, NGOs, and students.

Product overview

Data Transport is a catalytic organization in Francophone Africa working to transform transport systems through data and technology. Its portfolio consists of three core offerings: (1) Data Transport Labs - the technical and scientific hub for transport data collection, processing, GTFS standardization, visualization, and web/mobile application development; (2) AI for Transport - computer vision and AI-powered solutions for analyzing informal urban transport systems; and (3) Data Transport Academy - the training and capacity building division. The organization also offers specialized services including transit mapping projects and observatory implementation, and partners with Mergin Maps (an open-source geospatial data collection platform) to extend its technical capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Data Transport Academy: Training and capacity building division offering specialized programs for transport data management, cartography, GTFS standardization, and e-mobility. Website: dt-academy.org

Products and services

• Data Transport Labs Technical and scientific hub responsible for transport data collection, processing, standardization, and analysis for government agencies and transport authorities. Produces interactive cartographies, dynamic visualizations, and custom web and mobile applications based on field surveys, sensors, administrative databases, and open sources.
• AI for Transport
• Data Transport Academy
• Transit Mapping Services
• National Urban Transport Observatory Implementation (ONTU-BF) Strategic study and implementation project for a national mobility monitoring system in Burkina Faso. Provides an integrated digital system for real-time transport data collection, processing, and dissemination, supported by a control room connected to 17 regional capital cities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 SOTRAMA lines and 3,500 stops mapped and standardized in GTFS for Bamako
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and supporting.

• Transport Data Commons Initiative (TDCI) / University of StrathclydemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026Data Transport participated in the global launch of the Transport Data Commons in Glasgow (February 2026), an international initiative co-sponsored by CCG/FCDO, GIZ, and Glasgow City Council. The initiative is backed by 30+ organizations including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and GIZ. Data Transport contributed to working groups on Southern territory data challenges, open standards, capacity building, and inclusion, and participated in drafting the Glasgow Declaration.
• Lutra Consulting Limited (Mergin Maps)coreTechnology or Integration · 25 August 2025Data Transport became an official Mergin Maps partner in August 2025. The partnership involves local training and consulting on Mergin Maps (integrated with QGIS) via Data Transport Academy, active promotion through social media, conferences, and publications, and the development of case studies illustrating Mergin Maps applications in African transport contexts. Mergin Maps is an open-source geospatial data collection and collaboration platform.
• IDIAWAREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerData Transport and IDIAWARE form a consortium (groupement) engaged by the World Bank-financed PMDUVS project to design and operationalize the National Urban Transport Observatory of Burkina Faso (ONTU-BF). The consortium combines Data Transport's transport data expertise with IDIAWARE's digital systems capabilities to deliver a national mobility data infrastructure covering 17 regional capitals.
• WRI (World Resources Institute)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRI, via the Digital Transport for Africa initiative, partnered with AFD and Data Transport to support the digital transformation of informal transport in Abidjan. WRI provides technical guidance and international network access, complementing Data Transport's on-the-ground implementation capacity.
• AMUGA (Autorité de la Mobilité Urbaine du Grand Abidjan)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMUGA is a key institutional client and partner for Data Transport in Côte d'Ivoire. Data Transport delivered a 3-day GTFS training program for AMUGA agents and transport operators, and conducted a strategic study for the development of a mobility observatory with a transport data open data policy roadmap.
• OpenStreetMap Mali CommunitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerData Transport collaborated with the OpenStreetMap Mali community for the Bamako SOTRAMA mapping project, leveraging local OSM expertise and community validation processes to ensure data quality and local ownership.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WhereIsMyTransport (Iomob): Previously WhereIsMyTransport, this mobility data platform company builds GTFS-standardized transit datasets for emerging-market cities in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Directly comparable to Data Transport's informal-transit mapping and GTFS standardization offering, with similar target customer base of public transport authorities.
• Code for Africa: Largest African civic technology and open data non-profit, building data infrastructure and digital tools across the continent. Comparable to Data Transport as an Africa-focused mission-driven organization delivering open data, training, and technology capacity building, with stronger scale and broader sector coverage.
• SLOCAT Partnership: International multi-stakeholder partnership focused on sustainable, low-carbon transport, with strong Africa engagement. Comparable as a coalition/advocacy peer within the Transport Data Commons, working at the intersection of mobility data, climate finance, and capacity building in emerging markets.
• Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP): Mission-driven NGO working on sustainable and equitable urban transport worldwide, with significant programs in African and Latin American cities. Comparable to Data Transport as a non-profit transport consultancy combining technical assistance, data advocacy, and capacity building for public authorities.

Broad incumbents

• Moovit: Global transit data platform and mobility-as-a-service app covering thousands of cities worldwide, including some African markets. Comparable as the dominant commercial incumbent in transit data and GTFS aggregation; Data Transport's informal-transit specialization in Francophone Africa represents an underserved niche adjacent to Moovit's footprint.
• Citymapper: Established urban mobility app integrating public transit data across major cities. Comparable as a global transit data consumer and routing platform that depends on GTFS-quality inputs of the type Data Transport produces, though Citymapper focuses on consumer-facing apps in large global cities rather than African informal transport.
• World Resources Institute (WRI) Ross Center for Sustainable Cities: WRI's sustainable cities program delivers open data platforms, technical assistance, and policy advocacy for urban mobility, including in Africa. Directly comparable as a co-funder and design partner of the Digital Transport for Africa initiative alongside Data Transport, and a major operator in the same mission space with broader geographic scope.

Emerging players

• Open Data Institute (ODI): UK-based non-profit promoting open data adoption and standards globally, including in transport. Comparable to Data Transport's advocacy and capacity-building arm for open transport data, with shared participation in coalitions like the Transport Data Commons but a broader sectoral remit.

Others

• African Open Data Network: African open data advocacy and capacity-building community similar in orientation to Data Transport's open-data policy work. Comparable as an ecosystem peer in the African open data movement, though less specialized in transport than Data Transport.
• Lutra Consulting (Mergin Maps): Open-source geospatial data collection platform (Mergin Maps) integrated with QGIS, with which Data Transport signed an official partnership in August 2025. Comparable as the underlying technology enabler for Data Transport's field data collection work, and a strategic partner rather than competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/datatransport1
• Facebookfacebook.com/datatransport
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/data-transport

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Data Transport