MAURITIUS – Vite, a mobility startup, has raised a pre-seed funding round from Oui Capital to launch full operations after a highly successful beta testing period.
Vite is the first app-based mobility company in Mauritius, which has just concluded a beta testing period that saw more than 6,500 app downloads and 500 completed trips.
The pre-seed funding round secured from Oui Capital, an early stage technology venture fund launched one year ago that invests in promising technology startups across Sub-Saharan Africa, is designed to provide Vite with the financial and operational support necessary to launch full operations on Mauritius Island.
“Oui Capital is pleased to announce our investment in Vite, Mobility has been and remains one of our fund’s core verticals as we believe connecting people and goods is a vital part of creating prosperity on the African continent,” Oui Capital said.
“We are excited to partner with this visionary team to change the face of mobility in the Southern African market.”
The startup joins Oui Capital’s growing portfolio of startups, which include Awabike, MVXchange and AMOpportunities.
Vite’s app matches riders with driver-partners, enabling users to access convenient, comfortable and personal transportation services.
For mobility startup Vite founded by Ghanaians and Nigerian in 2016, Mauritius is the ideal place to start a tech business aimed at Africa
The startup was founded in 2016 by Ghanaian Isaac Agyemang, Anthony Takyi, and Ukeme Jonah. Agyemang (who serves as COO) was joined by Nigerian Ukeme Jonah (who serves as CEO) in 2017.
Ghanaian Anthony Takyi joined (as CMO) in July last year after meeting the duo in Ghana when they were scouting for investors.
The trio’s tech lead is based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Takyi added that the startup has five core team members at present.
Agyemang and Jonah went to school in Mauritius, where they became aware of the problem of high taxi fares and there being no real-time way for riders and drivers to connect, while co-organising a TEDx event in 2016 in Mauritius.
He pointed out that Mauritius is an easy place to do business (ranked number one in Africa by the World Bank in ease of doing business) and pointed out that entrepreneurs are given plenty of incentives on the island country.
Before the current seed round, the three co-founders, together with an angel investor, had put US$35 000 in the business, said Takyi.
Their seed round is designed to provide Vite Technologies with the financial and operational support necessary to launch full operations on Mauritius, after its highly successful beta-testing which saw more than 6500 app downloads and 500 completed trips.
