Senegalese logistics startup, PAPS, raises $4.5M to expand to other Francophone countries

Senegal-based logistics and delivery company, PAPS, has announced the raise of a $4.5 million pre-Series A round to expand its services to other Francophone regions.

The funding round was co-led by Pan-African venture capital firm 4DX Ventures and multi-service operator Orange. Other investors include previous investors Uma Ventures and Saviu Ventures and newcomer investors Yamaha Motor, LoftyInc Capital, Proparco, Google Ventures, To.org, Kepple Ventures, and Enza Capital.

Delivering goods within cities is usually a challenge due to over congestion and heavy traffic jams in the cities, which make logistics expensive. PAPS uses information and communication technologies to offer bespoke solutions for the transportation of goods, by bringing together and rationalizing the existing logistics platforms and creating innovative solutions.

Founded by Bamba Lo in 2016, PAPS provides end-to-end logistics solutions for businesses that operate offline and online.

At first, PAPS operated using a C2C logistics model. It was, however difficult to predict delivery flows in the space as deliveries were irregular and disorganized. The platform now operates a B2B model for planned deliveries. PAPS caters to small and large businesses, to aid their logistics needs, from storage and transport to last-mile delivery.

Merchants can also track deliveries on the platform in real-time as well as schedule deliveries on the platform.

The company owns warehouses used to store delivery packages. It also owns vehicles from trucks, vans, cars, and motorcycles, to carry out the logistics and deliveries within and outside of the cities.

PAPS covers a wide range of clients, such as banking, telecommunications, and pharmaceuticals. The startup claims it currently handles distribution for 70% of all pharmacies in Senegal.

The company also claims that other major logistics services such as DHL and FedEx and e-commerce brands like Jumia, Glovo, and Sokowatch use their operations in Senegal and Ivory Coast.

With the funding, the company would strengthen its tech team, build more infrastructure as warehouses and fleets, and extend its services to other African countries.