BasiGo Rwanda Secures $225,000 Funding to Boost its Charging Infrastructure
Summary
Logis-T Africa BasiGo Rwanda, a pioneering startup in the field of electric transportation in East Africa, has received $225,000 in funding to modernize its charging infrastructure and support its growing fleet of electric public transport buses in Kigali. This grant, provided by Ireme Invest, the green investment mechanism of Rwandas Green Fund, will be used to expand the companys network of charging stations and offer a more sustainable and environmentally friendly public transport solution to Kigali residents.With this funding, BasiGo also plans to build a charging station capable of accommodating about twenty electric buses simultaneously. For example, by mid-2024, BasiGos performance in Kigali was impressive: their fleet of electric buses had already served over 300,000 passengers. This performance generated revenues exceeding 147 million Rwandan francs for transport operators. On the environmental front, the impact was equally remarkable: the company estimated it had avoided the emission of over 60 tonnes of carbon dioxide and saved nearly 27,000 liters of diesel fuel.Speaking about this new funding, Doreen Orishaba, General Manager of BasiGo Rwanda, said: Over the past seven months of operation, BasiGo electric buses have demonstrated that they are the new standard for safe, comfortable, and low-carbon public transport solutions, and they have contributed to reducing emissions.Its worth noting that BasiGos expansion into Rwanda was initially supported by USAID with a financial contribution of $1.5 million to facilitate the deployment of the companys activities in Rwanda.Also, in March 2024, BasiGo had secured a $3 million equity investment from CFAO Group to increase the companys electric bus production capacity in both Kenya and Rwanda.