By Adedapo Adesanya

Top mobility fintech backed by Uber, Moove, has acquired Kovi, a Brazilian urban mobility provider, as it boost its footprints outside Africa.

Moove, which offers vehicle financing to ride-hailing and delivery app drivers across six continents, will now wholly own Kovi.

According to the co-founder and chief executive of the firm, Mr Ladi Delano, the acquisition of the São Paulo-based startup marks a significant step toward the company’s goal of building the world’s largest ride-share fleet.

Also, the all share acquisition deal bumps the mobility fintech’s annual revenue to $275 million.

The news comes two months after Moove announced a partnership with Waymo to provide driverless vehicle fleet operations in two US cities, Phoenix and Miami.

Mr Delano said Moove’s fleet which began with 76 cars in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2020 has now grown to 36,000 cars operating in 19 cities across six continents, with Latin America now emerging as a key market.

Founded in 2018, Y Combinator-backed Kovi launched to make vehicle ownership more accessible in Brazil.

The Moove acquisition will unite both companies which seek to tackle the same challenge—providing financing solutions for ride-share drivers.

As the parties await regulatory approval, Kovi will continue to operate under its brand while its executive and management teams will remain unchanged.

While Moove will keep the Kovi brand operating in its existing markets, Brazil and Mexico, there are plans to expand further across Latin America.

Moove recently launched operations in three cities across Colombia and Mexico.

According to Mr Delano,, the acquisition further cements Moove’s position in Latin America, giving the company a major foothold in Brazil, the region’s largest ride-hail market.

“Kovi is one of the top two players in Brazil. So we have not just entered or strengthened our presence in the Latin American market but also put ourselves in a top two position in the largest single market in Latin America through this acquisition,” he said in an interview with TechCrunch.

Moove will also push its flagship Drive-to-Own product, a taxi and employment model, and an emerging autonomous vehicle (AV) business line involving AI-driven mobility.

According to Mr Delano, Kovi’s proprietary technology and algorithms will “complement and strengthen our existing move AI mobility strategy and ensure that we can start to deliver an improved service and product to our customers around the world.”

In a statement, Kovi CEO, Mr Adhemar Milani Neto, expressed confidence in the deal. “I met the founders [Moove’s Delano and Jide Odunsi] many years back when they were scaling their business in Africa, and I was immediately impressed by their purpose-driven approach, which is also a perfect match to our culture. Together, I believe we will become a truly global category-defining business and will leverage scale and deep expertise never seen in our market.”

Moove raised a $100 million Uber-led Series B last year at a $750 million valuation. The mobility fintech has secured over $500 million in debt and equity from backers like Mubadala, BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, Janus Henderson, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC, World Bank) since its launch five years ago.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Lagos State Government has said it is ready to integrate mini and midi buses, popularly known as Korope and Danfo, into the state’s Bus Reform Initiative.

The Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Transportation, Mr Sola Giwa, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Lagos.

In the statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs of the ministry, Mrs Bolanle Ogunlola, the governor’s aide said the project was in the planning phase.

“The documentation process for bus operators interested in the scheme is ongoing, with 10 operators having submitted letters of intent to the state Ministry of Transportation, of which six have already been confirmed.

“All participating buses will undergo physical verification by the Vehicle Inspection Service and Motor Vehicle Administration Agency to ensure their roadworthiness and proper documentation.

“Once verified, the buses will be branded in the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority colours and will be equipped with validators,” he said.

Mr Giwa also said that a framework was being developed to integrate union dues deductions into an e- ticketing system, while addressing activities of hoodlums extorting money from transporters.

He said that the initiative would be test-run for three months before full implementation.

He said that full implementation of the reform would prevent mini buses from operating on the Lekki-Ajah Expressway.

Mr Giwa said that the buses would be deployed to inner routes and communities.

By Adedapo Adesanya

China Development Bank (CDB) has recently granted the first tranche of a loan worth €245 million ($255 million) to support the Kaduna-Kano railway in Nigeria.

This will provide crucial financial backing to ensure the smooth construction of the transportation initiative, the CDB said on Tuesday.

The railway is on the list of practical cooperation deliverables released during the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in 2023.

The project has been making steady progress so far, the CDB said, adding that going forward, it will closely coordinate with Nigerian partners to ensure the smooth disbursement of subsequent loans and effective post-loan management.

The Kaduna-Kano railway, spanning 203 kilometres in total, is set to provide a direct rail connection between Kano, an important northern city in Nigeria, and the country’s capital Abuja upon its completion, according to the CDB.

In July 2024, the Senate Committee Chairman on Land Transport, Mr Adamu Aliero reaffirmed the commitment of the National Assembly in ensuring that funds are made available for timely completion of the project.

Mr Aliero, while speaking to the press on the sidelines of the inspection at Maikarfi, Kaduna State, explained that the joint committee of both the House and also the Senate were on site to inspect the construction of a rail line between Kaduna to Kano.

“We have just taken a ride from Kano to Maikarfi. So far, we are impressed with what we have seen. We have seen a lot of dedication by the ministry and also by the contractor trying to deliver the project in time, I think 2025, they said.

“We understand that the deadline given to them is 2025 or 2026. But we are hoping that by 2025 if they sustain the tempo, they will be able to deliver. We will lobby our colleagues in the National Assembly to ensure that this project does not suffer from inadequate funding.

“There are other challenges connected with the project, particularly the funding arrangement, which we intend to discuss with the Minister of Finance, the Attorney General of the Federation, and also the Minister of Transportation,” he added.