Business Post Nigeria

Tag: Shuttlers

  • Paystack Rolls Out Small Business Programme with Funding, Growth Support

    Paystack Rolls Out Small Business Programme with Funding, Growth Support

     By Adedapo Adesanya

    African payments technology giant, Paystack, has launched the Paystack Small Business Programme to support Nigerian small businesses through a range of initiatives designed to help them grow, connect with relevant opportunities, and access funding for their next stage of growth.

    The initiative will support businesses as they start, manage and grow their operations, starting with the Paystack Small Business Bundle.

    The bundle gives eligible Nigerian merchants access to up to N4 million in discounts on tools and services from selected partners across key areas of business operations, including commerce, bookkeeping, logistics, design, workspace, customer communication, and digital tools.

    In the pilot phase, Paystack is targeting 2,000 Nigerian SMBs for the Small Business Bundle, with additional partner offers expected over time.

    According to the company, in a statement on Monday, small businesses play a significant role in Nigeria’s economy, but many still face everyday operational challenges, from managing sales and records, reaching customers, handling deliveries, and accessing affordable tools.

    As a result, the programme has been developed to provide practical support for these businesses as they manage daily operations and plan for their next stage of growth. Through the Small Business bundle, eligible merchants can access offers from partners including Bumpa, Ijeworks, Wiicreate, Flowcart, Simplebks, Africaworks, Paystack, Kindlybook, FezDelivery, Gamp, Pressone, Mercurie, Shuttlers and Canva.

    The Paystack Small Business Programme will commence with three key initiatives designed to support the growth and sustainability of small businesses. These include the Paystack Small Business Bundle, which offers a range of tools, services, resources, and partner benefits to help businesses operate more efficiently and scale sustainably; the Paystack Small Business Launchpad, which provides dedicated, hands-on support to high-potential businesses, enabling them to maximize the value of Paystack’s solutions and accelerate growth; and the Paystack Small Business Grant, which offers financial support to promising businesses to help fund their next phase of expansion and development.

    The Bundle is available to eligible Nigerian merchants with a live Paystack account, at least 10 Paystack transactions in the last 30 days, and operations in Nigeria.

    Eligible merchants can visit the Small Business Bundle Page to browse available partner offers, submit their business details and receive redemption instructions once their eligibility has been confirmed.

  • Shuttlers Hits 10 Million Trips, Expands Reach via Google Maps Transit

    Shuttlers Hits 10 Million Trips, Expands Reach via Google Maps Transit

    By Adedapo Adesanya

    Nigerian mobility startup Shuttlers has surpassed 10 million trips on its platform and expanded its reach through an integration with Google Maps Transit in Nigeria, thereby strengthening access to public transportation information.

    According to a statement on Monday, the milestones reflect the growing need for structured, shared mobility in urban Africa.

    The 10-million-trip milestone coincides with Shuttlers’ 10th year of operations, marking a key point in its growth trajectory. Meanwhile, the Google Maps integration now allows users searching for transit directions on the platform to view Shuttlers’ routes and book seats directly through its system.

    The partnership is expected to broaden access to reliable shared transportation options for businesses and professionals navigating major urban centres.

    To achieve a Google Transit Partner status, Shuttlers aligned its data architecture, route systems, and real-time operational capabilities with Google’s partner infrastructure requirements.

    Across the continent’s fastest-growing cities, formal public transport infrastructure faces significant pressure from rapid population growth, leaving millions of professionals dependent on fragmented and costly alternatives. According to the World Bank, African cities lose an estimated 2% to 5% of GDP annually to transport inefficiency.

    Shuttlers currently serves 30,000 active users across more than 1,000 itineraries, operating more than 430 buses daily across Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. Since launching in 2016, the platform said it has maintained a 99 per cent trip completion rate and a 99.94 per cent incident-free rate across its entire journey history.

    The average Shuttlers commuter saves 60 per cent to 88 per cent on transport costs compared to ride-hailing services, and reclaims 8 to 12 hours from gridlock every month. In Lagos, the average commuter loses more than 30 hours a month to gridlock.

    Speaking on this achievement, chief executive and co-founder of Shuttlers, Ms Damilola Olokesusi, shared, “We are incredibly proud of our integration into the Google Maps Transit system. This, alongside hitting 10 million journeys since launch, is a reflection of years of hard work. For millions of professionals, commuting is still unpredictable, exhausting and expensive.”

    “We have spent the last 10 years building technology and operational infrastructure that makes daily transportation more dependable – for commuters, businesses that employ them, and the fleet operators who power our network,” she added.

    On his part, Mr Olumide Balogun, Director for West Africa at Google, said: “We are pleased to welcome Shuttlers into the Google Transit ecosystem in Nigeria. Reliable transit information helps people navigate cities more confidently and efficiently. As more Nigerians adopt digital tools for everyday mobility, integrations like these help make trusted transportation easier to discover and access.”

    Reiterated its commitment to sustainability, Shutters also disclosed that it is actively integrating Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric buses into its fleet, reducing emissions by up to 60 per cent compared to traditional diesel alternatives.

  • Verod-Kepple, Others Invest $4m in Nigerian Mobility Startup Shuttlers

    Verod-Kepple, Others Invest $4m in Nigerian Mobility Startup Shuttlers

    By Adedapo Adesanya

    A Nigerian mobility startup, Shuttlers, has raised $4 million in equity funding led by Verod-Kepple, a venture capital firm, to boost its shared-mobility efforts in Nigeria.

    The funding round also saw follow-on investment from Vested World, Echo VC, CMC 21 & Alsa, and SheEquity.

    In a statement seen by Business Post on Tuesday, Shuttlers said it would use the new funding to optimise its transportation solutions and accelerate growth in Nigeria, which includes building infrastructure to power mass transit.

    The company plans on dominating the economic nucleus of Lagos, enabling improved employee transportation for corporates, and later expanding to other cities within Nigeria.

    Shuttlers claims that is possible as it has raised a considerable customer base in Lagos, setting the tone to expand its services to its planned cities in Nigeria, which it made no mention of.

    “With this new funding, more people will benefit from our safe, reliable, and affordable shared mobility service,” the company said.

    Speaking on this, Shuttlers CEO, Mr Damilola Olokesusi, said, “We are thrilled to have Verrod Kepple, Vested Word, CMC 21 & Alsa, and SheEquity as partners in our mission to transform passenger transportation in Nigeria.

    “This additional funding will allow us to build the infrastructure we need to power mass transit and expand our reach to more communities in Nigeria.”

    Adding her input, Ms Ory Okolloh, Managing Partner at VKav. said, “We are excited to support Shuttlers in their mission to provide safe, reliable, and affordable transportation to Nigerians.

    “Their commitment to creating impact aligns with our vision for investing in companies that impact society positively. We look forward to working closely with Shuttlers to help them achieve their goals.”

    “We believe that Shuttlers has the potential to transform the way people move around the world. VestedWorld has invested in nearly 30 companies in East and West Africa, and we are proud to be a continued partner in Shuttlers’ journey,” added Ms Nneka Eze, General Partner at VestedWorld.

    Shuttlers also announced plans to make impacts with sustainable and progressive policies in the economy, workplace, and environment.

    “Impact is a crucial part of our mission because we are committed to building a global partner network, creating jobs, reducing carbon footprint, creating safer experiences for women, and building communities. We believe that shared mobility can positively transform society, and we are committed to driving that change.”