About |
The investment marks a significant milestone in Safara's mission to reduce traffic congestion, lower transportation costs, cut carbon emissions, and make commuting safer and more accessible for millions of people across Africa.
Reimagining Daily Mobility
Safara is a technology-driven mobility platform that connects drivers with empty seats to passengers traveling along similar routes. Through intelligent route matching, real-time trip coordination, secure payments, and trust-based verification systems, Safara enables commuters to share rides, reduce transport expenses, and maximize vehicle utilization.
At the heart of the platform is Ivia, Safara's proprietary Orb AI assistant. Ivia acts as an intelligent mobility companion, helping users plan journeys, discover ride-sharing opportunities, optimize routes, enhance safety, and personalize their commuting experience. By leveraging artificial intelligence, Ivia continuously learns commuter patterns to improve efficiency, convenience, and sustainability across the network.
Accelerating Growth
The newly secured funding will be used to:
Expand Safara's operations across key African cities
Scale the capabilities of Ivia, Safara's Orb AI platform
Enhance safety, trust, and verification features
Strengthen route optimization and predictive mobility analytics
Scale customer acquisition and strategic partnerships
Develop corporate and institutional carpooling solutions
Advance carbon impact measurement and sustainability initiatives
James Kitonga, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Safara, welcomed the investment, stating:
"Africa's cities are growing rapidly, yet millions of commuters continue to face rising transport costs, long travel times, and increasing congestion. Safara was created to unlock the unused capacity in vehicles already on our roads and turn everyday journeys into shared opportunities. Through Ivia, our AI-powered mobility companion, we are creating a smarter and more connected transportation ecosystem. This funding validates our vision and enables us to accelerate the future of sustainable mobility across Africa."
Founded by James Kitonga, Safara is building a next-generation mobility ecosystem designed to improve urban transportation while delivering measurable environmental and social impact.
The Future of Mobility
Safara's vision extends beyond traditional carpooling. The company is developing an AI-driven mobility ecosystem powered by Ivia, capable of integrating ride-sharing, public transport, carbon tracking, corporate commuting programs, and future smart-city transportation services into a single seamless experience.
As urban populations continue to grow across Africa, Safara aims to become the continent's leading intelligent mobility platform—reducing congestion, lowering emissions, and making transportation more affordable and accessible for everyone.
With US$4.3 million now secured, the company continues discussions with strategic investors to complete the remainder of its US$20 million seed round.
About Safara
Founded by James Kitonga, Safara is a mobility technology company focused on making transportation more affordable, efficient, and sustainable through AI-powered carpooling and shared mobility solutions. The platform is powered by Ivia, Safara's proprietary Orb AI assistant, which helps commuters make smarter travel decisions while reducing costs, traffic congestion, and carbon emissions. Safara is building the future of connected mobility for Africa and beyond.