MAX.ng At 4: Here Are 4 Things You Need to Know About Nigeria’s Premiere Bike-Hailing Startup

Premier bike-hailing startup, MAX.ng, is celebrating its 4th anniversary. The platform which has a strong presence in South-West Nigeria has run a logistics service for its customers since its inception. And it recently expanded operations to included ride-hailing services. MAX Okada.

Long before the advent of Oride, Gokada and the others, this startup showed how necessary safe, affordable, and readily accessible bike hailing services are in Nigeria. As it celebrates its 4th year in operation, here are 4 things you should know about the startup.

Milestones

MAX.ng (Metro Africa Xpress) was founded in 2015 by Chinedu Azodoh and Adedayo Bamiduro. As earlier stated, it started out as a logistics startup relying on two-wheelers but has since expanded to provide full on-demand consumer transportation. The startup has then gone on to complete over 1 million rides and is one of Jumia’s largest delivery partners in West Africa.

Expansion in Africa

You must have seen those yellow branded bikes around Lagos. Yeah, MAX.ng operates in Lagos as well as three other locations in South Western Nigeria including Akure. However, because of its dream to transform the two-wheeled taxi service industry on the continent, the startup plans to expand internationally to 10 African countries, starting with Ghana and Ivory Coast before the end of 2019.

Finance

The startup recently raised $6 million from a group of top investors across the US, Europe, Asia and Africa. Novastar Ventures, Nairobi and Lagos-based VC firm, Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd, prominent motorcycle hardware maker, were among its top investors. The company also received $1 million in grants bringing its total funding till date to about $8.5 million.

Innovation

In addition to funding, the startup has also been recognised for its innovation. The startup was selected as one of BusinessDay’s Top 100 Fastest Growing SMEs in Nigeria for 2018.

Moving forward the startup plans to introduce an electric fleet of motorcycles as well as venture into other categories including 3-wheelers. Kudos to Max.ng.