Meet Nairobi-based entrepreneur who is disrupting Africa’s transport sector with his innovative startup

Jit Bhattacharya, a Nairobi-based entrepreneur in the EV and Li-ion battery industries, is disrupting the African public transport sector with his innovative startup, BasiGo.

As the co-founder and CEO of BasiGo, Bhattacharya is leading the introduction of electric buses to revolutionize the way people travel across the continent, leveraging his extensive expertise in technology.

With a successful track record in impact investment, Bhattacharya has worked as CTO of Fenix International, bringing modern energy to low-income homes in rural Africa through Pay-As-You-Go solar home systems.

He also served as a principal with Factor[e] Ventures, a pioneering impact investment venture fund in e-mobility in Africa.

Prior to founding BasiGo, Bhattacharya was the CEO of Mission Motors in Silicon Valley, where he developed groundbreaking electric vehicle technology.

The Nairobi-based entrepreneur also held a senior management position in Apple’s Special Projects Group, contributing to some of the most innovative technology projects of our time.

The Nairobi-based entrepreneur seals financing deal with KCB Group

With an impressive background in the EV and Li-ion battery industries, Bhattacharya is now fully focused on BasiGo as he continues to make efforts toward revolutionizing the African public transport sector.

Bhattacharya is working tirelessly to provide a cost-effective electric alternative to diesel and position East Africa as a global leader in clean, affordable electric bus transit.

To achieve this goal, the Nairobi-based entrepreneur has spearheaded a strategic partnership between BasiGo and KCB Group, one of East Africa’s top financial services groups, to support the startup’s expansion plans in the Kenyan market and across East Africa.

This partnership includes a financing scheme that will allow Kenyans to access financing options for the purchase of electric public service vehicles, contributing to the goal of creating a cleaner and more sustainable future for East Africa.

Under Jit Bhattacharya, BasiGo has received $10.9 million in funding for BasiGo from investors

Since its inception in 2021, BasiGo under the leadership of Bhattacharya has received a total funding of $10.9 million from investors and venture capital firms. Its latest equity funding round of $6.6 million was co-led by Mobility54 and Novastar, and will be utilized to scale up the manufacturing of 100 electric public service vehicles by the end of next year.

In addition to production expansion, the $6.6-million investment will also fund the extension of BasiGo’s charging infrastructure network, with an initial focus on Nairobi, where most of its clients are based.

As part of the move to meet the surging demand for electric vehicles in the country and create more than 300 jobs in manufacturing, charging maintenance, and financing, BasiGo announced a new partnership with Associated Vehicle Assemblers Ltd. (AVA) to assemble over 1,000 electric buses in Mombasa, a coastal city in southeastern Kenya.

Bhattacharya’s remarkable expertise in technology and the African market has made him a leading figure in the sustainable energy and transport sectors.

With BasiGo, he is not only transforming public transport but also contributing to the greater goal of reducing carbon emissions and creating a cleaner, more sustainable future for Africa and the world.