Kenyan startup Leta, a B2B supply chain and logistics SaaS provider, has successfully raised $3 million in funding. Launched in 2021, Leta's primary mission is to optimize fleet management for businesses, providing an operating system for logistics that enhances efficiency and streamlines distribution processes. The startup is set to aggressively scale its operations across West Africa in 2023, building upon its existing presence in five East and Southern African markets: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The capital infusion will primarily fuel Leta’s ambitious expansion into new territories, with a strategic focus on West Africa. The company plans to launch in Ghana in December, targeting some of the region's largest distributors and e-commerce players, before extending its reach to Nigeria next year. Nick Joshi, Leta’s founder and CEO, highlighted the company's readiness for this growth, stating, "Our product has stabilized and we have a very good understanding of our sales process and our go-to-market strategy. The capital we have raised will help us to quickly scale into new markets beginning with Ghana."

Leta's innovative software acts as a comprehensive operating system for logistics, enabling distributors to identify the most efficient routes, serve customers quicker, and maximize asset utilization. The platform offers detailed tracking capabilities, monitoring drivers, specific goods carried, truck loading for space optimization, journey time, and distance traveled. This holistic approach ensures that businesses can operate with fewer vehicles while serving an expanded customer base effectively.

Since its inception, Leta has demonstrated significant impact and growth, claiming to have optimized over 500,000 deliveries, facilitated the movement of more than 20,000 tons of goods, and managed a fleet of 2,000 vehicles. The company boasts an impressive roster of clients, including prominent B2B e-commerce distribution platform Twiga, fashion marketplace ShopZetu, pan-African fast-food giant Simbisa Brands, and fast-moving consumer goods conglomerate Chandaria Industries, whose family office also participated in the recent funding round.

Darshan Chandaria, CEO of Chandaria Capital and an investor, underscored Leta's value proposition. He commented, "As a leading FMCG player in the region, we are continuously focused on optimizing our business to best service the growing demand. Leta has played a pivotal role in helping us streamline our last mile distribution, and we’re seeing meaningful savings on our logistics costs in addition to an improved service delivery time." Chandaria also expressed profound admiration for the Leta team and their technology, which prompted their investment.

Looking ahead, Leta aims to further leverage its first-mover advantage in the region by continuously refining its technology IP and expanding its product offerings. The startup is actively developing a transport marketplace, which will allow clients to request additional delivery vehicles from a network of providers when their internal fleets are insufficient. This marketplace will go beyond simple truck rentals by focusing on load utilization, enabling a single truck to handle multiple loads. Furthermore, Leta is in discussions with financial providers to introduce fintech products, specifically asset financing, to empower clients to expand their fleets in a structured and technologically-driven manner, utilizing Leta's foundational platform.