Kenyan-Swedish company Opibus is now operating in rare air after it was named among Time Magazine's 100 most influential companies globally, a list that includes Amazon, which is owned by Jeff Bezos.
The ranking, which was released on Wednesday, March 30, noted that the company was working towards providing a cleaner mode of transport across Africa by developing a fleet of electric vehicles.
The Magazine further indicated that the company was aiming to manufacture over 3,000 vehicles before the end of the year 2022 for sale in Africa.
"It has deployed 160 prototypes and launched a successful pilot program with Uber.
"After raising Ksh862 million ($7.5 million) in a November 2021 funding round, Opibus, led by CEO Filip Gardler, is poised to scale up to mass manufacturing, with an anticipated 3,000 vehicles ready for sale on the local market by the end of the year at a price on par with that of conventional motorcycles," read the statement in part.
The company was featured in the annual list alongside Amazon, Disney, Netflix, Alphabet (behind Google) and Meta (which runs Facebook), some of the world's leading conglomerates.
Amazon has a valuation of Ksh195 trillion ($1.7 trillion) while Netflix is valued at Ksh20 trillion ($176 billion).
In January, the company launched the continent's one-of-a-kind electric bus which is expected to be rolled out across Africa later in 2022.
The design involves a powerful motor that allows the bus to have maximum torque. Lack of combustion also alleviates oil/filters/gaskets which demand regular change.
Speaking to the press at the time, Opibus chief strategy and marketing officer Albin Wilson noted that the trial of 10 buses would be rolled out in the last half of 2022.
He explained that the pilot would inform the project's financial viability before a commercial launch by the end of 2023.
“This first year, we will be testing 10 buses commercially in Nairobi to ensure that the product fits and is optimized for the usage patterns.
"Once we get this valuable feedback, we will make the required changes and get all our production partners lined up to scale the rollout as rapidly as possible,” stated Albin at the time.
The company was founded in 2017 with the aim 'to make electric transport more accessible to a broader market by making the technology more cost-efficient and simplifying deployment.'
