This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
On August 29, 2019, Kenya's MPost, a mobile post office app, announced it had reached 40,000 users and secured $100,000 in funding from Leapfrog Ventures founder Takuma Terakubo.
The funding will enable MPost to expand its services, allowing mobile phone users to convert their phones into virtual post offices and receive mail on the go.
Launched in Kenya, MPost aims to boost e-commerce in the country and across Africa by providing a convenient and affordable mobile addressing solution.
According to Terakubo, improving distribution can have a significant impact on an economy, accelerating growth and making things more convenient in people's daily lives.
With the funding, MPost plans to link the postal service with other businesses, especially those in e-commerce and platforms like Gobeba, which offer on-demand shopping and delivery services in Nairobi.
The platform promises users convenience, sending SMS notifications when mail is received at the post office and allowing users to track their parcels or deliveries across the country.
At just $3 per year, the service is affordable and aims to address inclusion of almost the entire adult population of emerging markets.
Notably, MPost emerged as the winner of the South Africa Innovation Summit in 2018, beating 25 finalists from across Africa, and went on to represent Africa at the Startup World Cup in San Francisco in May 2019.
