This episode of The Trajectory Africa features Nick Joshi, Founder and CEO of Leta, a startup that uses AI to optimize delivery routes, track shipments in real time, streamline payments, and provide businesses with shipping insights. We discussed how the first generation of logistics players paved the way for evolution in the space, how Leta optimizes trips and delivery routes at the last mile (otherwise known as the business model killer), how it plans to increase efficiency at the middle mile, and why efficiency gains compound at scale.

[00:00] - Introduction/ Leta as a logistics OS for Africa 
[03:11] - 1st and 2nd waves of African logistics, market size,
[08:47] - Leta’s value proposition and the role of AI
[14:03] - Customers, products and services
[17:04] - The first, middle and last mile in logistics/Leta’s approach to last mile
[31:36] - Leta’s business model, embedded finance, cost structure and metrics        
[45:51] - Performance metrics, moat and growth
[53:19] - First principle

Recommendations:

• Google, Speedinvest back Kenya’s Leta, which uses AI to make logistics cheaper. TechCrunch article about Leta’s seed round.

• Chasing Outliers: Why Context Matters for Early Stage Investing in Africa. A report I co-authored on VC investing in Africa. 

Connect on social media:

• Nick Joshi on LinkedIn 
• The Trajectory Africa on LinkedIn and @trajectoryafrica.bsky.social on Bluesky
• Tayo Akinyemi on LinkedIn, X, and @TayoAkinyemi.bsky.social on Bluesky