/Graveyard/WhereIsMyTransport

WhereIsMyTransport

Public transport mapping.

Epitaph

“Here lies WhereIsMyTransport. It mapped the formal and informal transit of fifty cities and sold the data to governments and the World Bank. It could chart a route through any city, but not to its next funding round. In late 2023 it stopped.”

Overview

Born: 2016 (Year)
Died: October 2023 (Month)
Lifespan: 8 years
Fate: Shut down
Headquarters: 🇿🇦 South Africa
Category: AI & Analytics, Travel & Mobility
Stage at death: Series A
Primary cause: Funding or runway

Death certificate

Timeline

2016Founded
Devin De Fries launches WhereIsMyTransport in South Africa to map informal and formal transit networks
2021Series A extension
Raises $14.5 million including from Naspers Foundry
May 2022Expansion milestone
Data platform covers 50 cities across four continents
October 2023Shutdown
CEO Devin De Fries announces the company has stopped operations after failing to raise a new funding round, laying off about 140 staff

Autopsy report

Why did WhereIsMyTransport shut down?

WhereIsMyTransport, a South African startup that mapped formal and informal public transport networks across emerging markets and licensed the data to governments and organizations like the World Bank, shut down in October 2023 after failing to close a new funding round, having raised roughly $27 million since its 2016 founding.

What WhereIsMyTransport attempted

Built a data platform mapping formal and informal ('paratransit') public transport networks across Africa, Latin America, Southeast Europe and Asia, licensing route and mobility data to city governments, transit operators and organizations like the World Bank to improve commuting access and safety.

What worked

Raised roughly $27 million total, including a $14.5 million Series A extension in 2021 from investors like Naspers Foundry, Google and Toyota Tsusho; by May 2022 it had mapped 50 cities across four continents and employed around 140 people.

What happened

After extending its Series A in 2021 and expanding its data-mapping coverage to 50 cities by 2022, WhereIsMyTransport was unable to secure a new financing round during Africa's 2023 funding downturn. CEO Devin De Fries announced in late October 2023 that the company had stopped operations, laying off its roughly 140-person staff, stating: 'Having failed to raise our round, we've stopped operations. Thank you to the investors who backed us along the way.'

Lessons for future builders

Selling data to governments and institutions brings long sales cycles that outlast venture runway. Match burn and headcount to the pace of real revenue, and secure funding before an expansion outstrips the money coming in.