---
title: "Why WhereIsMyTransport shut down"
description: "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."
canonical_url: "https://liners.com/graveyard/whereismytransport"
markdown_url: "https://liners.com/graveyard/whereismytransport.md"
type: "graveyard"
language: "en"
image: "/graveyard/whereismytransport/certificate.png"
published_at: "2026-07-31T17:41:07.836Z"
updated_at: "2026-07-31T17:41:07.836Z"
---

# Why 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.

## Breadcrumbs

- [Graveyard](/graveyard)
- [WhereIsMyTransport](/graveyard/whereismytransport)

## Summary

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.

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.

## Product history

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Fate | ShutDown |
| Primary cause | FundingRunway |
| Stage at shutdown | Series A |
| Lifespan in days | 2830 |

## Autopsy report

## What the product 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.'

## Sources

- [Case study: What Really Happened to WhereIsMyTransport?](https://startupgraveyard.africa/blog/case-study-what-really-happened-to-whereismytransport): TechCabal
- [South African Mobility Startup WhereIsMyTransport Closes Down](https://weetracker.com/2023/10/31/south-africa-mobility-whereismytransport-closes-down/): Weetracker
- [SA's WhereIsMyTransport closes after failing to secure investment](https://disruptafrica.com/2023/10/30/sas-whereismytransport-closes-after-failing-to-secure-investment/): Disrupt Africa
- [South Africa's WhereIsMyTransport Closes After Failing to Secure Investment](https://nextbillion.net/news/south-africas-whereismytransport-closes-after-failing-to-secure-investment/): NextBillion

## Related pages

- [WhereIsMyTransport alternatives](/whereismytransport/alternatives)
- [Liners Graveyard](/graveyard)

## Access and citation

- [Canonical HTML page](https://liners.com/graveyard/whereismytransport)
- [Markdown route index](/sitemap.md)
- [Agent access guide](/llms.txt)