Bangladeshi bus ticketing app Jatri secures seed funding to scale operations

Bangladesh-based public transportation tracking and ticketing startup Jatri has raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding in a round backed by Superangel, Dubai-based Falcon Network, and Tahseen Consulting.

Several angels – many of whom were early investors and advisors to leading transport apps like Bolt (previously Taxify), Uber, Bird, Angkas, and Buseet – also participated in the round, according to a statement.

Photo credit: Pxhere

Founded in early 2019, Jatri provides ticketing and live tracking services for public transport buses in Dhaka through its mobile app. Its technology enables bus operators to better adhere to their schedules and optimize travel times.

The startup plans to use the new funds to significantly scale up its operations in Bangladesh’s populous metropolitan areas and fast-track product development for additional transport modalities.

Citing data from the United Nations, the company said that traffic congestion in Dhaka reduces gross domestic product by 6% a year. It also pushes the public to use private vehicles due to a lack of public transport coverage and passenger-centric services.

“Our initial target is to significantly enhance the rider experience on buses, but we are just getting started,” said Jatri co-founder and CEO Aziz Arman. “We plan to look at other transport modalities and view enhancing the public transport experience as a global challenge that Jatri’s technology is uniquely positioned to solve.”

The startup said it is currently in talks with other investors in the MENA region for its series A round. Its management team is also traveling to the UAE later this month to meet with the transportation authorities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah to discuss the deployment of its services.

In over eight months of operations, Jatri said it has acquired over 30,000 users and has helped bus operators complete more than 50,000 trips. It previously secured pre-seed funding from Adventure Capital, a VC fund established by Fahim Saleh, the co-founder of local ride-sharing app Pathao and other on-demand transport apps.