In a city where traffic is a currency and speed is a survival skill, the standard of care for a small merchant in Lagos is a collection of phone numbers. For a business trying to move goods across a metropolis of over 15 million people, the logistics system is deeply personal, fragmented, and fragile. ShapShap, a Lagos-based delivery marketplace founded in 2017, is betting it can be something more reliable, and scalable, by connecting that merchant to a fleet of riders, tricycles, and vans through a single app [StartupList Africa].
The company’s name, drawn from Nigerian Pidgin meaning 'urgently,' speaks to the core demand it aims to meet [Trendtype, 2022]. For founder Khalil Halilu, the bet is on organizing the chaos of last-mile delivery not just for speed, but for economic inclusion. The platform serves a dual-sided market: small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and individual customers on one side, and a network of self-employed drivers on the other. ShapShap has reported completing over 30,000 deliveries, with a fleet of roughly 400 riders serving an estimated 5,000 customers across Lagos, Abuja, and Kano [CB Insights, 2022] [ShapShap.com].
The multimodal wedge
ShapShap’s primary wedge is its embrace of diverse mobility options, a practical necessity in Nigeria’s varied urban landscapes. The platform supports deliveries via roller-skates, bicycles, tricycles (keke napep), motorcycles (okada), cars, and vans [Nairametrics, 2020]. By aggregating these options, ShapShap aims to be the default logistics partner for a wide range of merchant needs. The company also offers SaaS tools for SMEs, suggesting a move beyond pure transaction fees toward deeper business integration [StartupList Africa].
Funding a platform for upskilling
Beyond matching drivers with deliveries, ShapShap incorporates a social impact layer that resonates with its impact-focused investors. The company promotes 'platform-led upskilling' for the small-scale vendors and self-employed workers on its network [transformationalupskilling.org]. This aligns with the thesis of investors like Germany’s GreenTec Capital Partners and Lagos-based V8 Capital Partners, who led seed rounds in 2021 and 2022, respectively [GBOAwards, 2021] [TechTrends Africa, 2022].
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Seed 2021 | Undisclosed |
| Seed Extension 2022 | Undisclosed |
| Total | ~$860,000 |
The competitive landscape and the execution gap
ShapShap operates in a fiercely competitive and well-funded arena. The competitive set includes MAX.ng, Gokada, Kwik, and Kobo360. ShapShap’s differentiators are its multimodal approach and its SME-focused SaaS tools. However, the company faces significant headwinds. The primary risk is one of scale and momentum. With a reported 400 riders, its network is a fraction of those operated by its key competitors. Public news coverage has been sparse since its 2022 seed extension, and there are no recent indications of rapid hiring or new city launches. Furthermore, founder Khalil Halilu’s appointment in 2023 as the Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) inevitably raises questions about day-to-day operational focus [Vanguard News, 2023].
The patient bet on informal trade
For the small pharmacy in Abuja or the food vendor in Kano, the current logistics workflow is a high-friction, high-trust exercise. ShapShap is attempting to productize that workflow, offering tracking, insurance, and a broader fleet on demand. The ₦250 billion (about $657 million) logistics market represents a substantial prize for whoever can reliably serve them [MAGNiTT]. ShapShap’s seven-year journey, punctuated by seed funding and a prize at GITEX Global 2022, shows a resilience that many earlier startups in the space lacked [techbuild.africa, 2022]. The next twelve months will reveal if that focus, and its fleet of 400, can find the growth lane it needs.