Transforming Trucking

With a $10.5 million pre-Series A funding round under his belt, Sherif Taher, co-founder and CEO of Egypt-based trucking technology platform Naqla, is driving digital change in the country's road freight sector.

- Khadijah Khogeer

As major construction work was underway in Egypt's sprawling New Administrative Capital in December 2015, architectural engineer Sherif Taher was given a daunting task: gather 600 trucks to deliver building material, from steel to cement, in just 48 hours. “I found it a huge hassle. I ended up collecting only 320 trucks to deliver those goods,” remembers Taher.

Taher cofounded truck technology startup Naqla, just months later in 2016 to address logistic delays and supply chain disruptions rife in Egypt's road freight sector. Egypt's trucking network is heavily fragmented, yet vital as the country accelerates the development of its infrastructure. Egypt allocated $15.6 billion to the transport sector in fiscal 2021/22. Naqla connects truck drivers to carrier companies through two apps, facilitating freight transportation from point A to point B. Since operations began in 2017, Naqla's 10,500 truck drivers have completed over 100,000 total trips across Egypt. They have delivered more than 4.6 million tons of cargo for companies ranging from consumer goods giant Proctor & Gamble to local logistics agency LATT.

On March 7, 2022, Naqla raised $10.5 million in a pre-Series A round led by Egyptian companies El Sewedy Capital Holding, Hassan Allam Holding, and the Sallam Family. The startup plans to use the funds to enter new verticals, grow its talent pool and develop its tech, focusing on strengthening its Al-powered apps to support the digitization of the country's logistic landscape. “Lack of connectivity between the shipper and the carrier is a real pain and there is no technology to modernize this market. It's a very fragmented industry,” explains Taher, Naqla's CEO.