Ugandan brothers create digital logistics firm

With the Covid 19 pandemic causing a good amount of Panic and distress across the board, Emaasit says the have the solution to providing speedy warehousing services for essential commodities in this period like masks, food, sanitizer, essential medicines among others.

They operate on a pay as you go model and give you the flexibility of using facilities under their management starting from a few hours to days, months, and much longer. The difference they have with traditional logistics firms is they don't try locking you down into long-term contracts which may not be convenient and economically sustainable to you.

Starting Out
Together with his brother Tobias Tukei a seasoned Logistics Manager at DSV Global, Emaasit started Logistify AI in July last year and the company has been growing steadily month on month.

They have since onboarded a number of leading warehouse owners like Equator Catering Services, BAT Uganda warehouses in Jinja, Rafiki Property Services, East Africa Investment, Sarjan Property Agencies, and Creston Business park to mention but a few.

Through his experience working for DSV Global, Tukei the company's co-founder realised warehouse owners do have seasons of low or no business at all.

This is similar to the experience the two Entrepreneurs had first hand growing up in the Eastern part of Uganda where their parents who were farmers also run a side warehouse business.

"There are times during the year when the warehouses would go empty depriving the owners of would be much needed revenue pushing them to focus on farming which was a more laborious activity."

The key products taking up large spaces in the warehouses during this Covid 19 lockdown period include food, sanitizer, and soap which are critical for survival in this lockdown.

Going forward however the scope of products will be expanded to include all fast-moving consumer goods, light, and heavy commodities including timber among other things.

Logistify AI already has some international clients on board especially in the Fast Moving Consumer goods sector key among them being Aqua Fish and Son Fish both makers of fish feeds based in Egypt.

Growth Trajectory
Month on month figures from the company show a 33% increase in bookings, a 120% increase in users and a 167% growth in listings. Daniel Emaasit the company's CEO believes they will break even within a year's time thanks to this rapid growth.

Challenges
Many warehouse owners don't know about the services Logistify is offering yet. Some warehouses are far-flung in remote areas and reaching out to them is still a big challenge.

Access to the internet is also still a challenge to many warehouses and their owners, especially in rural areas.
As a result, offering them our service becomes constrained because an online presence and internet connection is needed to make it easy.

Going Forward
With over 20,000 USD about 75.7 million in personal savings already invested in the business' initial set up, plans by the partners are underway to cross borders.

Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania are the next markets Emaasit and his team plan to conquer before they role out further across the continent.

Suppliers keep urging us to provide transport facilities for their products from the warehouses to the final destination. According to Emaasit they are as a result building a pick, pack and ship product to serve the customer better going forward.

The variety of storage space available will also increase in the medium term with plans to have onboard every one with a deport, vacant store, residential house, and even vacant shop as a client on the supply side.

Ultimately Emaasit and Tukei aim at creating the Amazon of the logistics world with a focus on emerging markets.

The Difference
Unlike most sites and companies in this sector that list real estate in general, Logistify AI has put its focus on the warehousing, storage and logistics sector.

Besides the listing, they are also facilitating monetary transactions as an intermediary something that makes the work of the warehouse owners and those hiring them easier.

Affordability is embedded in their service as there is no extra payment charged to customers besides a 10% shippers fee that is booked on the storage fee to ensure customers are not exploited.

The back and forth communication through email that goes into invoicing has also been cut out with customers being able to receive invoices through the Logistify app and make payments through mobile money, card payments and direct bank deposits.

Having taken on a digital approach to a large brick and mortar logistics industry, the ease of crossing borders and scaling when a business is built on a digital model may be the key that will take Logistify to greater heights.