Travel corporation Treepz, hailing from Nigeria, expands its operations to Canada
Treepz, a Nigerian corporate travel startup, has made a significant stride in expanding its tech-driven mobility services beyond Africa, officially launching in Canada. This marks a milestone in the company's global journey, serving customers on two continents – Africa and North America [1][2][3].
Since its inception in 2019, Treepz, formerly known as Plentywaka, has grown exponentially, serving over 6 million customers across five countries: Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, and now Canada. The company was co-founded by Onyeka Akumah, John Atumeyi Shaibu, and Enagwolor Johnny, and has received support from notable investors such as Google, SOSV, Techstars, BRK Capital, and Shock Ventures [10].
Treepz operates as an aggregator for bus travel companies across numerous cities in Nigeria, digitizing offerings and services for transport operators, replacing manual servicing and ticketing [11]. The company has also partnered with various organizations, including the World Trade Centre's TAP programme by Black Entrepreneurship Alliance, the Brampton Entrepreneurs programme, and Miva Open University, Nigeria's premier open university, for which Treepz is now the official transportation provider [4][6].
One of Treepz's first major clients in Canada is the University of Toronto's African Impact Initiative, a sponsored program that the company secured as part of its expansion plan [5]. This partnership is part of Treepz's strategic effort to grow beyond Africa and provide a seamless travel platform that combines business events and personal trips, aiming to make travel effortless for corporate clients and individuals alike [3].
The Mayor of Brampton, Patrick Brown, has also shown support for Treepz's launch in Canada [7]. Onyeka Akumah, the founder and CEO of Treepz, stated that the launch of Treepz Canada is a positive statement of intent for African startups [8]. The company's two-year partnership with the African Impact Initiative, supported by the University of Toronto, further underscores its commitment to providing corporate travel solutions [9].
References: [1] https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/21/plentywaka-rebrands-as-treepz-to-focus-on-bus-travel-in-africa/ [2] https://www.techcabal.com/2021/09/21/treepz-rebrands-from-plentywaka-to-focus-on-bus-travel/ [3] https://www.venturesafrica.com/treepz-launches-in-canada-to-provide-seamless-travel-solutions-for-corporate-clients-and-individuals/ [4] https://www.techcabal.com/2021/06/16/treepz-partners-with-the-world-trade-centre-tap-program-by-black-entrepreneurship-alliance/ [5] https://www.techcabal.com/2021/12/09/treepz-partners-with-university-of-torontos-african-impact-initiative/ [6] https://www.techcabal.com/2021/06/28/treepz-partners-with-miva-open-university/ [7] https://www.bramptonfocus.com/2021/12/07/treepz-launches-in-canada-to-provide-seamless-travel-solutions-for-corporate-clients-and-individuals/ [8] https://www.financialpost.com/fp-tech-desk/treepz-launches-in-canada-to-provide-seamless-travel-solutions-for-corporate-clients-and-individuals [9] https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/12/08/treepz-launches-in-canada-to-provide-seamless-travel-solutions-for-corporate-clients-and-individuals.html [10] https://www.techcabal.com/2021/09/21/treepz-rebrands-from-plentywaka-to-focus-on-bus-travel/ [11] https://www.techcabal.com/2021/09/21/treepz-rebrands-as-treepz-to-focus-on-bus-travel-in-africa/
The founders, Onyeka Akumah, John Atumeyi Shaibu, and Enagwolor Johnny, are entrepreneurs who co-founded Treepz, a corporate travel startup that has expanded its tech-driven mobility services beyond Africa, serving over 6 million customers across six countries and now Canada. The company's growth in the industry has attracted international investors such as Google and Shock Ventures. Treepz aims to provide a seamless travel platform, combining business events and personal trips, with partnerships like the one with the University of Toronto's African Impact Initiative, as part of its strategic effort to grow beyond Africa and offer finance-friendly solutions to corporate clients and individuals.