Mobius Motors Kenya Ltd is a vehicle re-assembler founded in 2010. The company was incorporated in the United Kingdom in 2010 and registered in Kenya in 2011. As of 2018, the company was in the process of building an in country manufacturing plant.
The company manufactures SUVs (sport utility vehicles) that can handle the rough roads and rugged terrain found in many parts of the regional infrastructure
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Name
The name comes from the Mobius strip, a special mathematical surface with a single surface and single boundary, first described by German mathematician August Ferdinand Möbius in 1858.
Key people
Joel Jackson is the founder and CEO of Mobius Motors. Prior to founding Mobius, Mr. Jackson worked on business strategy with an acclaimed micro-forestry social enterprise in rural Kenya. He also worked as a management consultant, advising top Fortune 500 companies across Europe and North America. He is the recipient of the TED fellowship and Echoing Green Fellowship and a graduate of Imperial College with a first-class degree in Computer Science.
History
2009–2011
On a visit to Kenya, Joel Jackson recognized the need for a rugged, affordable vehicle to improve transportation around the country, especially in rural areas. He formed a small team that spent ten months in research and development to produce the Mobius I, Mobius Motors’ first prototype. The Mobius I provided valuable learning, shaping Jackson’s approach to simplified design and smart use of off-the-shelf components to keep development costs low.
Initially, the company operated out of a small shed in Kilifi on the Kenyan coast. The company moved first to Mombasa and then to Nairobi where the company headquarters and showroom are located at Sameer Business Park off Mombasa Road. Before acquiring external funding in 2012, Joel Jackson bootstrapped the company’s operations.
2011–2016
The first round of funding enabled the Mobius Motors to start the design and development of its second prototype and what would eventually become its first production model. The improved model was named Mobius II and featured better design and engineering than its predecessor.
In 2014, the first production of Mobius II hit the market to a warm reception, despite concerns regarding the company’s pushing back of release dates. The Mobius II employed minimalistic design, sticking to basic functionality and lacking such basic functionalities of modern cars as power steering, door handles, GPS navigation, and glass windows.
Even then, the 50 vehicles produced by Mobius Motors in partnership with the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers had sold out by June 2016.
2016–present
After the initial production of the first 50 the Mobius II vehicles, the company discontinued its production and started to develop the next vehicle. The new Mobius II is scheduled for release in 2019 with an increased production potential of several thousand vehicles per year.
In early 2018, Mobius Motors closed its Series A equity financing and raised additional funding of Ksh 500 million from the United States Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). This investment allowed the company to set up a new factory in the industrial area of Nairobi near Mombasa Road. The new Mobius factory will be the only one in East Africa doing complete assembly of passenger vehicles with capabilities in fabrication, body shop, paint shop, general assembly, and final line testing.[4] The new Mobius II will be the first car to be produced at the new factory.
Full production will commence as soon as additional capital is raised.
The first prototype
Mobius I
Mobius I was Mobius Motors’ first prototype, a practical, no-frills vehicle composed of a tubular steel frame and off-the-shelf parts. In the founder’s words, it looked like a ‘dune buggy’. Although the Mobius I prototype was built by welders and mechanics from the Jua Kali industry (informal sector in Kenya comprising small-scale traders, craftspeople, and entrepreneurs), it proved that there was potential to build a car that could navigate both urban roads and degraded roads in rural areas.[5] It was on the basis of this prototype that the company’s subsequent Mobius II would follow.
