Meet the Japanese Entrepreneur Powering Ethiopia’s EV Revolution
With $7 Million in Patient Capital
Yuma Sasaki imagined Africa long before his journey ever took him there. Drawn by the continent’s untapped potential in energy and technology, he envisioned a career that would place him at the heart of emerging markets, solving hard problems, building real infrastructure, and creating long-term impact. Today, that vision has materialized in Ethiopia, where Sasaki has raised $7 million from Japanese investors to build Dodai, the country’s fastest-growing electric vehicle (EV) company.
From Tokyo ambitions to Addis Ababa streets
Sasaki’s African story began thousands of miles away at the University of Tokyo. After graduating, he joined a major Japanese oil and gas company, not out of love for fossil fuels or corporate prestige, but in hopes the role would eventually take him to Africa.
“They never sent me,” Sasaki recalls. “So I quit.”
Determined to chart his own path, he left the comfort of a stable corporate career and joined PEG Africa, a solar energy company operating across West Africa. That decision took him to Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, where he gained firsthand exposure to the realities of building energy businesses in emerging markets.
Before making that leap, however, Sasaki invested in what he calls a “gap upgrade.” He enrolled at ESSEC Business School in France to sharpen his business acumen and improve his English and French. “I’m Japanese, not an engineer, and my languages weren’t native-level,” he explains. “I needed an edge to create an entry point into Africa.”
Lessons from energy, mobility, and hard markets
Working in solar gave Sasaki deep insight into both the promise and the difficulty of electrifying African communities. He saw how infrastructure gaps, policy hurdles, and financing constraints could stall even the best ideas.
He later returned to Japan, joining Uber, and went on to become a founding member and Chief Business Officer at Luup, a Japanese e-mobility startup now valued at an estimated $400–$500 million and reportedly eyeing a 2026 IPO. The experience cemented his belief that electric mobility could transform cities, if adapted to local realities.
By 2021, Africa was calling once more. Sasaki moved first to Djibouti, then to Ethiopia, and in 2022 founded Dodai.
Choosing Ethiopia over the obvious
While many entrepreneurs and investors gravitate toward Africa’s established startup hubs, Lagos, Nairobi, or Johannesburg, Sasaki deliberately chose a more challenging path. “There are markets people avoid,” he says. “Nigeria and Kenya are attractive but crowded. Ethiopia and the DRC are large, difficult, and under-served. If you succeed there, the impact is massive.”
Ethiopia is widely known as one of the continent’s toughest business environments. It is landlocked, dependent on Djibouti’s ports for imports and exports, and burdened by complex bureaucracy and regulations. Yet Sasaki sees opportunity where others see friction.
“The pace of reform is remarkable,” he notes. “In the past 18 months alone, retail, banking, and real estate have opened to foreign investors. The speed of change here is faster than almost anywhere else in Africa.”
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Building Dodai: Ethiopia’s fastest-growing EV company
Dodai focuses on electric motorcycles, a practical solution for Ethiopia’s dense urban centers and growing delivery economy. Early momentum came in 2023, when the Ethiopian Postal Service signed on as an exclusive partner, before Dodai even began public sales. It remains the company’s largest customer today.
Dodai’s motorcycles sell for $1,200 to $2,000, depending on battery size and range, and can travel up to 150 kilometers on a single charge. Unlike many competitors still using lead-acid batteries, Dodai relies on lithium-ion technology, offering better performance, durability, and lower lifetime costs.
All bikes are assembled locally in Ethiopia using imported components. In just 18 months, Dodai has sold approximately 1,500 units, quickly establishing itself as a leader in the market.
Betting big on battery swapping
While Dodai currently operates on a fixed-battery model, well suited to customers who can charge at home, the company is preparing for its next phase: battery swapping.
With this system, riders can exchange a depleted battery for a fully charged one in minutes at dedicated stations. Crucially, riders no longer own the battery, reducing the upfront cost of the motorcycle by 40–50% and making EVs far more accessible to everyday commuters.
Dodai launched a soft rollout of battery-swapping stations in August, with a full launch expected by February or March next year.
“In five years, we aim to serve 50,000 battery-swapping users in Ethiopia and expand into five or six other African countries through partnerships with local operators,” Sasaki says.
Powered by Japanese patient capital
Raising capital in Ethiopia is notoriously difficult. Many global investors remain cautious, deterred by regulatory complexity and perceived risk. Sasaki responded by turning to Japan.
“So far, we’ve raised $7 million, and we’re closing another round soon,” he says. Dodai’s backers include Nissay Capital, Inclusion Japan, and automotive parts manufacturer Musashi Seimitsu.
“Japanese investors are patient,” Sasaki explains. “They understand they don’t fully know Africa, and that humility is actually a strength.”
That patience allows Dodai to prioritize long-term value over quick exits, experiment with new models like battery swapping, and invest in local assembly, software, and systems without constant pressure for immediate returns.
A continental vision rooted in local impact
Today, Dodai still imports most of its components, but Sasaki’s ambitions go further. He plans to collaborate with local manufacturers, create jobs, and gradually build domestic production capacity.
“Our focus will be battery swapping and software,” he says, “while helping local manufacturers grow alongside us.”
Looking ahead, Sasaki sees Ethiopia as Dodai’s proving ground, a place to refine scalable electric mobility solutions before expanding across Africa with trusted local partners.
“We want to show that Africa can build sophisticated mobility infrastructure,” he says. “Battery swapping is just the beginning. Software, data analytics, and local assembly will follow.”
His advice to fellow entrepreneurs is simple but bold: be patient, embrace complexity, and look where others aren’t. In Africa’s most challenging markets lie some of its greatest opportunities, and, as Dodai’s rise shows, the potential to build companies that reshape the future of mobility.
