Yango CEO on City-First Growth: Local Needs Drive Global Expansion | 2026 – News and Statistics

Mar 7, 2026

According to a report from Gulf Business, Yango Group is pursuing a distinct growth model that focuses on individual cities rather than standardized global expansion. The company’s chief executive, Daniil Shuleyko, advocates for building services based on observed local needs, starting with foundational offerings like ride-hailing.

This approach is presented as an alternative to top-down smart city projects, which the source indicates have often faced challenges. The strategy involves introducing services that integrate into daily routines to build user reliance gradually. Over time, these accumulated services can form a layer of digital infrastructure supporting urban life.

The executive emphasizes starting from the street level rather than designing in a boardroom. He maintains direct contact with drivers to understand city dynamics, a practice stemming from his engineering background which prioritizes building strong foundations before adding layers.

Ride-hailing served as the initial service because daily mobility needs quickly build a large user base and establish trust. Subsequent services, such as delivery, emerged from user requests, leading to the digitization of everyday urban services. The company reports that more than half of new users engage with at least two services within two weeks of joining the platform.

Yango Group operates with a principle of going global by going local, treating each city as a unique market. It uses a common technological base of maps, routing, and dispatch systems, but local teams have the authority to adapt products and strategy. The company cites Abidjan as an example of a city that presented compelling demographics for entry, rather than prioritizing an entire country.

Regional results mentioned include significant growth in Colombia during 2025 and a developed ecosystem in Central Asia. In Africa, the company is a leader in several countries, with ride volume in Ethiopia growing several-fold year on year. In the MENA region, an entertainment service built on the mobility platform reportedly sees high daily user interaction rates.

Partnerships with local entities are a key tactic. In Oman, collaboration with a local taxi firm and an investment group helped expand the market. In Bogota, partnering with the city’s largest taxi company provided access to thousands of drivers and integrated new tools into existing operations.

Artificial intelligence is applied within core operations like routing and demand forecasting, with the goal of making incremental improvements to service efficiency. The company also uses AI to analyze recruitment conversations to refine its methods. However, the executive stresses that technological deployment must consider human impact, citing a past instance where driver app updates affected earnings and led to the creation of a dedicated officer role to review such changes.

The company has extended its focus to supporting local digital economies. This includes launching a venture fund to back early-stage startups in several regions and running educational initiatives to build technical skills. The executive notes that the company’s long-term progress often exceeds shorter-term expectations.

Future developments may involve advancements in maps and navigation, new mobility options, and content services through local partnerships. The company’s existing operational infrastructure is seen as crucial for scaling new technologies. Tests of autonomous taxis and robot delivery are underway in some markets.

The broader ambition is to reach one billion users within ten years, framed as an outcome of continuous daily improvement. The philosophy centers on competing with past performance and remembering the real-world impact of business decisions on people’s lives.