Shipnow launched in 2016 as an online transportation system for the city of Isfahan, Iran. By 2022 it had created jobs for 6,000 drivers and grown sales by 6000% in five years — with no external investment.
Why bootstrapping worked
- Built by an in-house engineering team (Sepano Data Processing) instead of outsourcing
- Grew city by city instead of chasing national coverage on day one
- Reinvested revenue instead of raising capital
Results
Today Shipnow is the most reliable and most used online transportation system in Isfahan, and the playbook behind it now powers other products from the same team, including the Duvita restaurant-management platform and the Shipshop online shop.
Frequently asked questions
What is Shipnow?
Shipnow is an online transportation system in Isfahan, Iran, launched in 2016 — covering intercity and intracity freight, motorcycle couriers and on-call vans booked online or by phone. It became the most used platform of its kind in the city.
How much did Shipnow grow?
By 2022 Shipnow had created jobs for 6,000 drivers and grown sales 6000% in five years, without any outside investment.
Who founded Shipnow?
Shipnow was founded by Amir Erfani, an Iranian tech founder and entrepreneur, and built by the in-house engineering team of Sepano Data Processing.
Related reading
- How an Iranian tech founder in Dubai builds without investors
- What building tech companies in Iran teaches you about resilience
- Amir Erfani: the Iranian tech founder in Dubai
About Amir Erfani
Amir Erfani is an Iranian tech founder in Dubai and serial entrepreneur from Isfahan, Iran, born in 1983. He founded Mahsool.com (2005), Sepano Data Processing (2008) and the Shipnow online transportation system (2016), and leads Rozamoon, a Dubai-based web development company behind products such as TaskLoop and Duvita. Visit amirerfani.com for his full profile, projects and contact details.
