Madica, a pre-seed investment programme focused on African startups, has added three new companies to its portfolio, committing up to $600,000 in total funding.
This latest investment spans Tanzania, Kenya, and Nigeria and is part of its effort to broaden access to early-stage capital beyond the continent’s more established startup hubs.
The selected startups are Kilimo Fresh, Hakimu, and Biovana, and each will receive up to $200,000 alongside entry into Madica’s 18-month support programme. Beyond capital, the programme will offer mentorship, executive coaching, and exposure to global investor networks, as well as immersion trips designed to connect the founders with other ecosystems.
Since its launch in 2022, the programme has focused on founders who are often excluded from venture funding, whether due to geography, sector, or limited access to investor networks.
“Each new investment brings us closer to the portfolio we set out to build, one that reflects the full breadth and diversity of African entrepreneurship. The opportunity across the continent is enormous, and we’re committed to being a crucial and consistent partner in realising it,” Emmanuel Adegboye, Head of Madica, says.
The three newly backed startups lie in sectors that are growing but still underfunded relative to fintech.
Kilimo Fresh, based in Tanzania, is an agritech platform that connects smallholder farmers to urban markets. By streamlining the supply chain, the company aims to reduce post-harvest food waste and improve farmer margins.
In Kenya, Hakimu is developing an AI-driven legal infrastructure aimed at improving access to legal services across Africa. Legal tech remains a relatively nascent segment on the continent, despite increasing interest in digitising professional services, and so the platform seeks to digitise and simplify legal processes across the continent.
Nigeria’s Biovana operates in the health data space, focusing on harmonising and certifying datasets for use in global pharmaceutical and AI research. The startup is also notable for being co-founded by two women.
Victoria Fakiya – Senior Writer
Techpoint Digest
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A new manual for fundraising
Alongside the investments, Madica has released a 75-page resource titled Zero to Funded: A Founder’s Guide to Pre-Seed Fundraising in Africa.
The guide is intended to function as a practical toolkit for founders who may not have prior experience with the venture capital world. It covers common myths in investor conversations, the trade-offs of taking venture capital, and checklists and templates for navigating a first raise.
The programme’s activities extend beyond funding and education. Madica is also organising ecosystem engagements, including an upcoming gathering of its team and portfolio companies in Morocco, timed to coincide with GITEX Africa. These kinds of convenings are increasingly important for early-stage founders seeking visibility and connections.
