Cześć’,
Victoria from Techpoint here,
Here’s what I’ve got for you today:
- Spacecoin takes on Starlink with blockchain satellites in Kenya
- The startup powering AI for African businesses
- Paystack buys a bank, enters lending
Spacecoin takes on Starlink with blockchain satellites in Kenya
Yesterday, I told you that Amazon’s Project Kuiper got regulatory approval to enter Nigeria. Well, Africa’s satellite Internet space is getting even more crowded. Another challenger is stepping onto the field, this time in Kenya.
Spacecoin has secured a transmission licence from Kenya’s Communications Authority, clearing the way for it to test satellite Internet and IoT monitoring services in the country.
If you don’t know, Spacecoin is a startup trying to build a new kind of Internet using satellites instead of phone or cable companies. It uses blockchain tech to help run the network so no single company controls it. Think of it as a space-Internet startup with Web3 tech, not just another crypto coin.
The approval allows the company to roll out trials of its blockchain-based satellite network, with Spacecoin handling the space infrastructure while local partners manage ground operations and customer support. Kenya is a deliberate choice: it’s East Africa’s tech hub but still struggles with deep rural connectivity gaps.
On paper, Spacecoin is taking a very different route from Starlink. Instead of a centralised satellite network, it’s building a decentralised system powered by blockchain, where users pay via the Creditcoin network. The promise is a more open, censorship-resistant internet that doesn’t rely on a single company controlling access.
Starlink already operates in Kenya and 25 other African countries, with a massive head start that includes over 8,000 satellites in orbit and millions of users globally. That scale gives SpaceX serious advantages in speed, reliability, and pricing. For Spacecoin, Kenya is a testing ground to prove that a decentralised model can work in real-world conditions and possibly appeal to users who care about affordability and internet freedom.
Spacecoin has launched a handful of test satellites and successfully transmitted blockchain data across continents, but moving from demos to a commercial network is a huge leap. Still, with regulators opening doors — from Nigeria’s NCC approving Kuiper to Kenya licensing Spacecoin — Africa is fast becoming a battleground for the next generation of satellite Internet. Whether blockchain-powered connectivity can compete with Starlink’s brute force scale remains an open question.
The startup powering AI for African businesses
Most startups don’t know what they’re becoming at the beginning, and Cognito Systems is a textbook case. What started as Six Labs has quietly morphed into something much bigger, with ambitions that now stretch beyond crypto into artificial intelligence.
Moore Dagogo-Hart, founder and CEO of Cognito Systems, tells Techpoint Africa that the turning point came after Zap Africa — built on Six Labs’ infrastructure — scaled past 50,000 users and raised $500,000. A surge of 10,000 users in a single day in January made one thing clear: the company had outgrown its original identity. Six Labs was no longer just experimenting; it had learnt scale, systems, and what it really wanted to build.
Dagogo-Hart’s founder journey didn’t start in Lagos or Nairobi, but at Goldman Sachs. After leaving the investment bank in 2021, he knew he wanted to build in crypto but didn’t yet know how. His first startup, Solarsoft, and its product, Nebula Wallet, struggled after Apple pulled the app and the crypto market crashed in 2022. Rather than return to corporate life, he doubled down, joining forces to build Zap Africa, which eventually led to Six Labs and, later, Cognito Systems.
Today, Cognito Systems positions itself as an infrastructure company building AI and blockchain systems for businesses. The goal is simple: automate inefficient processes and give companies tools that work across teams like customer support and finance. On the blockchain side, it focuses on security and transparency; on the AI side, it’s about scale. Its standout product so far is Martha AI, an AI-powered customer support system designed to help businesses respond faster without burning out human teams.
What’s more, Dagogo-Hart’s ambition is clear: make sure Africa isn’t just a consumer of global AI tools but a builder of them. To dive deeper into how Cognito Systems is making that happen, find more in Sarah’s latest for Techpoint Africa.
Paystack buys a bank, enters lending
If you thought Paystack was done at payments, think again. The Stripe-backed fintech is making a much bigger play in Nigeria’s financial system. The fintech has acquired Ladder Microfinance Bank, formally stepping into regulated banking and lending.
The deal gives Paystack a microfinance banking licence, allowing it to hold deposits and issue loans, things it couldn’t legally do under its payments-only licence. The bank will be rebranded as Paystack Microfinance Bank (Paystack MFB) and run as a separate, regulated unit within the Paystack group.
This move lets Paystack go beyond processing money to actually managing it. According to COO Amadine Lobelle, Paystack MFB will initially focus on business lending before expanding into consumer loans and broader financial services. It also plans to offer banking-as-a-service (BaaS) tools for startups building financial products, treasury platforms, and embedded finance solutions.
For nearly a decade, Paystack has powered payments for hundreds of thousands of Nigerian businesses, but depended on partner banks to hold funds. Owning a microfinance bank gives it tighter control over cash flows, better insight into customer behaviour, and the ability to design lending products around real transaction data. That’s a big deal in a country where small businesses face an estimated ₦13 trillion credit gap.
This puts Paystack in direct competition with digital lenders and fintech banks like Carbon, Fairmoney, Moniepoint, OPay, PalmPay, and Kuda. It also mirrors a broader trend — fintechs choosing ownership over partnerships, similar to Flutterwave’s acquisition of Mono. Paystack’s earlier consumer push with Zap showed its ambitions were growing; buying an MFB confirms it’s no longer content being just the payments layer.
In case you missed it
- inDrive rolled out in-app ads in Nigeria in 2025 as it seeks new revenue streams
What I’m watching
- How reading changes the way your brain works – BBC World Service
- How to Handle Toxic People Without a Fight (4 Psychology-Based Hacks)
Opportunities
- Paystack MFB is hiring for a few roles. Apply here.
- Attend your first tech event in January! Tech Revolution Conference, a two-day event to discuss everything tech, takes place at Landmark Event Centre, Lagos on January 30 and 31, 2026. Get your tickets here.
- Don’t miss the Cavista Technologies Hackathon happening between February 21 and 22. Register your team and go home with cash prizes here.
- Kuda is recruiting a Head of Product (Credit). Apply here.
- Jumia is looking for a Senior Key Account Manager. Apply here.
- MTN is hiring a Specialist, International Remittance (Product Manager). Apply here.
- Don’t Miss the Africa Business Convention (ABC) 2026. It’s Africa’s #1 Business Conference & Investment Expo. It’s between February 3 and 4. Book your seat today here.
- Moniepoint is hiring for over 100 roles. Apply here.
- We’re hosting a debate on AI in daily life. Join us to share your insights and perspectives.
- Techpoint Africa is creating a video series where people discuss and debate policies and current events. If you enjoy thoughtful conversations, fill out this form. Apply here.
- Are you building a startup can feel isolating, but with Equity Merchants CommunityConnect? You can network with fellow founders, experts, and investors, gaining valuable insights and exclusive resources to help you grow your business. Click here to join.
- Help us make Techpoint better for you! Your feedback shapes what comes next (your responses may potentially save my job. A bit dramatic, but still). It will only take 30 seconds to tell us what works and what doesn’t. Fill it here.
- To pitch your startup or product to a live audience, check out this link.
- Have any fresh products you’d like us to start selling? Check out this link here.
- Follow Techpoint Africa’s WhatsApp channel to stay on top of the latest trends and news in the African tech space here.
Have a superb Thursday!
Victoria Fakiya for Techpoint Africa
