Nigerian-founded AI insurtech startup, @curacelai has raised $450k pre-seed led by Atlantica Ventures and Consonance for continental expansion and insurance inclusion in Africa.…
Startups
In nearly a decade, hundreds of entrepreneurs have emerged with innovative startups across the African continent. We provide insights on their experiences and highlight the activities of investors who fund them.
African startups can now apply for Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) 2021
For the first time, African startups can apply for the global @ExTechChallenge (XTC) competition. This is made possible by a partnership with @EchoVC and Atlantica Ventures. Here’s how to apply.…
African talent recruitment startup, TalentQL gets Techstars backing as it plans global expansion
African talent recruitment startup, @TalentQL, has entered @Techstars Toronto accelerator. From April 2021, the company will be kickstarting operations in East Africa as it plans global expansion. …
Nigeria, Egypt dominate as 10 African startups pitch on Y Combinator’s W21 Demo Day
10 African startups, predominantly from Nigeria and Egypt, featured in @ycombinator’s Winter 2021 batch demo day. This is slightly less than those selected in 2020, and it’s once more domi…
MEST portfolio startup, Vesicash offers payment security to African businesses with escrow services
Founded by three @MESTAfrica graduates, @Vesicash, a Nigerian escrow startup, launched in 2019 and backed by @IngressiveCap, offers bespoke payment security services to users across every sector…
Nigerian fintech startup, Blueloop, gets YC backing as it plans global expansion
With plans to ease cross-border payments in Africa, Nigerian fintech startup, Blueloop has entered the @ycombinator W21 batch. Having recorded impressive growth since its launch in 2020, it’s doubli…
YC-backed Termii raises $1.4m seed round to expand to North Africa
Coming a year after it graduated from @ycombinator, Nigerian CPaaS startup, @termii_network raises $1.4m seed round, co-led by @anafricanfuture and Kepple Africa Ventures, with angel investments from …
Nigerian digital bank, Kuda, secures $25m Series A, four months after raising $10m seed
Nigerian digital bank, Kuda, has raised $25m Series A led by US based VC firm, Valar Ventures. The round comes just four months after a record-breaking $10m seed round, taking its total funding to $36…
Gokada announces new CEO, Nikhil Goel
Mobility startup, @GokadaNG has been without a CEO for the past eight months following Fahim Saleh’s passing in July 2020. This changes today as ex @SafeBoda_Kenya and @zomato exec, Nikhil Goel takes …
Nigerians, other African merchants can now accept PayPal via Flutterwave partnership
Nigerians, other African merchants can now accept payments from PayPal users across the globe as @theflutterwave partners @PayPal…
Flutterwave becomes a unicorn, raises $170m at over $1 billion valuation
Flutterwave has raised $170m series C at over a billion dollar valuation. The fintech company joins the ranks of Jumia and Interswitch as Africa’s unicorns. The company reportedly eyes an IPO fo…
Nigerian cleantech startup, Havenhill, raises $4.6m
Nigerian cleantech startup, Havenhill, has raised $4.6m from Chapel Hill Denham Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund, to fund the construction of smart mini-grids.…
Egyptian startup, Koinz raises $4.8m seed round
Egyptian-founded @koinz_app, a customer engagement platform for restaurants, has secured a $4.8m seed round led by American entrepreneur, Justin Mateen and other VC firms.…
Egyptian healthtech startup, Shezlong, is offering Africans and the world on-demand mental healthcare services
Egyptian-founded healthtech startup, Shezlong, initially focused on Egypt and Arabic-speaking nations, is spreading its influence across Africa and the world to make access to mental healthcare seamle…
Report: In 2020, foreign investments dominated 71% of Nigeria’s startup funding
Techpoint Africa’s Nigerian Startup Funding Report 2020 shows that 71.2% of funds came from foreign investors, and local investment deals dwindled compared to 2018 and 2019. What changed in 2020…
Cameroonian fintech startup, Diool closes $3.5m
Cameroonian fintech startup, @dioolapp, has closed $3.5m in funding led by Lundin Group. This makes it the fourth francophone African startup to have raised over $1m in less than 6 months…
How Nigerian bus-hailing platform, Hubryde is offering premium mass commuting services to Lagos residents
Nigerian bus-hailing startup, Hubryde is helping bus owners optimise their assets while offering commuters a premium mass transit experience. Soon, corporate workers can plan their monthly commute bud…
Nigerian healthtech startup funding grew 404%, eCommerce almost hit 5900% in 2020
While investor focus deepened on cleantech across Africa, healthtech startups were second only to fintech companies in funding size and deals made in 2020. Online retail also made a huge comeback. Let…
Connected Analytics, parent company of ThankUCash, raises seven-digit pre-Series A to expand operations
Nigerian retail-tech/analytics startup, Connected Analytics, has secured a seven-digit pre-Series A funding. This follows previous investments of up to $410k from notable investors, and a year after j…
How Nigerian-founded CribMD evolved to become a telemedicine healthtech startup
With a $100k backing and $1m seed fund in the works, seven-month-old healthtech startup, CribMD is working to bridge the gap in health insurance with telemedicine after evolving from a conventional he…
