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.
Top stories
While many African founders cite a skills gap, Oluwatoni Campbell of Kinfolk Venture Capital argues the true issue is a trust deficit.
Ayoola Dominic started with a mission to improve camping coolers. Today, his startup, Koolboks, empowers small businesses across Africa with solar-powered refrigeration to keep products fresh.
By turning smartphones into tools for credit building and service access, M-KOPA hopes to offer Nigerians a pathway to long-term financial inclusion.
What started as a simple solution for early crypto adopters in Nigeria has evolved into a pan-African fintech service. Five years after launch, Apex Network has expanded beyond crypto-to-cash services.
Teachers spend hours planning, grading, and giving feedback. Notegrade.ai bundles it all into one AI-powered platform, helping educators save time, cut stress, and focus on students.
After making ₦50 million from a ₦400k investment as POS agents, Bello Kano and Tayo Akintoye have decided to take on Moniepoint and others with new PoS technology.
Ajua has acquired Rate My Service, a Kenyan customer experience platform, to expand its local expertise and strengthen its position as Africa’s leading CX platform.
Neibar is a platform where people give away items they no longer need — no buying, no selling, just sharing.
Chowdeck is betting on dark stores to speed up deliveries and scale across West Africa, starting with Nigeria and Ghana. But high costs and operational hurdles could test its quick-commerce ambitions.
Tielle Travel offers Nigerians an easier path to migration by financing flights, tuition, and other travel costs through loans and savings plans, making international relocation more accessible despite rising expenses.
OurPass set out to simplify online checkout but after a shaky pivot to business banking, unpaid salaries, and claims of a toxic culture, the startup now faces an uncertain future.
African tech exits are occurring, but secrecy around deal terms limits the ecosystem’s ability to benchmark success.
Takealot is extending its delivery network beyond e-commerce with Takealot Fulfilment Services, aiming to become South Africa’s go-to logistics partner for businesses.
Gamr is building a gaming empire from Nigeria, combining community, training, and IP development as it aims to scale across Africa and become the continent’s first gaming unicorn.
Many African SMEs struggle with marketing due to limited budgets and expertise. Loopify is tackling this with affordable, AI-powered tools designed to help small brands grow and compete effectively.
Admyt acquires in-mall platform SHôPING, rebrands it as Mallpass to expand from parking into digital retail engagement across South Africa.
Revolut has hired former Uber executive Amine Berrada to lead its Morocco operations as it eyes licences in the country and South Africa.
Exclusive: Founded by former Jumia executives, customers of Nigerian fintech, Lidya are struggling to withdraw funds as CEO and CTO exit the company. Employee salaries also remain unpaid.
The Zobe Ring houses a passive NFC chip that uses tokenised credentials to handle contactless payments, share contact info and unlock devices. It’s battery‑free and works with existing credit and debit cards.
Visa has opened its first African data centre in South Africa, backed by a R1bn investment to boost fintech growth, speed up transactions, and meet rising data localisation demands.