Madica, a structured investment program focused on pre-seed African startups, has announced new investments in three tech-enabled ventures: Kilimo Fresh, Hakimu, and Biovana, as it deepens its commitment to backing founders often excluded from traditional venture funding.
Each startup has secured up to $200,000 in funding and will participate in Madica’s 18-month program, which provides a tailored curriculum, hands-on mentorship, executive coaching, and fully funded immersion trips to leading technology ecosystems locally and internationally. Participants will also gain access to Madica’s global investor network to support their growth trajectory.
Launched in 2022, Madica was created to address structural gaps in Africa’s startup ecosystem, including limited access to capital, a shortage of investors, and insufficient mentorship. By supporting underrepresented founders and startups operating in underserved regions and sectors, the program aims to drive more equitable distribution of venture funding across the continent.
The newly backed startups span agriculture, legal technology, and health data. Tanzania-based Kilimo Fresh, co-founded by Baraka Chijenga and Justice Mangu, connects smallholder farmers to urban markets through a technology-enabled supply chain designed to reduce food waste. In Kenya, Hakimu, co-founded by Rawan Dareer, Ahmed Ahmed, and Ahmed Elbashir, is building a pan-African legal infrastructure powered by artificial intelligence. Nigeria’s Biovana, founded by Estelle Dogbo and Dr. Jumi Popoola, focuses on harmonising and certifying African health datasets for global pharmaceutical, AI, and clinical research use.
Commenting on the investments, Emmanuel Adegboye said: “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. These three startups join a growing community of founders we’re backing with the resources, relationships, and runway they need to succeed at this early stage. The opportunity across the continent is enormous, and we’re committed to being a crucial and consistent partner in realising it.”
In addition to the funding announcement, Madica has released the first edition of its fundraising guidebook series, Zero to Funded: A Founder’s Guide to Pre-Seed Fundraising in Africa. The 75-page resource is aimed at early-stage founders navigating their first fundraising round, particularly those without strong networks or prior experience. It covers common misconceptions that can hinder investor conversations, explores the trade-offs of venture capital, and provides practical templates and checklists for founders.
Madica has also appointed Tauriq Brown as a mentor. Brown, a former CEO of TooMuchWiFi with experience at Rocket Internet and Mountain Partners, will support founders with execution-focused insights to help accelerate growth.
As part of its broader efforts to strengthen its pan-African reach, Madica continues to invite applications from startups across the continent that have a minimum viable product, early traction, and full-time founding teams, but have received little or no institutional funding.
The program’s team and portfolio companies are set to convene in Morocco from April 6 to 13 for an immersion trip held alongside GITEX Africa, where founders will participate in workshops, expert-led sessions, and networking opportunities with investors and ecosystem stakeholders.
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