Startups

News updates on startups in Africa. Send tips to info@techtrendske.co.ke.

8 hours ago

Kenya-based Kua Ventures invests over $1 Million in local SMEs

Kua Ventures, an impact investment firm based in Kenya has invested more than $1 million (Ksh. 145 million) in SMEs…

14 hours ago

Lipa Later closes $5M debt raise, targets to raise an additional $20M

Kenyan fintech Lipa Later on Wednesday announced a successful closure of a $5M (KES 500 million) privately placed Debt issuance. …

17 hours ago

Kenyan logistics startup Sendy confirms insolvency and goes into administration

Kenyan logistics startup Sendy has gone into administration and appointed Peter Kahi of PKF Consulting Limited to oversee its operations.…

1 day ago

Five African health-tech startups among 30 selected for Google for Startups AI Program

The Google for Startups Growth Academy: AI for Health has unveiled the thirty startups from around the world selected for…

2 days ago

IFC announces a $3.4 million investment in African e-commerce platform ANKA

IFC has announced a $3.4 million equity investment in leading African e-commerce platform ANKA. The funding will allow ANKA, an…

6 days ago

Zambia’s fintech Lupiya raises $8.25m Series A round to grow its neo banking business

Zambian neobank, Lupiya has secured $8.25 million in Series A seed funding round to scale its business in its home market…

6 days ago

Here are the 12 African startups selected for Microsoft-backed FAST Accelerator AI program

Data and AI technology company Flapmax has announced the twelve startups selected for the second cohort of the FAST Accelerator…

1 week ago

Kenyan insurtech Turaco acquires Ghana’s MicroEnsure to deepen affordable insurance coverage across Africa

Turaco, the Kenyan insurtech startup offering affordable insurance to users has acquired MicroEnsure Ghana from MIC Global. Under the deal,…

1 week ago

Fintech startup Sendwave targets Kenyans in the US with new banking product

Fintech startup Sendwave has unveiled a new product that will allow users to earn interest and pay reduced fees on…

1 week ago

Five Kenyan cleantech startups selected for JICA’s Project NINJA accelerator 3rd cohort

Five Kenyan cleantech startups have been selected to take part in the 3rd cohort of Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA)…

2 weeks ago

Uganda’s agritech startup Emata raises $2.4 million seed funding

Ugandan agritech startup Emata has raised $2.4 million in seed funding comprising $800,000 in equity and $1.6 million in on-lending…

2 weeks ago

Lipa Later gears up for public fundraising in the US as it seeks to raise more funding

After raising KES 500 million ($5 million) in a privately placed debt issuance earlier this week, Lipa Later has revealed…

2 weeks ago

Catalyst Fund marks its first close to back climate tech startups in Africa

The Catalyst Fund has reached the first close of its targeted $40 million fund to invest in climate tech startups…

2 weeks ago

Jay-Z and Jack Dorsey-funded Bitcoin Non-profit ₿trust Acquires African Bitcoin Developer Training Company Qala

₿trust, a non-profit organisation which exists to decentralise the development of Bitcoin software, has announced its acquisition of Qala. Qala…

4 weeks ago

Twiga Foods suppliers yet to benefit from the Ksh.300M Hustler Fund promised by the government

Agri-tech startup Twiga Foods has revealed that its suppliers are yet to benefit from the Ksh.300 Hustler Fund promised by…

August 28, 2023

MEST Africa Opens Applications for its Startup Pitch Competition

MEST Africa has opened applications for its 2023 Challenge Startup Pitch Competition for African startups. This year, the program is…

August 23, 2023

Treepz among startups selected for 2023 VC4A Venture Showcase Africa

Treepz, the African car-sharing and rental marketplace is among the 12 startups selected to to participate in this year’s VC4A…

August 23, 2023

BREAKING: Cellulant to lay off 20% of its workforce

Cellulant, the Kenyan-based payments firm is laying off 20% of its workforce. The restructuring exercise the fintech says is expected…

August 22, 2023

Google announces AI First accelerator program for African startups

Google today announced the launch of a new accelerator program to support Artificial Intelligence (AI) startups in Africa. The “Google…

August 21, 2023

BuuPass hits 10 million tickets milestone, hosts networking event with key partners

BuuPass, the Kenyan digital bus ticketing company founded in 2016 has revealed that it has so far sold over 10…

August 16, 2023

Eric Jackson takes over as new Hisa CEO

Kenyan fintech Hisa has announced the appointment of Eric Jackson as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Jackson takes over from…

August 15, 2023

[South Africa] Gauteng Accelerator Programme 2023 applications open

The Gauteng Accelerator Programme (GAP) has opened applications for its 2023 innovation competition. The competition is seeking entrepreneurs, innovators, and…

August 14, 2023

List of 12 growth stage startups selected for 2023 VC4A Venture Showcase Africa

Leading startup platform in emerging markets VC4A has announced the 12 African startups that have been selected to participate in…

August 14, 2023

Founders Factory Africa secures $144 million to invest in more early-stage startups

South Africa-based venture builder, Founders Factory Africa has secured an additional $114 million in funding to scale its hybrid tech…

August 10, 2023

Mobility fintech Moove secures $76M equity, debt from Mubadala and BlackRock

Moove, the African mobility fintech has secured $76 million in new funding, consisting of $28m in equity from new and…

August 8, 2023

Kenyan logistics startup Sendy reportedly up for sale

Sendy, the Kenya Fulfillment and logistics startup is reportedly up for sale. Techcabal reports that the startup is currently at…

August 3, 2023

[Nigeria] Prembly acquires data sharing firm Tunnel

Prembly, which bills itself as a leading compliance and security infrastructure company in Africa has announced its acquisition of secure…

August 1, 2023

QED Investors lead $12 million investment in Nigeria’s healthtech startup Remedial Health

Across Africa, 85 percent of retail medicine purchases happen at micro-enterprises, typically neighbourhood pharmacies and) and Proprietary Patent Medicine Vendors…

July 28, 2023

Safaricom to start investing in tech startups with two new subsidiaries

Kenya’s leading telco Safaricom will soon start investing in local tech startups after its shareholders approved two new subsidiaries. The…

July 27, 2023

Copia confirms it’s laying off 350 employees

Kenyan Last-mile delivery and eCommerce platform Copia has confirmed that it’s indeed laying off 25% (around 350 members) of the…

July 26, 2023

BasiGo bringing its Electric Buses to Rwanda

BasiGo, the Kenyan-based electric bus manufacturer is expanding to Rwanda. The company, which recently partnered with the Associated Vehicle Assemblers…

July 25, 2023

Kenyan fintech Boya launches Virtual Visa cards for SMEs

Boya, the Kenyan fintech firm on Tuesday launched its virtual Visa expense card targeting local businesses. The card was launched…

July 21, 2023

Zuri Health raises an undisclosed amount for funding from Five35 Ventures

Six months after raising an undisclosed amount of funding from Moroccan VC UM6P Ventures, Kenyan health-tech startup Zuri Health has…

July 20, 2023

Visa opens applications for its Africa Fintech Accelerator Program

Payments tech company Visa has opened applications for startups to participate in the first cohort of the Visa Africa Fintech…

July 17, 2023

Applications for cohort 4 of the ASIP accelerator program open

Startupbootcamp AfriTech has opened applications for Cohort 4 of its ASIP accelerator program. Targeting early-stage startups in Africa, the ASIP Program…

July 14, 2023

Flutterwave addresses Payment Challenges for African Students in Overseas Schools with new payments product

African payments to overseas schools have been hindered by a myriad of challenges. From the high cost of transactions, limited…

July 11, 2023

World Bank awards 10 Southern African fintech startups $5,000 each

10 Southern African fintech startups have each received $5,000 (R94,020) from the World Bank to help bridge the gap in…

July 10, 2023

Fintech startup Okoora and MAX partner to deliver comprehensive currency solutions

Swiss-Israeli fintech startup Okoora has partnered with MAX, a leading Israeli credit card company to revolutionize the field of foreign…

July 7, 2023

Podcast Incubation Studio SemaBOX to launch podcast distribution platform

Podcast incubation studio SemaBOX is launching a podcast distribution platform to help podcasters on its network to reach more audiences.…

July 6, 2023

Influencer Marketing Platform Aifluence wins of the Visa Everywhere Initiative Kenya Finals

AIfluence, the Kenyan AI-driven Influencer Marketing Platform has been named the winner of the Kenya edition of the 2023 Visa…

July 6, 2023

Mobility financing startup Moove raises $8 million financing from Absa Bank

Moove, the mobility fintech startups has secured USD $8mn in financing from Absa Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB), bringing its total funding…

July 5, 2023

Seedstars new program seeks to boost financial inclusion for women migrants

Seedstars, the global startup community and investment platform a new program to support fintech companies focused on promoting financial inclusion…

July 5, 2023

CNN’s Connecting Africa explores Nairobi’s role as a technology hub

In the latest episode of Connecting Africa, CNN International’s Eleni Giokos visits Nairobi to see the role technology can play in boosting…

July 4, 2023

Here are the five startups pitching at the 2023 Visa Everywhere Initiative Kenya edition

Payments firm Visa has unveiled the five finalists shortlisted for the final round of the 2023 Visa Everywhere Initiative (VEI).…

July 4, 2023

Digital retail distributor Kyosk Digital acquires KwikBasket, expands into fresh produce market

Many farmers in Africa face numerous challenges due to fragmented and inefficient distribution chains for agricultural produce. Farmers often struggle…

July 3, 2023

MYDAWA raises $20m funding from Alta Semper Capital, acquires Uganda’s pharmacy chain Guardian Health

MYDAWA, the Kenyan health-tech startup famous for its e-pharmacy platform has received a US $20 million capital injection from private…

June 29, 2023

Power Learn Project Alumni Startup, Payd, Wins Mozilla Africa Mradi Innovation Challenge Grant

Payd has been named among the winners of the prestigious Mozilla Africa Mradi Innovation Challenge, a competition sponsored by Mozilla…

June 25, 2023

Kenyan mobility startup Stima secures 100k euro investment from develoPPP Ventures

Stima Mobility, the Kenyan startup providing green tech solutions for the moto-taxi sector (boda boda riders) has secured 100,000 euro in…

June 23, 2023

15 Women-led startups selected to join Cohort 6 of Standard Chartered’s Women in Tech program

Standard Chartered Kenya in partnership with @iBizAfrica- Strathmore University has announced the fifteen women-led startups that will be joining the…

June 23, 2023

Renewable energy firm Africa REN secures €32M for its Walo Storage project in West Africa

Africa REN, a leading renewables project developer in West Africa has received a €32M debt financing of its Walo Storage…

June 21, 2023

5 Kenyan startups among the 25 selected to receive $4M Google for Startups’ Black Founders Fund

Five Kenyan startups are among the twenty-five from across Africa that have been selected for this year’s $ 4 Google…

June 21, 2023

$50k up for grabs in the 2023 edition of the Ecobank Fintech Challenge in Africa

Ecobank Group has opened applications for the 6th edition of its Ecobank Fintech Challenge. The application is open to fintech entrepreneurs from…

June 14, 2023

Visa launches its fintech accelerator program for startups in Africa

Visa on Wednesday announced the launch of the new Africa Fintech Accelerator program for African startups. The program seeks to…

June 13, 2023

Epson Makes Additional Investment in Space Robotics Development StartUp GITAI

Seiko Epson Corporation and its subsidiary Epson X Investment Corporation recently made an additional investment in GITAI Japan Inc., a…

June 9, 2023

Nigeria health-tech Helium Health raises $30m Series-B funding

Helium Health, the Lagos-based health tech firm Helium has raised $30 million in Series-B funding The funding round was led…

June 8, 2023

Ravin brings its AI-Based Visual Vehicle Inspection Tech to South Africa

Ravin AI, an Israel and U.K.-based startup developing AI to autonomously inspect vehicles for damage has expanded to South Africa. …

June 8, 2023

Ampersand now has more than 1,000 electric motorcycles on Rwanda and Kenyan roads

Ampersand, the Kigali-based electric motorcycle startup now has more than 1,000 commercial-use electric motorcycles on the roads in Rwanda and Kenya. This…

June 6, 2023

LemFi launches its diaspora remittance services in Kenya

LemFi, the cross-border payment solution that enables the diaspora community to send and receive money back home has formally launched…

June 5, 2023

Google Africa, C. Moore Media and Allison+Partners partner for the 4th edition of Female Mentorship Program

C. Moore Media and Allison+Partners have opened applications for the fourth edition of The Future is Female Mentorship Program. The…

June 2, 2023

Regional winners of the Global Startup Awards Africa announced

Seventy-one startups from across Africa have been named regional winners at this year’s Global Startup Awards (GSA) Africa – the largest, independent startup ecosystem competition…

May 26, 2023

Youverify Officially Brings its Full Cycle Compliance Solutions to Kenya

Youverify, the regtech company building full-cycle global compliance products for businesses has officially entered the Kenyan market. The move is…

May 23, 2023

Maasai inventor named as a finalist for the Young Inventors Prize

Kenya’s Richard Turere has been named among one of three finalists for the second edition of the Young Inventors Prize.…

May 22, 2023

Nigerian Edtech Startup uLesson Gets License To Launch Online University

Nigerian ed-tech, uLesson, has secured an online university license for Miva University, its new platform for tertiary education. Founded in…

May 18, 2023

African Climate Tech Startup Amini Raises $2 million

Amini, an early-stage company focused on solving Africa’s environmental data gap through Artificial Intelligence and satellite technology, has raised $2M…

May 17, 2023

Nigerian Based Startup Figorr Raises $1.5M in Seed Funding

Nigerian-based cold-chain startup Figorr has secured $1.5 million in seed funding and has since rebranded from Grcd to Figorr. Its…

May 16, 2023

Egypt-based VC DisrupTech Raises $5 Million Investment From Proparco

Proparco, a subsidiary of the AFD Group focusing on private sector development, has announced an investment in an early-stage venture…

May 15, 2023

M-KOPA raises $250M in debt, equity to scale its asset finance platform across Africa

Asset financing platform M-Kopa has raised $250m in new funding to expand its services across Sub-Saharan Africa. The funding includes…

May 12, 2023

Nigerian Startup Slashes Paperwork for Doctors Across Africa Using AI

As a medical doctor in Nigeria, Tobi Olatunji knows the stress of practicing in Africa’s busy hospitals. As a machine-learning…

May 11, 2023

B2B E-commerce startup Wasoko to invest over $1 million in Zambia

Wasoko has revealed plans to invest over $1 million in Zambia. The B2B retail and e-commerce made this announcement even…

May 10, 2023

South African healthtech startup Guidepost unveils chatbot to help diabetic patients manage their condition

One in nine South Africans is affected by diabetes, which is also the number one killer of women and the…

May 9, 2023

Winners of the Mastercard Women SME Leaders Awards 2023 Announced

Mastercard has announced the winners of its second edition of the Women SME Leaders Awards. The award celebrates the achievements…

May 5, 2023

10 startups selected for the inaugural Qualcomm Make in Africa Mentorship program

Qualcomm has announced the 10 startups selected to participate in the inaugural Make in Africa startup mentorship program. The program…

May 2, 2023

Nigeria’s PSP Nomba raises $30 million Pre-Series B

Nigerian payment service provider Nomba has raised a $30 million Pre-Series B funding round to support the delivery of bespoke…

April 28, 2023

Kibo Africa to increase its manufacturing capacity to 50k bikes per year

Kibo Africa has revealed plans to quintuple its motorcycle production annual capacity in the next three years. The Kenyan-based manufacturer…

April 26, 2023

Payday re-launches in Rwanda, partners with Starlink to enable internet access

Pan-African payments startup PayDay has re-launched in Rwanda and announced a partnership that will enable Startlink customers to purchase their…

April 25, 2023

42Markets raises $10 million from Convergence Partners

42Markets Group, the financial and capital markets fintech investment group, has secured $10 million from Convergence Partners, to grow and…

April 24, 2023

Nigerian online training provider Blurpe launches talent linking tool

Nigerian online training company Blurpe has launched a new product dubbed Talent Pool, aimed at linking marketing specialists in Africa…

April 24, 2023

African blockchain startups raised $474 million in 2022, Crypto Valley report says

The growth of the African crypto market has been remarkable in spite of the ongoing crunch the industry is experiencing…

April 21, 2023

Nigerian counterfeit tracking startup Chekkit has raised undisclosed amount of funding

Nigerian startup Chekkit has secured an undisclosed amount of funding to help it scale its blockchain-powered drug safety and tracking…

April 21, 2023

Tunisia’s gaming platform CoaChess raises $191k to revolutionalize chess gaming using AI

The gaming industry in Africa has been experiencing commendable growth, as more developers build innovative products that are gaining popularity.…

April 20, 2023

SA agritech startup FarmTrace raises funding to scale its solutions

South African agri-tech startup FarmTrace has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Secha Capital and Hassium Capital. The company…

April 19, 2023

Copia suspends its recently established Uganda operations

A few months after opening new facilities in Uganda, Copia now says it’s suspending its operations in the country. The…

April 19, 2023

Nigeria’s Autochek Acquires Majority Stake in Egypt’s Car-Buying Platform AutoTager

Nigerian automotive technology company Autochek has acquired a majority stake in AutoTager, an Egyptian automotive technology company that makes it…

April 18, 2023

Flutterwave selects Nairobi, Kenya as its regional headquarters for East Africa

Flutterwave, the African fintech firm is setting up its regional headquarter for East Africa in Nairobi Kenya. This announcement was…

April 18, 2023

Visa Everywhere Initiative 2023 applications open in Kenya

Payments firm Visa has opened applications for the 2023 edition of the Visa Everywhere Initiative (VEI). The global open innovation…

April 13, 2023

Nigerian health-tech startup Healthlane is restructuring as it struggles to remain afloat

Nigerian health-tech startup Healthlane has announced plans to change its business model, following months of operational struggles and little business.…

April 13, 2023

Kenyan agritech Victory Farms raises $35 million Series B funding

Victory Farms, a Kenya-based aquaculture startup operating around Lake Victoria has raised $35 million in Series B round. Previously the…

April 12, 2023

Mama Fua among seven startups awarded Ksh1 million each by Mozilla

Seven startups from Uasin Gishu county have received Ksh. 1 million each from Mozilla and the Gladys Boss Foundation to…

April 10, 2023

DFC invests $25 million in Pan-African VC firm Novastar Ventures

The U.S International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has invested $25 million in a new fund by Pan-African venture capital firm…

April 10, 2023

Tanzania’s CHIL Femtech Center launches telemedicine product for students across Africa

CHIL Femtech Center, an entity under the CHIL AI Lab Group, has launched a new technology to improve health care…

April 6, 2023

This African startup hopes to make delivery of small parcels cheaper

SkyCliQ, a startup hoping to democratize the small parcel delivery segment has launched its waitlist for community-based shopping and delivery.…

April 5, 2023

[Nigeria] Mobility Startup Shuttlers Has Raised $4M for Expansion

Nigerian shared mobility startup Shuttlers has raised $4 million in a new funding round to facilitate expansion. The startup was…

April 3, 2023

Connected Summit 2023: Government reiterates its commitment to support local startups

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has reiterated the government’s commitment to promoting technology and innovation in the country by supporting…

March 30, 2023

Fintech startup PayDay raises $3 million in seed funding

PayDay, the pan-African fintech startup has raised $3 million in seed funding. The round was led by Moniepoint Inc, with…

March 29, 2023

Zuri Health Launches digital outpatient service for SMEs

Zuri Health, the Kenyan health-tech has launched a new digital outpatient service designed specifically for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).…

March 28, 2023

Nigeria’s Autochek appoints US automotive industry veteran Robert Granados to its board

Autochek, the Nigerian startup making car ownership more accessible and affordable across Africa has appointed US automotive industry leader and…

March 27, 2023

AWS opens applications for its inaugural FinTech Africa Accelerator : How to apply

Amazon Web Services’ Startup Loft Accelerator has announced the inaugural launch of its AWS FinTech Africa Accelerator. The program is…

March 27, 2023

Fintech firm NALA receives PSP license from Bank of Tanzania

NALA, the fintech firm payments company born in Tanzania has been granted a Payment Service Provider (PSP) License to operate…

March 24, 2023

African Market Intelligence Startup Rwazi Raises $4 Million Seed Funding

African market intelligence startup Rwazi has raised a $4 million seed funding round that was led by Bonfire Ventures and…

March 23, 2023

Kenyan e-commerce startup Zumi is shutting down

Zumi, a Kenyan B2B e-commerce marketplace connecting retailers of non-food products to suppliers is reportedly closing shop after failing to…

March 22, 2023

Dream VC Opens Applications for its 2023 Talent Accelerator Program in Africa

Dream VC, a Remote Venture Capital Upskilling Institute, has opened applications for its 2023 Accelerator Program for VCs in Africa. …

Want to be featured in our African startups section? Drop us an email info@techtrendske.co.ke

US Could Offer Huawei Another 90-day Export License, Reports

IFC launches program to support startups across North Africa

Orange and Gemalto Partner to provide customers with highly secure access to cloud-based applications

CredoLab, Singapore-based credit scoring startup is expanding to Sub-Saharan Africa

Price of Bitcoin dropped by 18 percent in one day – Luno explains why

South Africa Becomes the First African Market to Welcome Disney+