According to data published by 54collective, about 1 in 5 startups fail within their first year of operation, and 50% don’t make it past five years. These sobering statistics highlight just how difficult it is for startups to survive in their formative years; Even more so in the African tech ecosystem, where volatile economies, infrastructure challenges, and limited access to capital stack the odds against founders.
Still, some startups defy the odds. Through resilience, innovation, and strategic investor backing, a few are not only surviving but thriving in this tough environment.
In this article, we’ll spotlight rising stars in the African ecosystem. These companies are showing remarkable potential to not only thrive but also significantly influence the future of African tech.
Yola Fresh
Yola Fresh is a Morocco-based supply chain and logistics tech startup revolutionising agricultural operations across Africa. The company connects producers to consumers using cutting-edge technology that streamlines the journey of farm products from field to table.
Founded in 2023 by Youssef Mamou and Larbi Alaoui Belrhiti, Yola Fresh aims to reduce the dominance of middlemen in the supply chain. Its platform tracks products from farm to retail, lowering retailer costs, minimising waste, and boosting profitability for all stakeholders.
Yola Fresh recently raised $7 million in a Pre-Series A funding round involving Algebra Ventures, E3 Capital, Janngo Capital, and FMO. It has since begun investing the capital into its expansion efforts across MENA.
FARO
FARO is a recommerce fashion startup tackling textile waste and unsustainable retail practices in Africa and beyond. Based in South Africa, FARO acquires unsold inventory from major global brands and resells the items at affordable prices.
Founded in 2024 by David Torr and Amber Penney, FARO has experienced remarkable growth, generating over $2 million in revenue in 2024, despite operating only four stores.
Its impressive growth attracted a $6 million seed round led by JP Zammitt, Presight Capital, Garage Ventures, MPGI, and Leonard Stiegeler. The startup now plans to scale operations to 1,000 stores within a decade and expand across more African markets.
Washminute
Washminute is a Moroccan cleantech startup offering eco-friendly, water-efficient car wash solutions. Recognizing the growing need for water conservation practices in Morocco and the rest of North Africa, the company operates a car-wash technology designed to help car owners clean their vehicles with the most minimal amount of water.
Founded in 2024 by Jean Baptiste Kouatche and Ishak Afrit, Washminute is expanding rapidly across Casablanca, Marrakech, and Agadir, while working to improve its technology platform and grow its customer base.
The company recently secured $600,000 in a pre-seed round from Witamax, Tamwilcom, and the Near East Foundation.
CommunityWolf
CommunityWolf is a South African startup that is improving community safety by making crime reporting more accessible. The company’s security-focused solution allows users to report incidents anonymously through popular messaging platforms like WhatsApp.
Founded by Nick Mills and Michael Houghton, CommunityWolf integrates AI technology to enhance data collection and real-time alerts.
The company recently received an undisclosed investment from Baobab Network to refine its AI capabilities, scale services, and improve public safety across African communities.
Affinity Africa
Affinity Africa is a fintech startup delivering digital-first banking for individuals and businesses in Ghana. Founded in 2023 by Tarek Mouganie, the company provides efficient finance solutions tailored for individuals and corporates in underserved communities.
Affinity Africa operates an AI-powered platform through which it offers services like savings, payments, credit, and investments.
Affinity Africa raised an impressive $8 million seed round with backing from Grazia Equity, BACKED VC, Enza Capital, Launch Africa, Renew Capital, Finca International, and Attijariwafa Ventures. The funds will support expansion and financial inclusion initiatives.
Hamilton
Egypt-based Hamilton is a blockchain startup driving crypto adoption across MENA by tokenizing real-world assets using the Bitcoin network. The company has developed a protocol that allows users to create digital certificates for physical assets and trade them securely on the blockchain.
Founded in 2024 by Mohamed El Kastawy and Ehab Zaghloul, Hamilton is gaining traction in Egypt and the broader MENA region.
It recently raised $1.7 million in pre-seed funding from Disruptech Ventures, CMS, DeSpread, Hyperithm, and Core Ventures to expand infrastructure, ensure regulatory compliance, and scale globally—particularly in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
Fincart
Fincart is an Egyptian e-commerce logistics startup founded in 2023 by Mostafa Elmasry and Nihal Ali. Its platform, fincart.io, provides integrated shipping and delivery services for small and medium-sized e-commerce businesses.
The platform addresses logistics pain points for SMEs by offering multi-courier options, last-mile delivery, and financing for delivery operations. Essentially, it streamlines logistics and shipping options for e-commerce outlets.
Fincart recently raised undisclosed pre-seed funding from Plus VC, Plug and Play, Orbit Startups, and Jedar Capital to strengthen its infrastructure and expand in the MENA region.
NjiaPay
NjiaPay is a Payment-as-a-Service (PaaS) startup helping African businesses integrate seamless, AI-powered checkout systems. The company offers a centralised merchant portal that leverages intelligent routing and AI technology to optimise payment transactions on its clients’ digital stores, enabling shoppers to enjoy frictionless transactions.
Founded in 2023, NjiaPay aims to help African businesses optimise payment processing through intelligent transaction routing and a centralized merchant portal.
In its recent $1 million pre-seed round, the company attracted funding from HAVAÍC, and founders from Anyfin, Banxware, and Maxidrive. The funds will support team expansion and platform enhancement.
Mansa
Mansa is a Nigerian fintech company focused on transforming global payments by providing real-time settlement infrastructure and efficient liquidity solutions for payment companies, particularly for cross-border transactions
Co-founded by Mouloukou Sanoh and Nkiru Uwaje in 2023, the company operates a blockchain-based trade finance platform designed to provide stablecoin-backed liquidity to payment companies in Africa. It leverages real-time transaction data to provide underwriting services. It has also partnered with Bitmama to boost cross-border payments for users.
The startup recently raised $10 million in seed funding from Tether, Faculty Group, Octerra Capital, Polymorphic Capital, and Trive Digital, which it will use to expand trade finance offerings and strengthen its blockchain infrastructure.
Regulon
Regulon is a Ghanaian RegTech startup founded in 2024 that focuses on streamlining business onboarding and automating compliance processes for fintech companies across Africa and the UK. The company addresses the challenges businesses face with lengthy and costly customer onboarding by offering an AI-powered platform that consolidates fragmented business verification data, potentially reducing costs by up to 90%.
Regulon operates a regulatory compliance and risk management platform that helps businesses automate compliance checks and consolidate business verification data. It provides AI-powered tools for compliance monitoring, reporting, and risk assessment, ensuring businesses remain compliant with industry regulations.
Founded in 2024 by Yao Baku—former CEO of Pennysmart, which was acquired by Flutterwave—Regulon was recently accepted into the Baobab Accelerator, receiving $100,000 in funding for 12.5% equity.
ORA Technologies
ORA Technologies is a Moroccan technology company founded in 2023 by Omar Alami, headquartered in Casablanca. The company aims to promote innovative e-commerce solutions to customers, vendors, and service providers in Morocco. Its flagship product is the ORA app, a superapp that integrates various digital services, including peer-to-peer transactions, e-commerce, on-demand services, chat functionality, social networking, and a digital wallet.
ORA Technologies originally started as a fintech company but has since enhanced its offering to include several other solutions.
In March 2025, the company raised $1.9 million in pre-Series A funding led by Witamax and Azur Innovation Fund, bringing total funding to $4.4 million. The funds are aimed at scaling ORA Cash and Kooul, its food delivery service.
Enza
Enza is a pan-African fintech startup founded in Egypt in 2023, specializing in providing comprehensive payment solutions tailored for the African market.
With operations in South Africa and Nigeria, Enza builds end-to-end payment infrastructure for banks and fintechs, including digital wallets, card payments, and real-time transactions.
Enza was founded by seasoned professionals, CEO Hany Fekry and co-founder Hamish Houston, both of whom boast extensive experience in the payments industry, having previously held executive positions at Network International.
In March 2025, Enza secured $6.75 million in seed funding, co-led by Algebra Ventures and Quona Capital. This investment marks Enza’s first external funding and is intended to accelerate its expansion across key African markets
Trade Shield
Trade Shield is a financial services startup that provides risk management solutions for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The company operates a SaaS platform that helps businesses navigate financial uncertainties by offering innovative trade finance solutions and insurance products
Trade Shield’s platform offers real-time insights that help businesses extend credit responsibly, boost revenue, and maintain stable debt ratios. By continuously analyzing accounts based on live internal and external data, the system forecasts payment behaviors and recommends credit limits, balancing risk with profitability.
In March 2025, Trade Shield raised ZAR15 million (~$820,000) from FNB’s Vumela Fund and Edge Growth. The funding will support local and international expansion.
Conclusion
Building a startup in Africa is no easy feat. From funding gaps to regulatory bottlenecks, it’s a daily battle for survival. But as these startups show, innovation, resilience, and the right support can turn challenges into stepping stones. These rising stars are not just surviving—they’re setting the pace for Africa’s next wave of tech disruption.
