As we round up the second month of the year, Africa’s tech ecosystem continues to attract major investments and strategic acquisitions. This week, we saw significant funding rounds in fintech, renewable energy, and trade finance, with companies like Solar Africa, Flow48, and Mansa securing key investments to scale their operations.
On the acquisition front, Fawry is strengthening its foothold in Egypt’s digital payment and ERP space with three strategic buyouts, while Motorola Solutions made a big move in emergency response tech by acquiring RapidDeploy.
Here’s a breakdown of the latest deals in the African tech startup ecosystem.
Funding Rounds
Solar Africa
Funding Round: $98 Million
Investors: Investec and RMB
Founders: David McDonald
Founded: South Africa
About the Company
Solar Africa is a leading independent power producer (IPP) focused on providing solar energy solutions across Africa. The company specializes in offering solar-as-a-service (SaaS) and energy efficiency solutions tailored for businesses and large-scale energy consumers. Its innovative model enables organisations to reduce reliance on traditional power grids and transition to sustainable, cost-effective energy sources.
What’s Next?
The newly secured $98 million funding will drive the first phase of Solar Africa’s 1GW SunCentral solar project in South Africa. Specifically, the investment will support the development of the project’s first 144MW component, reinforcing the country’s renewable energy transition and bolstering its energy security.
Gozem
Funding Round: Series B debt and equity ($30 million)
Investors: SAS Shipping Agencies Service, Al Mada Ventures
Founders: Gregory Costamagna
Founded: 2018, Togo
About the Company:
Gozem is a multi-service company operating a super app providing mobility, e-commerce, and financial services in Francophone Africa. The company was launched initially as a ride-hailing platform, but it has since expanded to include services like delivery, microfinance, and digital payments. Through its numerous offerings, the company has positioned itself as a one-stop digital ecosystem for users across the region.
What’s Next?
With the fresh funding, Gozem aims to expand its logistics and financial service offerings, deepen its presence in existing markets, and continue its mission to digitise informal economies in West and Central Africa.
Flow48
Funding Round: Series A ($69 million)
Investors: Breega, 212, Speedinvest, Daphni, Endeavor Catalyst, Evolution Ventures, +VC
Founders: Al Rifai and Karim Khattar
Location: South Africa
About the Company:
Flow48 is a fintech company that leverages AI-powered data analytics and risk assessment to provide alternative financing solutions for SMEs across emerging markets. Through its platform, the company offers revenue-based financing and embedded finance solutions, allowing businesses to access capital without diluting ownership.
What’s Next?
The company intends to use the $69 million Series A funding to scale operations, strengthen its technology infrastructure, and expand into new markets in South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, positioning itself as a key player in the alternative financing space.
Oze
Funding Round: Undisclosed
Investors: Visa and DEG
Founders: Meghan McCormick and Dave Emnett
Founded: 2018, Ghana
About the Company:
Oze is a credit and financial solutions provider. The company operates a fintech platform designed to provide digital lending and business management solutions to African SMEs. Through its mobile and web applications, Oze helps small businesses track sales, manage expenses, and access credit based on their business performance.
What’s Next?
The investment from Visa and DEG will help Oze enhance its digital lending capabilities, expand its footprint across Africa, and integrate more financial tools to support underserved entrepreneurs.
Mansa
Funding Round: Seed ($10 million)
Investors: Tether, Faculty Group, Octerra Capital, Polymorphic Capital, Trive Digital
Founders: Mouloukou Sanoh (CEO) and Nkiru Uwaje
Founded: 2023, Nigeria
About the Company:
Mansa is a fintech company operating a blockchain-based trade finance platform designed to provide stablecoin-backed liquidity to payment companies in Africa. The company leverages real-time transaction data to provide underwriting services. It has also partnered with Bitmama to boost cross-border payments for users.
What’s Next?
With the $10M seed funding, Mansa will focus on scaling its trade finance services beyond lending into payouts, onboarding more businesses, and strengthening its blockchain infrastructure to ensure seamless and secure transactions.
Regulon
Funding Round: Undisclosed
Investors: Baobab Network
Founders: Yao Baku
Location: 2024, Ghana
About the Company:
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.
What’s Next?
The investment from Baobab Network will allow Regulon to enhance its product offerings, expand into new markets, and develop more advanced compliance automation solutions.
Acquisitions
Fawry Acquires Stakes in Three Egyptian Tech Firms
Egyptian digital payments giant Fawry has acquired stakes in three local technology firms for a combined total of $1.6 million. The acquisitions include: 51% stake in ERP solutions provider, Dirac Systems, 56.6% stake in Finance and compliance tools provider, Virtual CFO, and 51% stake in Software solutions provider, Code Zone
These acquisitions align with Fawry’s strategic goal of integrating advanced ERP, financial management, and digital payment solutions into its business platform. By doing so, the company aims to further support Egypt’s digital transformation efforts and solidify its position as a leader in the fintech space.
HAVAÍC-Backed RapidDeploy Acquired by Motorola Solutions
In a significant South African tech exit, Motorola Solutions has acquired RapidDeploy, a cloud-native emergency response platform backed by venture capital firm HAVAÍC.
RapidDeploy provides cutting-edge, cloud-based dispatch and mapping solutions for emergency response services, enabling real-time coordination and situational awareness for first responders. The acquisition will allow Motorola Solutions to enhance its portfolio of public safety technologies and expand its global market reach.
With this deal, RapidDeploy will be integrated into Motorola’s Vesta 911 and AI-powered VESTA NXT platforms to enhance its emergency response speed and efficiency. Additionally, Motorola will gain access to RapidDeploy’s extensive customer base, accelerating its mission to revolutionize emergency response systems worldwide.
Funding and Development Opportunities
Youth4Climate Call for Solutions 2025 for Youth and Youth-Led Organizations
African Development Bank ENNOVA program for African Entrepreneurs
Final Thoughts
This week saw a mix of significant funding rounds and key acquisition moves shaping the African startup ecosystem. The continued influx of capital into fintech, renewable energy, and enterprise SaaS signals strong investor confidence in Africa’s growing digital economy.
Stay tuned for more updates in the next edition!
