Issue #78: Okra Solar Raises $12M in Series A Funding; Rentoza Secured $6M, Itana raised $2M

We recorded quite a number of remarkable deals across the African Startup ecosystem last week. Leading energy startup, Okra Solar raised $12 Million in a mixture of debt and equity funding, while Rentoza secured $6 Million to scale its online subscription services. In addition, Itana, Nestcoin, Kotani Pay, and Anchor all announced fundings in the range of $1.9 to $2.4 Million within the same time frame. Funding Ariika Funding round : Series A (Undisclosed) Investors : Beltone Venture Capital Founded : 2016, Egypt Founders : Khaled Attallah and Shahir Arslan Products : ariika operates a digital-led home and décor brand partnering with artisans, real estate developers and art creators to design and curate housing interior aesthetics for clients. What Next?: ariika intends to utilize the funding to finance its geographic expansion into Saudi Arabia, improve its omni-channel marketing strategy, and develop its technological infrastructure with advanced AR tools. Sehatech Funding round : ($850,000) Investors : A15 and Beltone Venture Capital Founded : 2022, Egypt Founders : Mostafa Tarek , Mohamed Elshabrawy and Omar Shawky Products : Sehatech provides tech-backed products that streamline medical insurance processes. The company’s solutions eliminate manual processes in health insurance claims, facilitating a seamless and frictionless experience for patients and healthcare service providers. What Next? : Sehatech plans to use the funding to expand its team, accelerate product development, and enhance its customer service operations across Egypt and MENA. Itana Funding round : Pre-Seed ($2 Million) Investors : Future Africa , LocalGlobe , Amplo and Pronomos Capital . Founded : 2019, Nigeria Founders: Luqman Edu , Iyin Aboyeji , and Coco Liu Products : Itana is building a virtual city in the Nigerian government-led free zones for businesses in the digital and service industry. The company currently operates an online one-stop-shop app comparable to global tech products letting international businesses conduct operations in Nigeria and access business incentives like capital repatriation and business visas without having a physical presence in Nigeria. What Next?: The startup will utilize the funding to augment its efforts to improve Nigeria’s ease-of-doing-business index, drive foreign direct investment (FDI), and catalyze employment. Nestcoin Funding round : ($1.9 Million) Investors : Hashed Emergent , Alter Global , Magic Fund , CMT Digital , 4DX Ventures , Adaverse and Base Ecosystem Fund Founded : 2021, Nigeria Founders: Yele BadeMosi , Taiwo Orilogbon Products : The startup operates a cryptocurrency investment software that enables investors to develop and invest in crypto-backed projects. Nestcoin also builds, operates and invests in crypto-native products. What Next?: Fueled by the funding, Nestcoin aims to further democratize access to economic opportunities presented by crypto and web3. It plans to use the money to shore up its finances and further its mission to provide individuals in frontier markets with equitable access to economic possibilities. Okra Solar Funding round : Series A Debt and Equity ( $12 Million) Investors : At One Ventures , FMO , Susquehanna Private Equity Investments LLLP , Autodesk Foundation , King Philanthropies , EDFI . Founded : 2016. Founders: Afnan Hannan , Damian Veling Products: Okra Solar develops IoT enabled hardware and software for last-mile energy companies serving remote off-grid communities. The company develops mesh-grid technology, comprising its proprietary Okra Pod, PV panels, battery, and inverters to serve communities. What Next?: Okra Solar intends to invest the funding to scale its mesh-grid technology and expand its reach to serve more clients and communities. Kotani Pay Funding round : Pre-Seed ($2 Million) Investors : P1 Ventures , DCG/Luno , and Flori Ventures Founded : 2020, Kenya Founders: Felix Macharia , Keith Mandela , Samuel Kariuki , Jonathan Morgan and Brian Kimotho Products: Kotani Pay operates a crypto payments platform designed to simplify cross-border remittances for Africans. The company’s platform acts as a middleware connecting blockchains to local payment networks allowing users to send money on feature phones without the internet. What Next?: Fueled by the funding, the startup intends to expand its operations into markets in Rwanda, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Tanzania, and Nigeria. Anchor Funding round : Seed ($2 .4 Million) Investors : Goat Capital , FoundersX , Rebel Fund , Y Combinator and Byld Ventures . Founded : 2021, Nigeria Founders: Segun Adeyemi , Olamide Sobowale , and Gbekeloluwa Olufotebi Products: Anchor operates a banking-as-a-service (BaaS) solution which includes APIs, dashboards, and tools designed to aid developers build banking products and systems such as virtual bank accounts, funds transfers, and issuing cards. What Next? : The startup intends to channel the funds into improving its offerings and exploring pan-African ex