Monday, April 20, 2026Global tech, startups & capital — covered for Africans.
Investor activity across Africa picked up sharply this week, building on the previous week’s pace. Health, mobility, agri-tech, fintech, and AI startups saw significant attention, with companies from Senegal to Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt securing backing to scale operations. Strategic acquisitions reshaped markets in property and digital insurance, while new funds and initiatives were […]
By AU-Startups
Investor activity across Africa picked up sharply this week, building on the previous week’s pace. Health, mobility, agri-tech, fintech, and AI startups saw significant attention, with companies from Senegal to Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt securing backing to scale operations. Strategic acquisitions reshaped markets in property and digital insurance, while new funds and initiatives were launched to support women-led startups, urban innovation, and AI talent development. The week highlights a widening spread of capital and strategic support across sectors and regions, signalling renewed momentum for African founders and ecosystems.
Funding Round: USD 10–10.1M Series A
Investor(s): HAVAÍC, EXEO Capital, Iain Williamson, Mike Kirsten, Carlo Dickson, Zire Africa
Founder(s): Russel Luck, Christine van Breda
Founded in: South Africa (2019)
About Company
SwiftVEE operates a digital livestock trading platform for farmers, traders, and buyers across southern Africa. The platform supports auctions for cattle, sheep, goats, and wildlife while providing tools to connect buyers and sellers efficiently. SwiftVEE integrates insurance, financing, and data services to improve market access and reduce operational risks. Its marketplace extends to international buyers in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, enabling African farmers to participate in global trade. The company also offers digital solutions for agricultural inputs and farm management, helping livestock owners improve productivity and income.
What’s Next
The Series A funding will allow SwiftVEE to expand into additional African markets, deepen fintech and insuretech services, and enhance the auction platform. The company plans to grow transaction volumes, support more farmers, and increase access to credit and insurance. SwiftVEE aims to strengthen its position as the leading livestock marketplace in the region while providing digital tools that increase efficiency and transparency. The investment ensures the platform can scale operations, improve financial services for livestock traders, and enhance the sustainability of the agricultural ecosystem.
Funding Round: Not disclosed
Investor(s): Philips Foundation, Johnson & Johnson Impact Ventures, Sanofi Global Health Unit Impact Fund, MIT Solve Innovation Future
Founder(s): Amr Abodraiaa, Moaaz Hossam, Mahmoud Eldefrawy, and Bassam Khallaf
Founded in: Egypt (2017)
About Company
Rology operates an AI-assisted teleradiology platform connecting hospitals with remote radiologists across the Middle East and Africa. The system supports multiple imaging modalities and subspecialties, providing faster reporting and workflow management. Hospitals upload studies, and cases are routed to qualified radiologists based on availability and expertise. The platform reduces diagnostic backlogs, extends access to medical imaging in underserved areas, and provides quality checks to support radiologists. With over three hundred hospitals in thirteen countries and a network of roughly two hundred radiologists, Rology has delivered more than 1.3 million radiology reports to date.
What’s Next
The growth round will fund product improvements, AI workflow enhancements, and platform expansion into new hospitals. Rology plans to increase coverage in remote and under-resourced areas, improving access to timely diagnostic services. Strategic acquisitions and local operational teams in markets such as Saudi Arabia and Kenya will support regional expansion. The investment also strengthens technical infrastructure and reporting accuracy. Rology aims to reduce diagnostic gaps, improve radiology efficiency, and support hospitals with reliable AI-assisted imaging services, enabling better patient outcomes across the Middle East and Africa.
Funding Round: $3M
Investor(s): Not disclosed
Founder(s): Paulo Matos, Carlos De Matos
Founded in: South Africa (2025)
About Company
Ageiro develops AI-driven autonomous digital workforces for enterprises. Its platform converts business intent into production-ready software components, automating routine development work and reducing build times from months to days. The system integrates with enterprise infrastructure and supports governance, compliance, and human oversight. It targets organisations seeking faster software delivery and scalable, adaptive digital operations. Ageiro’s platform also enhances enterprise decision-making by embedding AI-driven intelligence into workflows, helping businesses respond quickly to evolving demands.
What’s Next
The new $3 million funding will strengthen Ageiro’s AI models, improve compliance frameworks, and expand integrations with enterprise systems. The company will grow sales operations, build enterprise partnerships, and raise awareness of autonomous development capabilities. By scaling autonomous digital workforces, Ageiro aims to help enterprises accelerate software development, reduce operational costs, and achieve faster innovation cycles. The investment positions the company to extend its technology to more markets, support complex workflows, and maintain reliable autonomous operations in regulated enterprise environments across Africa.
Funding Round: $21M Seed
Investor(s): ENZA Capital, Seedstars International Ventures, Norrsken Africa Fund
Founder(s): Kayode Adeyinka, Samuel Esiri
Founded in: Nigeria (2022)
About Company
Gigmile provides lease-to-own mobility solutions for gig and logistics workers. Its platform supplies motorcycles, tricycles, and cars with bundled insurance, maintenance, and compliance support. Gigmile enables workers to access vehicles affordably, supporting daily earnings and financial independence. Over 10,000 vehicles have been deployed, helping more than 15,000 gig workers participate in delivery, ride-hailing, and logistics services. The platform’s repayment model ensures affordability while maintaining high utilisation and consistent payments, creating sustainable access to mobility for informal workers.
What’s Next
The $21 million seed round will fund expansion into 15 additional African cities and support financing of over $100 million in mobility assets by 2027. Gigmile plans to introduce clean mobility options, including electric vehicles, and expand services to salaried workers. Strategic partnerships with vehicle manufacturers such as Yamaha, TVS, Bajaj, and Hero will secure access to durable vehicles. The funding will strengthen Gigmile’s platform, scale financial inclusion, and increase gig workers’ earnings. The startup aims to become the leading mobility-financing provider across Africa, enabling workers to own vehicles while supporting local transportation ecosystems.
Funding Round: R25M ($1.45M)
Investor(s): University Technology Fund (UTF II), Fireball Capital, University of Stellenbosch Enterprises (USE)
Founder(s): Dominic Nicholas, Ethan Hunter, and Nick Enslin
Founded in: South Africa (2019)
About Company
Immobazyme develops biologics and industrial enzymes through precision fermentation. The platform produces recombinant growth factors, peptides, and enzymes to reduce Africa’s reliance on imported pharmaceuticals. Immobazyme combines R&D capabilities with scalable production to create high-value, affordable biologics for healthcare and industrial applications. Its approach allows rapid design, optimisation, and manufacturing, positioning South Africa as a hub for biologics innovation.
What’s Next
The funding will support a new production facility and R&D expansion in Cape Town. Immobazyme aims to accelerate therapeutics programs, industrial enzyme production, and recombinant protein development. The company will grow its team, improve its infrastructure, and expand its local production capacity. By building local biologics capabilities, Immobazyme enhances access to essential medicines and industrial enzymes, strengthens Africa’s biotech ecosystem, and positions the country for greater self-reliance in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Rushbox Ltd has acquired BuyRentKenya, a leading online property platform in Kenya, marking a strategic move to strengthen its East African presence. The acquisition enhances Rushbox’s pan-African property marketplace network, building on existing operations in Zimbabwe and Mauritius.
BuyRentKenya, founded in Kenya and led by CEO Elizabeth Costabir, provides residential, commercial, and land property listings for sale and rent. Its platform serves thousands of daily active users, attracting property seekers, agents, and developers with reliable listings and user-focused tools. Competing with other local portals, BuyRentKenya has become one of Kenya’s most recognised real estate websites.
Rushbox plans to integrate BuyRentKenya’s expertise while maintaining existing services. Director Garth Drummond emphasised that the acquisition will deliver enhanced digital tools and improved user experience for the Kenyan property market. The deal also reflects Ringier One Africa Media’s shift toward talent and recruitment platforms, making real estate a secondary focus. The acquisition positions Rushbox as a leading African proptech consolidator, creating a foundation for broader regional integration.
Global insurtech firm Bolttech has acquired Nairobi-based mTek, a digital insurance platform serving B2C and B2B2C markets across Kenya. The move strengthens Bolttech’s East African presence and embedded insurance capabilities.
Founded in 2019, mTek connects customers with insurers through web, mobile, and messaging platforms. Led by CEO Bente Krogmann, the company has built a loyal user base and partnerships with over 45 insurers. Before the acquisition, mTek secured support from regional and international investors to scale operations.
Bolttech cited mTek’s local knowledge and digital infrastructure as key drivers of the acquisition. The platform will retain its leadership team, ensuring continuity for customers while benefiting from Bolttech’s global network. The deal reflects growing consolidation in Africa’s insurtech sector, with global firms seeking to combine local expertise with international scale. The acquisition is expected to improve digital insurance access and accelerate the adoption of technology-driven coverage across the region.
Dakar-based Teranga Capital has increased its financing capacity for small and medium enterprises in Senegal. Founded in 2016 by Olivier Furdelle and Omar Cissé, the fund provides equity, quasi-equity, and operational support for growth-stage SMEs.
Teranga Capital now supports larger ticket sizes, enabling businesses to access capital and strategic guidance to expand operations. Its work includes mentoring, technical assistance, and governance support, helping SMEs strengthen their market position and create jobs. The fund recently secured backing from Proparco to deploy investments in high-impact sectors such as agribusiness, energy access, and ICT.
Plans to expand geographically into The Gambia, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, and Cape Verde reflect growing confidence in the fund’s approach. By combining capital with hands-on support, Teranga Capital addresses financing gaps for West African SMEs and promotes long-term economic growth and regional integration.
Five35 Ventures, a pan-African fund focused on women-led startups, secured anchor support from the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund. The investment strengthens the fund’s capacity to back early-stage, tech-enabled businesses across East, West, and Southern Africa.
Founded in 2022 by Hema Vallabh and Fatou Touré, Five35 Ventures targets startups founded or led by women, or those serving female consumers. Beyond capital, the fund provides mentorship, advisory networks, and capacity-building programs to help founders navigate early-stage growth. Its portfolio spans fintech, health, agriculture, logistics, and climate innovation, with companies collectively generating employment and attracting follow-on investment.
The anchor investment validates the fund’s gender-focused strategy and enables deeper reach across African markets. Five35 Ventures combines strategic support with funding, demonstrating how targeted venture capital can accelerate the growth of high-impact women-led startups.
Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) has completed the first close of I&P Afrique Entrepreneurs 3 (IPAE 3), a fund targeting high-growth SMEs across West Africa and Madagascar. The fund aims to support businesses with both capital and operational guidance.
IPAE 3 will invest in companies across sectors, including education, healthcare, energy, agriculture, financial services, and logistics. The fund emphasises gender inclusion and environmental responsibility, with plans to support women-led companies and implement operational sustainability practices. Key development finance institutions contributed to the first close, providing the fund with resources to strengthen African SMEs and foster regional growth.
The fund builds on the success of previous I&P vehicles, which invested across fragile and least-developed African markets. By combining strategic guidance with investment capital, IPAE 3 addresses the “missing middle” of Africa’s SME ecosystem, promoting sustainable business development and long-term economic impact.
The 2025 Africa Investment Forum in Rabat, Morocco, secured $15.3 billion in investment interest across 39 bankable projects. The event attracted over 2,000 delegates from government, finance, and the private sector.
Focused on energy, transport, and infrastructure, the forum presented projects including airport expansions, railway corridors, and energy grid upgrades. A new institutional framework, AIF 2.0, aims to streamline investment execution and improve governance. Investors gained early visibility into projects ready for financing, while governments secured international partnerships to advance development. The forum reinforces Africa’s ability to attract large-scale capital and positions the continent as a key investment destination.
Google.org announced a ₦3 billion initiative to advance AI skills and digital safety in Nigeria. The fund supports universities, youth programs, and organisations specialising in education and cybersecurity.
The initiative partners with institutions such as FATE Foundation, AIMS, Junior Achievement Africa, ATF, and CyberSafe Foundation to embed AI curricula, run innovation challenges, and teach online safety. Google estimates that developing AI skills could generate significant economic value for Nigeria. The fund ensures a sustainable talent pipeline while enhancing cybersecurity and digital resilience, preparing Nigerian institutions and youth for emerging technology opportunities.
The African Cities Innovation Fund has launched a $75,000 grant program to support collaborative urban projects across Africa. The fund prioritises partnerships between startups, civic organisations, and local governments, focusing on climate-resilient infrastructure, urban mobility, digital access, and community wellbeing.
Initially targeting Nairobi, Accra, and Abuja, the program emphasises collaboration over solo ventures, offering funding, coaching, and guidance on partnership management. Projects must demonstrate scalability and alignment with urban development priorities. By fostering multi-organisation collaboration, the fund supports sustainable, replicable solutions for rapidly growing African cities and promotes long-term adoption by local communities and government bodies.
