2026 Mata 20, Kuwa mbereIkoranabuhanga, ibigo bishya n'imari ku rwego mpuzamahanga — ku Banyafurika.
Across property, mobility, AI, and consumer platforms, a broader mix of activity is taking shape. Yakeey and Enakl point to growing confidence in Moroccan platforms built for local scale, while Aya Data and Glamera reflect continued appetite for infrastructure and regional consolidation. The week blends growth capital, operational expansion, and strategic acquisitions, showcasing a market […]
By AU-Startups
Across property, mobility, AI, and consumer platforms, a broader mix of activity is taking shape. Yakeey and Enakl point to growing confidence in Moroccan platforms built for local scale, while Aya Data and Glamera reflect continued appetite for infrastructure and regional consolidation. The week blends growth capital, operational expansion, and strategic acquisitions, showcasing a market that is less tentative and more deliberate in how capital and platforms are being built.
Funding Round: Series A ($15M)
Investor(s): International Finance Corporation (IFC), Beltone Venture Capital, Enza Capital, CDG Invest (212 Founders program)
Founder(s): Karim Beqqali
Founded in: Morocco (2023)
About Company
Yakeey is a proptech startup operating an end-to-end digital platform for property transactions. The platform supports property discovery, valuation, brokerage, and financing, combining online workflows with human verification through its network of trained property advisors, YakeeyPro. The company focuses on residential property buyers, sellers, and developers, aiming to improve transparency and efficiency in Morocco’s real estate market. Yakeey addresses fragmentation in property transactions and works to make pricing, documentation, and negotiation processes more consistent. Its platform integrates local market knowledge with technology to ensure trust and faster transactions in an industry where inefficiencies are common.
What’s Next
The $15 million Series A will fund platform enhancements, expand the advisor network across major Moroccan cities, and support regional expansion in North Africa. Yakeey will also strengthen partnerships with financial institutions to improve access to property finance.
Funding Round: Seed ($2.3M)
Investor(s): Azur Innovation Fund, Witamax, MFounders, Catalyst Fund, Digital Africa
Founder(s): Samir Bennani, Charles Pommarède
‘Founded in: Morocco (2022)
About Company
Enakl is a mobility startup building intelligent shared transport networks. Its platform offers flexible bus-sharing and commuter transport services. The company also develops software tools for real-time monitoring and network optimization. Enakl’s model sits between rigid public transport and individual ride-hailing services, providing structured, predictable routes and optimized fleet management. It targets urban commuters, corporate partners, and public authorities, addressing congestion and transport inefficiencies. Enakl combines operational expertise with software solutions to support fleet operators and enterprises in managing commuter networks more efficiently.
What’s Next
The $2.3 million seed funding will support scaling shared transport services across Morocco and launch a new Software-as-a-Service platform for fleet operators. Capital will also expand operational teams and enable testing of flexible ridepooling and fleet optimization models.
Funding Round: Growth / Expansion (EUR 5M)
Investor(s): Trine
Founder(s): Jonas Barman
Founded in: Kenya (2015)
About Company
Miale Solar Inventions Ltd is a renewable energy company delivering solar solutions to commercial and institutional clients. The company provides on-site solar installations under a zero-upfront model, offering predictable electricity costs to schools, hospitals, factories, and agricultural facilities. Miale Solar focuses on reducing energy costs while increasing access to clean power in Kenya. The company’s approach allows clients to adopt solar without large initial capital expenditure, improving reliability and affordability compared with national grid electricity.
What’s Next
The EUR 5 million funding from Trine will expand Miale Solar’s capacity to deploy solar projects and grow its portfolio of Power Purchase Agreements. The capital will strengthen operations in Nairobi and other regions, allowing the company to deliver more solar installations to businesses and institutions.
Funding Round: Seed ($900K)
Investor(s): 54 Collective, Angel Investors, Microtraction, Savannah Fund
Founder(s): Freddie Monk, Ama Larbi‑Siaw
Founded in: Ghana (2021)
About Company
Aya Data is an AI startup providing data annotation, labeling services, and AI product development. Its solutions focus on local African needs while training and employing a growing technical workforce. Aya Data delivers products such as AyaGrow, which supports precision agriculture, and AyaSpeech, a speech-to-speech solution for African languages. The company works with international and regional clients, including MIT, Nvidia, Unilever, and Seedtag, offering culturally relevant AI data services that improve reliability and speed of deployment. Aya Data also develops local talent, supporting data engineers, annotators, and AI developers to work on large-scale AI projects.
What’s Next
The $900,000 seed funding will expand Aya Data’s core AI products, grow technical teams, and scale service delivery across Africa. Capital will strengthen workforce training and recruitment while extending product adoption to additional clients.
Funding Round: Minority Equity (Amount not disclosed)
Investor(s): Teranga Capital, FONSIS, IPDEV2, Proparco guarantee
Founder(s): Moustapha Sy Ndiaye
Founded in: Senegal (2017)
About Company
MARAZ is a premium leather goods brand producing bags, shoes, luggage, and accessories. The company combines artisanal craftsmanship with modern design, targeting both local and regional customers. MARAZ also operates M‑Academy, a training initiative for leather artisans, strengthening the local creative ecosystem and ensuring consistent production quality. The brand’s business model balances heritage craftsmanship with scalable operations to meet growing demand across Senegal and West Africa.
What’s Next
Teranga Capital’s investment will enhance MARAZ’s production capabilities, professionalize operations, and support expansion into African and international markets, while also strengthening artisan training programs and operational management.
Glamera Holding has acquired Kuwait-based Bookr Group as part of a wider push to strengthen its presence across the Gulf’s beauty and wellness sector. The deal brings Bookr’s consumer booking product and service management tools into Glamera’s existing operations, extending its reach across Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. For Glamera, the acquisition marks a shift toward building a more unified regional platform that connects consumers and service providers within a single ecosystem, rather than operating as separate tools across markets.
Bookr’s leadership said the acquisition provides access to greater scale and operational depth, while allowing its team to continue serving existing users. Glamera’s management framed the deal as a step toward consolidating fragmented beauty and wellness services across the region. The company wants to be a long-term operator in the sector, focused on regional expansion rather than short-term growth cycles, as competition among lifestyle platforms across the Gulf continues to intensify.
Trove Finance has acquired Innova Securities, enabling the Nigerian investment platform to operate through its own licensed brokerage. The move allows Trove to internalise functions that were previously handled through third-party partners, giving the company greater oversight over how trades are executed and reported. Trove’s leadership described the acquisition as a structural shift aimed at strengthening trust and operational control as the platform continues to grow its retail investor base.
The company plans to operate the brokerage as part of its existing structure rather than as a standalone offering. By holding its own license, Trove is positioning itself to navigate Nigeria’s regulatory environment more directly while building products suited to long-term participation in local and international markets.
Japanese energy company WASSHA has acquired Kenyan mobility financier Zaribee, bringing motorcycle financing into its wider energy access strategy. The deal connects WASSHA’s off-grid energy operations with Zaribee’s rider financing network, creating a combined platform that supports income generation alongside access to essential services. Zaribee will continue operating locally, with its leadership remaining involved as part of the integration.
WASSHA plans to use the acquisition to strengthen its reach among informal workers who rely on mobility for daily income. By combining energy services with asset ownership pathways, the company is positioning itself around practical, everyday needs rather than standalone infrastructure.
The Private Infrastructure Development Group has completed a partial exit from its investment in InfraCredit Nigeria following the company’s public listing on a local securities exchange. The exit marks a milestone for InfraCredit’s evolution as a domestic credit support institution, while allowing PIDG to recycle capital into other infrastructure-focused opportunities. PIDG will remain involved as a strategic partner through its continued shareholding.
InfraCredit was created to help local investors participate in infrastructure development by reducing perceived risks. Since launch, it has helped attract domestic capital into sectors traditionally reliant on external funding. The exit suggests growing confidence in Nigeria’s ability to support long-term infrastructure financing through local institutions. It also demonstrates how early development backing can transition into broader market participation.
Truvalu Group has exited its investment in Kenyan agribusiness GrowPact Kitale through a sale to a European family office. GrowPact supplies vegetable and fruit seedlings to smallholder farmers and has built its reputation around consistent quality and reliable distribution. Truvalu first invested during the company’s early stages, providing both capital and operational guidance as the business expanded.
The new owner is expected to continue GrowPact’s existing operations and management approach. Truvalu described the exit as evidence that patient capital can support early agribusiness ventures through to maturity. The transaction adds to growing international interest in African agricultural businesses.
XSML Capital has completed fundraising for its latest African small business fund, reinforcing its focus on hands-on investment in locally rooted companies. The fund will back businesses operating across manufacturing, food processing, retail, and services, with an emphasis on operational improvement and steady expansion rather than rapid scaling. The firm plans to continue working closely with founders, providing strategic support alongside capital.
AfricInvest has launched a Morocco-focused growth fund aimed at supporting mid-sized companies that have moved beyond the small business stage. The fund will be managed locally and is intended to address long-standing funding gaps faced by firms seeking to professionalise operations and expand regionally. The firm said the fund reflects renewed confidence in Morocco’s private sector and its role within wider North African trade networks.
Revego Africa Energy Fund has secured new institutional backing to expand its portfolio of operational renewable energy assets in South Africa. The fund focuses on projects already delivering power, offering investors exposure to stable infrastructure rather than early development risk.
The additional capital is expected to support portfolio expansion and provide clearer exit pathways for developers. Revego’s progress suggests rising institutional interest in renewable energy platforms that prioritise operational performance and long-term asset management.
FinDev Canada has committed capital to Lendable’s fintech credit strategy aimed at supporting lenders that serve small businesses in emerging markets. The fund will provide financing to platforms focused on expanding access to credit for enterprises often overlooked by traditional banks.
The commitment aligns with broader efforts to strengthen local lending capacity while supporting inclusive business growth. Lendable is expected to deploy the capital gradually, working with partners that demonstrate responsible lending practices.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation has opened applications for its next entrepreneurship programme, continuing its long-running support for early-stage African businesses. Selected participants will receive training, mentorship, and seed support designed to help founders strengthen their operations and investment readiness.
The foundation said the programme remains focused on building sustainable businesses rather than short-term funding outcomes. Applications are open to entrepreneurs across the continent, with the next cycle expected to begin later in the year.
Qualcomm has opened applications for the next edition of its Africa-focused startup mentorship programme. The initiative is designed to support early-stage technology founders through guidance, training, and access to industry expertise, while allowing participants to retain full ownership of their companies.
Shortlisted startups will be selected through a competitive process, with mentorship scheduled to run across several months. Qualcomm said the programme aims to support practical problem-solving rather than product experimentation, suggesting growing interest in commercially grounded innovation across African markets.
