Tactful AI Gets Backing From Former e& CEO Hatem Dowidar Ahead of 2027 Series A
Tactful AI, the Egyptian agentic customer-experience startup, adds former e& CEO Hatem Dowidar as an investor after 11.7x ARR growth. What the deal tells us.
Startups
Healthleap Raises $38 Million to Catch Hospital Patients Doctors Miss
Healthleap, founded by South African siblings, raised $38M from Sequoia, First Round and Hummingbird to flag hospital patients whose conditions are missed.
Milken-Motsepe Prize: 10 African Circular Economy Startups Named Semi-Finalists for $2 Million
The Milken-Motsepe Prize in Circular Economy has named 10 semi-finalists from Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Egypt and Nigeria. A $1 million grand prize is at stake.
How Five35 Ventures made 3.5 times its investment on Complete Farmer
Five35 Ventures made 3.5x and a 38% IRR selling its Complete Farmer stake in a secondary deal. Here is what the Ghanaian agritech exit says about African VC.
Cracking the Nigerian syllabus: How Ex-UNILAG students engineered an exam cheat-code
Former University of Lagos students Dare Adeola and Olamide Onigbanjo built UniBeta AI to help students navigate complex academic syllabi. By leveraging artificial intelligence to process past questions and university course materials, the edtech startup offers personalized study paths for tertiary education.
Nigeria’s financial inclusion is growing, but access to credit still lags
EFInA data reveals that formal financial inclusion in Nigeria has reached 73 per cent, with 87.2 million adults onboarded. However, formal credit access remains constrained, reaching only 12 million adults as high borrowing costs and strict underwriting requirements persist.
Why Emmanuel Obiechina ditched dedicated apps to build a bank inside your DMs
Faced with high app acquisition costs and low retention rates, founder Emmanuel Obiechina pivoted away from standalone mobile apps. By launching Kure, he built a banking service operating directly within messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Ghana Digital Services Tax: Banks Now Add 20% to Netflix, ChatGPT and Cloud Bills
Ghana's digital services tax is now collected by banks at the point of payment. What the 20% covers, why GRA says it is not new, and what it means for startups.
MNT-Halan IPO: Egypt's Fintech Starts Trading on the EGX After 43.6x Retail Demand
The MNT-Halan IPO drew orders 43.6 times the retail tranche and 11.2 times the private tranche. Shares in Egypt's fintech start trading on the EGX on 20 October.
MAX Extends Its Series B3 to $29 Million as US Climate Fintech Nithio Joins
Nithio's investment takes the MAX Series B3 round to $29 million. The Nigerian EV financing firm says it is now profitable in its largest market, Nigeria.
Onafriq Shuts Baxi Agent Banking in Nigeria After Five Years
Onafriq is winding down Baxi, its Nigerian agent banking unit, citing naira weakness, inflation and instant transfers. Agents have 30 days to move funds.
Kenyan Space Startup Satlyt Raises $8M to Run AI on Satellites
Satlyt, led by founder and CEO Rama Afullo, raised an $8M seed round led by non sibi ventures to run AI apps on satellite computers already in orbit.