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Welcome to another edition of 🔍 Startup Researcher - Africa, your essential digest delivering the latest news and premium insights on startups and venture capital across the region 🌍
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📰 Important News
- Kenya is planning to regulate all non-deposit lenders, requiring CBK licences or registration, aiming for fairness and consumer protection.
- Wave entered Cameroon’s mobile money via CBC licence, taking on MTN & Orange with low fees and $136 million for rapid growth.
- OpenWay is expanding into Francophone Africa with its Way4 payments platform, partnering with a major Moroccan bank to deliver digital services.
- Shiga Digital launched stablecoin applications for cross-border payments in Africa, backed by Tether to boost financial inclusion.
- Visa selected 22 African startups for its 12-week fintech accelerator, offering mentorship, funding, and partnership support.
💸 Top Funding Rounds
- Flood raised a $2.5 million seed round to grow its no-code SuperApp-as-a-Service, linking digital and offline retail in emerging markets.
- Suplyd closed a $2 million pre-Series A round to scale its digital procurement platform for Egypt’s $10 billion HORECA sector.
- TurnStay secured $2 million in seed funding to cut cross-border costs for African tour operators with stablecoins and direct booking tools.
- Wuilt raised $2 million to grow its free e-commerce platform across MENA, moving from subscriptions to value-added services for small businesses.
- Fusepay secured $350,000 in pre-seed funding to digitise payments for island economies with PSP services and cheque-replacement tool FuseCheq.
💰️ Notable Exits
- ViFi Labs bought OneRamp to link its FX protocol with stablecoin payment channels, targeting rapid growth in Africa and LATAM’s $540 billion market.
- SYSPRO acquired DATASCOPE to merge WMS with its ERP, creating unified solutions that boost efficiency for manufacturers and distributors globally.
🏦 About Investors
- F6 Group launched to unite Flat6Labs and F6 Ventures, managing $90 million to back early-stage startups across MENA and Africa with seed capital and acceleration programs.
🚀 Startup of the Week
Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆
ORA TECHNOLOGIES
Founded in 2023 in Casablanca by former BNP Paribas, HSBC, and Evooq executive Omar Alami, ORA Technologies operates Kooul, a culturally tailored food delivery app, and ORA Cash, a low-cost mobile payment service. Kooul partners with major chains and local eateries, while ORA Cash enables unlimited instant transfers for just 2 Dh/month via 5,000+ partner agencies. Backed by Azur Innovation Fund and Witamax, ORA has raised over $11.9 million, including Morocco’s largest locally-led $7.5 million Series A in 2025. With its dual-platform model, ORA is redefining digital access and everyday convenience for Moroccans nationwide.
💼 Investor of the Week
Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆
Renew Capital
Founded in 2007 in Addis Ababa by Laura and Matthew Davis, Renew Capital is a Pan-African early-stage investment firm backing over 50 startups across 13 countries. Its three-pillar model—local entrepreneur support, ecosystem building, and global capital connectivity—has mobilized 200+ investors and deployed $50,000–$4 million checks in fintech, clean energy, e-commerce, logistics, and media. With an average ticket size of $202,000, Renew pairs capital with hands-on mentorship and operational guidance. Backed by two funds and a decade of on-the-ground leadership, it is shaping Africa’s venture ecosystem for sustainable, inclusive growth.
🤑 Opportunity Radar
Call for Applications: QUBIC Labs Accelerator Cohort 2
Apply now for the QUBIC Labs Growth Program, a hybrid 12-week accelerator for elite early-stage startups in Blockchain, Web3, Fintech, and AI. Organized by QUBIC Labs in Greater Boston, the program blends 10 weeks of remote mentorship with a 2-week in-person finale in Quincy/Boston. Founders will access $100,000+ in program benefits, 40+ top-tier mentors from organizations like Robinhood, Coinbase, Solana, MIT, and Harvard, and investor exposure through Demo Day and an Investor Brunch. Eligible ventures should be pre-seed to Series A with an MVP and early traction, incorporated in the U.S., or willing to incorporate. Applications are open now—don’t miss this chance to scale your innovation and connect with a world-class network.
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