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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
- Morocco signed an MoU with Mistral AI to boost local AI talent, support startups, and promote ethical AI adoption nationwide.
- Djamo secured a BCEAO microfinance license to offer regulated savings up to 6% and loans up to CFA 1 million across West Africa.
- Flutterwave partnered with Clear Junction to enable faster, more secure cross-border payments from Africa to the UK and European Union.
- Luno launched tokenized US stocks in Nigeria, letting users trade over 60 equities and ETFs in naira from ₦100 with 24/5 trading.
- DeepLeaf and ProVerdy won first-place prizes at POESAM 2025 in Morocco and Tunisia, with climate, sustainability, and women-led startups recognized.
💸 Top Funding Rounds
- SunCulture raised $5 million from WaterEquity to expand solar irrigation and household water solutions across six African countries.
- Nucleon Security got $3.5 million to scale its zero-trust AI platform with agentic AI for proactive cybersecurity across Europe and Africa.
- Float raised a $2.6 million round co-led by Invenfin and SAAD to grow its fee-free card-linked installment platform in South Africa and beyond.
- Jobzyn secured a pre-seed investment from Janngo Capital to scale its AI recruitment platform across Africa, boosting transparency and youth hiring.
- PowerLabs received Catalyst Fund backing to scale its AI platform, Pai, helping businesses cut diesel use, integrate renewables, and boost resilience.
💰️ Notable Exits
- Twofold Capital acquired South Africa’s digital tax assistant TaxTim with Octoco backing to modernize the platform and expand AI-powered tax services, while co-founder Evan Robinson remains to lead product.
🏦 About Investors
- Acumen launched KawiSafi Fund II with $90 million to back clean energy transport, cooking, and carbon solutions across Africa, impacting millions.
- Accion closed its $61.6 million second fund under Accion Ventures to back up to 30 inclusive fintech startups expanding global financial access.
- 216 Capital partnered with Plug and Play to launch a six-month Tunisian accelerator funding 20 startups with $58,000 and global mentorship.
- Launch Africa Ventures appointed Natnael Asmerom in Dubai to expand Middle East partnerships and link regional capital with African startups.
- First Circle Capital appointed fintech veterans Samantha Ghiotti and Andi Dervishi to boost strategy and portfolio growth across Africa.
📋️ Curated Lists
Morocco’s travel and hospitality sector in 2025 is rapidly expanding, driven by rising international arrivals and government-backed infrastructure and event planning. Key startups include: Mouja, offering surf and coastal experiences, Nuitée, providing API hotel distribution with a $48 million Series A, StayHere, managing standardized serviced apartments, Trevo, launching a local marketplace for accommodations, Userguest, delivering hotel conversion software with a $2.4 million seed round, and Wanaut, building an experiences platform recognized in national competitions. Dive into the full article to explore how these ventures are shaping Morocco’s travel tech ecosystem and what opportunities they create for investors, operators, and travelers alike.
🚀Startup of the Week
Moniepoint
Founded in 2015 in Lagos by Tosin Eniolorunda and Felix Ike, Moniepoint started with merchant payments and has grown into a pan-African business banking platform. Headquartered in London with offices in Lagos and Wilmington, it serves over 10 million users, processing 800 million transactions worth $17 billion monthly, offering accounts, POS services, online payments, loans, and cross-border remittances. Backed by investors including Google’s Africa Investment Fund, Visa, and Development Partners International, Moniepoint continues expanding SME access to digital finance while driving financial inclusion across Africa.
💼 Investor of the Week
216 Capital Ventures
Founded in 2021 in Tunis, 216 Capital Ventures is a seed-stage venture capital firm bridging African opportunities with diaspora talent from Europe and the Middle East. Backed by a $9.6 million Fund I, it invests $100,000 to $250,000 tickets across sectors including HRTech, LegalTech, TravelTech, RetailTech, Logistics, and Energy, supporting startups like Addovate, Talenteo, Juridoc, and Arcube, while helping founders establish local entities to access African and international markets. Led by Partner and Founder Dhekra Khelifi and Principal Investment Manager Hassen Arfaoui, 216 Capital leverages operational expertise and a diaspora-driven thesis to fuel scalable innovation, drive regional integration, and shape Africa’s next generation of breakout companies.
🤑Opportunity Radar
Call for Applications: The Sustainable Aero Lab Accelerator Program
The Sustainable Aero Lab Accelerator Program invites early-stage startups across Africa to develop zero-emission aviation technologies, with applications open until September 18, 2025. Participating ventures gain free access to expert mentorship, investor networks, and ecosystem connections, plus guidance on market-ready strategies through one-to-one coaching and lab sessions. The program focuses on Sustainable Aviation Fuels, hydrogen, electrification, novel aircraft designs, and efficient air traffic and propulsion systems. Apply now to join this platform shaping the next generation of climate-neutral aviation leaders.
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