More
    Ecosystem News

    Uber and Jumia Alumni Close Moroccan Agritech YoLa Fresh After Failing to Secure Series A

    Less than three years after launch, Moroccan agritech standout YoLa Fresh has ceased operations after failing to secure Series A follow-on funding.

    The Local Airbnb Rival That Held Off the Giant: South Africa’s LekkeSlaap Bought by Banking Royalty

    17 years after starting TravelGround on a shoestring budget, UCT co-founders bow out to a high-profile investor syndicate.

    IFC Eyes $90M Equity Stake in Airtel Money as London IPO Gathers Momentum

    World Bank arm joins proposed listing of African fintech processing $245bn annually.

    How TLCOM Is Adapting to Africa’s VC Realignment

    Cyril Shonibare, Principal at TLCOM—one of Africa’s largest early-stage VC funds—sits down with Launch Base Africa to discuss the firm’s deployment strategy, and more.

    “Directly Selling Insurance to Farmers Does Not Work”: Pula CEO on Avoiding Agtech’s Deadliest Trap

    From rural Kenya to the Earthshot shortlist: Pula CEO Thomas Njeru reveals to Launch Base Africa how the profitable agtech reached 24 million farmers and why impact and profitability are not mutually exclusive.
    Analysis & Opinion

    Is African Healthtech Facing a Terminal Diagnosis?

    Funding has plunged to an eight-year low, shutdowns are mounting, and commercial VCs are nowhere to be seen. Inside the sector’s grant-dependency crisis.

    African Fintech’s Debt Shift Comes With a Catch

    Headline totals hit $1.9bn, but a surge in collateralised debt and shrinking medians reveal a market concentrating around asset-heavy giants.

    From DFS Lab to Mubadala: The Rare Repeat Alliances Funding African Tech in 2026

    An analysis of disclosed funding rounds in 2026 shows that despite the proliferation of mega-syndicates, only a handful of investors repeatedly co-invest together.

    South Africa’s Electric Car Shift Bypasses Full Battery Models as Chinese Brands Tighten Grip

    Hybrids dominate the NEV segment while Chinese manufacturers approach one-fifth of the total market.

    The East Is Settling Into African Tech, Quietly

    A Toyota-backed fund, an Abu Dhabi sovereign investor and a Hong Kong merchant bank sat at the centre of August's largest African-linked funding round. None of them was there by accident.

    Industry

    M-KOPA’s Product Margins Halve as Lending Becomes the Main Event

    The African fintech’s gross profit from device sales fell to $57.9m even as revenue rose 45%, exposing a structural shift in the economics of financing smartphones and e-bikes for the continent’s informal earners.

    Two Exits in Six Years: Dan Kleinbaum’s GTXN Acquired by Luno

    Deal gives the crypto exchange an owned settlement layer across developed–emerging market corridors - but proposed South African rules may restrict the very activity it enables.

    Cairo’s BPO Ecosystem Opens a New Front for Transatlantic Dealmaking

    While greenfield setups remain the main vehicle for corporate expansion in Egypt's tech export sector, cross-border M&A is emerging as an alternative for North American buyers seeking rapid scale.

    Is Talent Export the New Impact Thesis? Daniel Yu’s $100M Fund Makes Its First Bet

    Move signals fund's focus on labour migration as a pathway out of poverty.

    Shuttlers Launches Carpooling Service as Rivals Race for Uber’s Market Share in Nigeria

    Findings by Launch Base Africa found that fares on several ride-hailing platforms operating in Nigeria have risen sharply since Uber’s exit.

    Governance, Policy & Regulations Forum

    The Secret Antitrust Battle That Helped Sink Koko Networks

    The collapse of Kenya's largest clean-cooking company is blamed on a government refusal to authorise carbon credit sales. A court ruling in Nairobi shows that a competition inquiry into its main supply contract was running alongside that dispute.

    Free Transfers, Capped Fees: Inside the Pricing Shock Facing West Africa’s $267B Mobile Money Market

    From 2 November, all electronic-money transfers in the eight-nation WAEMU bloc must run through a single central bank platform. Transfers up to 8,000 FCFA a day are free. Above that, fees are capped at 0.8 per cent.

    Fintech Unicorn Wave Caves to Regulators as BCEAO Holds Firm on West Africa’s Payment Deadline

    The $1.7bn mobile money operator joined the PI-SPI system on deadline day alongside 175 institutions—ending closed-loop dominance across the $267bn WAEMU market.

    Tunisia’s Fintech Crackdown

    Analysts expect these hurdles to favor established institutions.

    Algeria’s Fintech Era Begins as Telecom Giant Djezzy Secures Country’s First PSP License

    The entity is a dedicated subsidiary of Optimum Telecom Algeria (Djezzy), the country’s second-largest mobile operator.

    All the Latest Articles

    Inside OPay’s New York IPO: Who Wins Big in Africa’s Landmark Fintech Exit?

    From a Chinese gaming billionaire's iron grip to a clever board seat workaround, here is what’s really hidden in OPay’s 247-page SEC filing.

    Is African Healthtech Facing a Terminal Diagnosis?

    Funding has plunged to an eight-year low, shutdowns are mounting, and commercial VCs are nowhere to be seen. Inside the sector’s grant-dependency crisis.

    African Startup Deal Tracker — Newest Deals

    Here's a closer look at the notable under-the-radar investment activity we're tracking this month...

    Moniepoint Posts First UK Profit as Group Recharges Drive Revenue to £18m

    The Nigerian fintech’s London subsidiary reported a £2.1m profit in 2025, but a £1.6m deferred tax credit did much of the work.

    Swvl Posts 123% Net Dollar Retention as Enterprise Bet Pays Off

    Dubai-based mobility group reports 59% revenue growth but remains lossmaking and cash-burning, with an August fundraising set to roughly double its share count