With capital heavily concentrated in a handful of giants, Nithio’s FUEL vehicle aims to widen the financing pipeline for charging networks and fleet operators.
The move comes as African nations seek to transition from consumer-driven digital innovation to science-based, IP-intensive ventures capable of solving structural challenges in energy, healthcare, agriculture, and climate resilience.
The funding follows significant internal achievements: OmniRetail became EBITDA positive in 2023 and net profitable in 2024, a rare milestone for African B2B commerce startups.
The timing of IFC’s reform push is hardly ideal. ESG investing, once the darling of asset managers and development financiers, is facing a growing global backlash .
For startups entering South Africa’s financial or digital services space, this case is a valuable, if costly, lesson in how not to market a product — especially not to vulnerable or financially inexperienced consumers.
Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) realised a 2.2-fold return following its exit from pan-African education network Enko Education, the firm disclosed to Launch Base Africa.
With capital heavily concentrated in a handful of giants, Nithio’s FUEL vehicle aims to widen the financing pipeline for charging networks and fleet operators.
Although disputed claims represent less than 3.5% of lifetime originations, one lawsuit for every 15 active borrowers highlights the legal and administrative costs of enforcing unsecured loans in high-inflation markets.
