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Mezza Launches Platform to Provide Restaurants with Upfront Capital and Drive Customer Footfall

Mezza Launches Platform to Provide Restaurants with Upfront Capital and Drive Customer Footfall

A new hospitality platform named Mezza, is officially launching into the UAE to help restaurants access upfront, debt-free capital while driving consistent customer footfall. The platform functions by integrating financial support with marketing technology while offering venues a way to secure funding and attract repeat diners. By combining financial innovation

Moniepoint Acquires 78% Stake in Sumac Microfinance Bank to Enter Kenya and Expand SME Lending

Moniepoint Acquires 78% Stake in Sumac Microfinance Bank to Enter Kenya and Expand SME Lending

A Nigerian fintech company, Moniepoint, has expanded its services by officially entering Kenya by acquiring a 78% stake in Sumac Microfinance Bank. After this deal was finalized, Moniepoint now has access to a deposit-taking licence, enabling it to expand SME lending and compete with major players like Safaricom and Equity

Zypl.ai Raises $5.5M Led by Carbide Ventures to Scale Synthetic Data Credit Scoring Across Global Markets

Zypl.ai Raises $5.5M Led by Carbide Ventures to Scale Synthetic Data Credit Scoring Across Global Markets

UAE-based credit scoring startup zypl.ai plans to expand its operations as it raises $5.5million in a bridge round led by Silicon Valley’s Carbide Ventures, alongside prominent investor Shukhrat Ibragimov. The round brings the value of the company to $80 million and will accelerate global expansion of its

IFC Partners with Cashi to Digitize Payments and Drive Financial Inclusion in Chad

IFC Partners with Cashi to Digitize Payments and Drive Financial Inclusion in Chad

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has announced its intention to partner with fintech platform Cashi in order to increase the usage of digital services in Chad. This development will provide an interoperable and low-connectivity platform in assisting individuals and SMEs access modern financial services. Cashi is a globally recognized platform

Metric Empowers UAE SMEs by Making Its Platform Free and Launching Founder Advisory Sessions

Metric Empowers UAE SMEs by Making Its Platform Free and Launching Founder Advisory Sessions

Metric is introducing a new financial management platform which will be free for all UAE businesses while also providing a new initiative of free founder advisory sessions. This shift is developed to support SMEs and startups in procuring solutions to financial challenges while empowering founders with expert guidance. Metric is

Twiva Secures Funding to Transform Africa’s Creator Economy into a Structured Digital Jobs Ecosystem

Twiva Secures Funding to Transform Africa’s Creator Economy into a Structured Digital Jobs Ecosystem

Kenyan startup Twiva is expanding its services as it secures fresh backing from the Jobtech Alliance to provide a better structured income-generating engine. This funding will help Twiva scale its platform by allowing creators to monetize their platforms more effectively while supporting brands with authentic digital commerce solutions. Jobtech Alliance

Trip.com Partners with Checkout.com to Power Seamless Global Travel Payments in Middle East and other countries

Trip.com Partners with Checkout.com to Power Seamless Global Travel Payments in Middle East and other countries

Trip.com has announced its partnership with Checkout.com in order to make payment plans simple for global travelers, while integrating local acquiring and digital payments expertise to help deliver faster, more reliable transactions throughout Saudi Arabia, Japan, the UK, and North America. This collaboration will reduce the risk that

AkiraChix Expands Into Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini to Empower Women in Tech Across Southern Africa

AkiraChix Expands Into Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini to Empower Women in Tech Across Southern Africa

Kenya’s AkiraChix is expanding into Southern Africa with its operations into Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Eswatini. This launch is part of its regional growth strategy in order to increase its access to digital skills and career opportunities for young women while focusing on Africa’s growing demand for tech talent.

Morocco’s GoSwap Secures Seed Funding to Scale Battery-Swap EV Infrastructure Nationwide

Morocco’s GoSwap Secures Seed Funding to Scale Battery-Swap EV Infrastructure Nationwide

GoSwap, a Moroccan EV startup has announced its seed funding which was acquired from Azur Innovation Fund in order to increase its battery-swap infrastructure. This seed funding will assist the creation of swap stations in major cities such as Casablanca and Marrakech in order to advance the adoption of electric

Alaan Launches ‘Alaan Sawa’, Pledging AED 3 Million to Ease Utility and Telecom Costs for UAE SMEs

Alaan Launches ‘Alaan Sawa’, Pledging AED 3 Million to Ease Utility and Telecom Costs for UAE SMEs

An AI-powered finance platform for businesses in the Middle East, Alaan is launching Alaan Sawa titled Better Together with a pledge of AED 3 million to help up to 1,000 UAE SMEs by covering utility and telecom bills. This initiative is set to provide direct financial relief as well

Sasai Fintech Partners with Circle to Embed USDC and Transform Africa’s Cross-Border Payments

Sasai Fintech Partners with Circle to Embed USDC and Transform Africa’s Cross-Border Payments

Circle and Sasai Fintech have announced a strategic partnership with Sasai’s pan-African payments to integrate into USD Coin (USDC). This collaboration is targeted at reducing transfer payments costs, speed up settlement times, and expand to digital dollars across multiple African markets. The goal of this partnership is to adopt

Startup Club ZA to Host First-Ever South African Startup Week, Showcasing Founders and Innovation in Cape Town

Startup Club ZA to Host First-Ever South African Startup Week, Showcasing Founders and Innovation in Cape Town

Startup Club ZA is set to host the inaugural South African Startup Weekup from April 15-17, 2026 in Cape Town. It is an organized three-day event which will bring together different founders, investors, and entrepreneurs to share ideas, run workshops, and build connections across South Africa’s growing tech ecosystem.

Alef Education and AfricAI Roll Out AI NextGen Learning to Bridge Education Gaps Across 18 African Nations

Alef Education and AfricAI Roll Out AI NextGen Learning to Bridge Education Gaps Across 18 African Nations

A UAE-based edtech firm, Alef Education in partnership with Nigeria’s AfricAI is launching a platform called AI NextGen Learning, a large-scale digital education that is targeted at closing the learning gaps across 18 African countries starting with Nigeria. This project is set to leverage on AI-driven tools to advance

Saudi Property Explorer Debuts as Kingdom Prepares for Landmark Foreign Ownership Reforms

Saudi Property Explorer Debuts as Kingdom Prepares for Landmark Foreign Ownership Reforms

Saudi Arabia has announced its launch of a new real estate platform ahead of the landmark foreign ownership that is set to take effect later this year. This platform is set to be constructed by PropTech firm Polygant under the brand RE.Platform Explorer, into a single digital platform offering

Saudi Edtech Startup GAGA Secures $2.5M to Scale Live Learning and Arabic Content Across the Kingdom

Saudi Edtech Startup GAGA Secures $2.5M to Scale Live Learning and Arabic Content Across the Kingdom

A Saudi Arabia edtech startup, GAGA has partook in a pre-Series A round led to raise $2.5million. This round was led by Phoenix Venture Partners in association with other individual investors and family offices. The funding is gathered to enhance the live learning model of the platform, strengthen its

From Futures Trading to Pan-African Payments, Roqqu’s Expansion is Redefining How Nigerians Use Crypto

From Futures Trading to Pan-African Payments, Roqqu’s Expansion is Redefining How Nigerians Use Crypto

Roqqu has announced its product expansion by introducing a major product expansion that would reshape how users interact with digital assets, while going beyond simple trading into a broader financial ecosystem. This innovation is expected to cut across Nigeria and East Africa. The business is additionally moving into an automated

Vault22 Launches AI-Powered Wealth Platform in UAE to Drive Shariah-Compliant Digital Finance

Vault22 Launches AI-Powered Wealth Platform in UAE to Drive Shariah-Compliant Digital Finance

A fintech platform, Vault22 has launched an AI-powered wealth platform in the UAE, in order to grow its demand for Shariah-compliant digital finance. The Vault22 is backed by Standard Chartered innovation unit to brand a platform called Hafiq while combining artificial intelligence with Islamic finance principles to help users manage

Saudi Unicorn Ninja Considers Tadawul IPO to Accelerate Vision 2030 Tech Ambitions

Saudi Unicorn Ninja Considers Tadawul IPO to Accelerate Vision 2030 Tech Ambitions

Ninja, a Saudi Arabia quick-delivery platform, is planning to extend a move for an initial public offering (IPO) in Riyadh with the aim of exploring a listing on the Saudi Exchange (Tadawul) fully launching later in 2026 or early 2027. Ninja is in the final stages of selecting investment banks

Phoenix Venture Partners’ Third Close Signals Rising Global Confidence in MENA’s Innovation Economy

Phoenix Venture Partners’ Third Close Signals Rising Global Confidence in MENA’s Innovation Economy

An Abu Dhabi-based venture capital firm, Phoenix Venture Partners (PVP) is expanding as it acquires a mix of global and regional investors as it announces its successful third close of its inaugural MENA-focused fund. This milestone displays a growing market in the Middle East and North Africa’s innovation ecosystem

LittleFish Secures $9.5M to Transform SME Banking with Merchant Operating System Across Africa

LittleFish Secures $9.5M to Transform SME Banking with Merchant Operating System Across Africa

South African fintech startup LittleFish has announced its funding of $9.5 million in order to expand and build its merchant operating system across Africa. This funding is targeted at closing the bridge that occurs in financial services between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This funding round was supported by

Innovate for Impact Challenge Opens Applications to Empower Africa’s Agri-Tech Startups

Innovate for Impact Challenge Opens Applications to Empower Africa’s Agri-Tech Startups

African agri-tech startups have been invited to take part in the 2026 Innovate for Impact Challenge. This program is offering a total of $65,000 cash prizes for early-stage ventures that tackle food security and sustainability. This 2026 Innovate for Impact Challenge, is hosted by the World Prize Foundation in

Adenia Entrepreneurial Fund I Makes First Major Investment in Moroccan Food Brand Maymana

Adenia Partners is launching a new Adenia Entrepreneurial Fund I (AEF) with its first major investment which is supported by Moroccan food brand Maymana. The launch comes with a total of $180million fund in order to focus on controlling investments in small and lower mid-cap companies across Africa. For Maymana,

SA’s Happy Pay Raises $5M Seed Round to Scale Ad-Subsidized Payments Network

SA’s Happy Pay Raises $5M Seed Round to Scale Ad-Subsidized Payments Network

Happy Pay, a South African startup has announced it raised $5 million in seed funding to scale its ad-subsidized payments network, in order to provide consumers with a fee-free alternative to traditional Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platforms. This seed rounding was led by global venture capital firm Partech, with

Bountii South Africa Launches to Revolutionize Online Savings with Trusted Local Deals

Bountii South Africa Launches to Revolutionize Online Savings with Trusted Local Deals

A price search startup, Bountii in South Africa is launching a clean, online deals platform that will help shoppers to save money through verified promo codes and discounts for South African users. This platform is introduced to ease household financial pressures by providing real, working deals without expired coupons,pop-ups

Moniepoint Acquires Orda to Power Digital Innovation in Nigeria’s Restaurant Industry

Moniepoint Acquires Orda to Power Digital Innovation in Nigeria’s Restaurant Industry

A Nigerian fintech company, Moniepoint is expanding as it acquires a restaurant management startup Orda to boost its innovation in the country’s restaurant industry. This integration will adopt Orda’s cloud-based tools into Moniepoint’s business management platform, Moniebook, creating a full-stack solution for restaurants and food service operators.