A new $2 million equity-free prize has been launched to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and smart manufacturing solutions that address Africa’s industrial challenges.
The Milken-Motsepe Prize
Startups across Africa raised a total of $844.51 million in the second quarter of 2025, according to data from Launch Base Africa. Unlike the fast-paced, high-valuation deals seen in
Ugandan startups are facing significant hurdles in meeting the requirements of the country’s Data Protection and Privacy Act, with many struggling to move from awareness to actual implementation.
The
Kenyan mobility startup BuuPass has received a strategic investment from Yango Ventures, a move expected to accelerate its efforts to digitize long-distance travel across the continent. The amount of the
Stanbic Bank Kenya, the sixth largest lender in the country by assets, is preparing to raise $100 million (KES12.9 billion) to finance startups across East Africa.
The bank aims
Flutterwave has laid off half of its staff in Kenya and South Africa as part of efforts to reduce operational costs and edge closer to profitability. The restructuring comes as
Ghana-based fintech startup Liquify has secured $1.5 million in seed funding to support its mission of easing cash flow challenges for African SME exporters. The funding round, which was
Kenya and the United Kingdom have signed a renewed five-year Strategic Partnership that will significantly boost investment in Kenya’s digital economy, startups, and small businesses.
Even though the deal
AXIAN Telecom, a pan-African telecommunications and digital services provider, has raised $600 million through a bond issuance set to mature in 2030.
The bond, priced on June 25, 2025, attracted
Senegal-based mobile money platform Wave has raised $137 million in debt financing to accelerate its mission of making financial services more affordable and accessible across West Africa.
Founded in 2018
Solar energy startup d.light has secured over $300 million in new capital to purchase consumer receivables.
The Stanford-founded company is set to scale the distribution of solar home systems
Smilepay, a digital remittance startup backed by Kazana Group, has officially launched its global money transfer service after securing regulatory approval from the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE).
The platform,
