Startup news, funding rounds and founder stories from Africa and the Middle East, covering fintech, technology, investors and the policies shaping regional markets.
Three Nigerian startups have secured a combined $150,000 after being selected for the 14th cohort of MARL’s global accelerator program, which supports early-stage technology companies.
Saudi Arabian payment technology company EdfaPay and Sudanese IT firm GoPravo launched SDPay, a joint venture focused on digital payments and financial services across Sudan.
Spiro has launched its first 100 electric motorcycles in Ghana, entering the market with a battery-swapping model and plans for local assembly that could create opportunities for Ghanaian businesses.
Aries Media Ventures Fund I targets startups at the angel, pre-seed, and seed stages, focusing on businesses operating at the intersection of media, entertainment, and commerce.
Stanbic Bank Ghana and Hong Kong-based RD Technologies are exploring a stablecoin-powered payment solution to help Ghanaian businesses settle trade payments with suppliers in Asia.
The arrangement will give Nedbank control of NCBA’s operations while allowing the Kenyan lender to continue trading under its established brand and remain listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange after completion.
Egyptian state-owned lender Banque du Caire has accepted investors from the UK, the United Arab Emirates, and Africa for an initial public offering (IPO) valued at up to $454 million, opening the share sale to international participants.
The company secured the funding from strategic angel investors to help businesses understand how AI tools describe their products and whether their brands appear in shopping recommendations.
Vrtx has secured in-principle approval from the Saudi Central Bank for an Electronic Money Institution license, which brings the fintech closer to operating under the kingdom’s regulatory framework for digital financial services.
Announced on October 19, 2026, the partnership will connect MoovnPay’s wallet ecosystem to Mastercard’s global payments network, enabling virtual and physical prepaid cards, online payments, peer-to-peer transfers and eligible cross-border remittances.
MAX provides commercial transport operators with access to electric vehicles through a subscription model that combines vehicle financing, battery technology, and fleet management tools.
Etisalat UAE has signed a new multi-year agreement with DataRobot to expand the deployment of artificial intelligence agents across its business operations.
