Disrupt-Africa

Egyptian fintech startup MoneyHash has raised funding from GitHub founder Tom Preston-Werner as part of a soon-to-be-announced seed round. Founded in late 2020 by Nader Abdelrazik, Mustafa Eid and Anisha Sekar, MoneyHash provides a unified checkout experience built on top of a secure super-API that aggregates payment and fintech solutions through a single integration, as well as a central dashboard consolidating technical infrastructure and centralising data and operational reporting.

Nigerian cryptocurrency startup KoinWa has launched web3 education platform EduBlok in a bid to empower university and college students with relevant skills. KoinWa, which allows users to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, was in June one of 25 African fintech startups selected for the inaugural Amazon Web Services (AWS) FinTech Africa Accelerator cohort.

African tech startups raised US$492,418,000 in Q3 2023, taking the total for the first nine months of the year to US$1.4 billion, down 48 per cent on the corresponding period in 2022 as the global capital crunch continues to impact the continent’s startup sector.

Kenya-based impact investment firm Kua Ventures has invested more than US$1 million into the growth of 20 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country. Formed in 2020, Kua Ventures started out providing much-needed capital, coaching and community support for SMEs to survive the economic downturn prompted by COVID-19 and the resultant lockdowns.

Kenyan startup eBiashara is an ICT enterprise solutions provider that offers cutting edge turnkey services that power digital transformation across diverse sectors. eBiashara began life in 2014, introducing a supply chain finance platform before later expanding to offer cloud computing, e-commerce, cyber security, business intelligence and analytics solutions, among others.

There is a slow process of diversification away from payments and lending solutions within Africa’s fintech space, but the two verticals remain by far the most populated and best funded. Disrupt Africa’s Finnovating for Africa publication, released every two years since June 2017, tracks the extraordinary development of the fintech ecosystem across Africa.

Egyptian direct-to-consumer, digital-led home and décor brand ariika has raised a Series A equity funding round from Beltone Venture Capital, a subsidiary of Beltone Financial Holding, which has taken a 20 per cent stake in the company.

Zambian neobank Lupiya has successfully secured US$8.25 million in Series A funding to scale operations in its home market and in new ones. Founded in 2016, Lupiya works to bridge the financial inclusion gap by offering easy-to-use, technology-driven financial solutions to the unbanked and underbanked populations in Zambia.

African e-health startups are addressing huge problems that negatively impact healthcare outcomes across the continent. But they need more support from investors and governments to help them succeed in fulfilling their potential.

Egyptian startup Qardy, a marketplace and aggregator for debt financing, has partnered microfinance company Sandah to give MSEMs access to the necessary tools and resources. Founded in July 2022, Qardy facilitates loans for MSMEs, with founder Abdel Aziz Abdel Nabi saying the startup’s goal was to be the “Amazon of lending”.

IAPrecision is a first-of-its-kind agricultural industry-focused drone technology and data analytics service enterprise in Nigeria. The startup, founded in 2021, provides farmers with aerial intelligence and actions that empower them to undertake smart and precision-driven agriculture leveraging drone technology and the power of data they generate.

Egyptian fintech startup Yalla has signed several agreements with major financial companies and institutions that will see it expand operations into Saudi Arabia. Yalla is a financial super app for all daily financial and non-financial needs, which allows users to send and receive money, pay merchants online and offline, and place orders.

Nigeria has overtaken South Africa to become the most-populated fintech space on the continent, having already established itself as the most attractive fintech investment destination. Disrupt Africa’s Finnovating for Africa publication, released every two years since June 2017, tracks the extraordinary development of the fintech ecosystem across Africa.

Kenyan startup Octavia Carbon is the Global South’s first direct air capture (DAC) company, designing, building, and soon deploying machines that directly capture CO2 from the atmosphere. Founded in March 2022, aimed at “reversing climate change”, Octavia Carbon is leveraging Kenya’s renewable energy, geology, and talent to deploy and scale DAC at a low cost.

DRC-based startup Itot Africa is on a mission to bridge the digital skills gap in Africa. Established in 2017, the ed-tech company provides tailored digital content, coding, programming, training, and e-learning services to businesses, SMEs, and entrepreneurs across Africa and the United States. Itot Africa's flagship product, Okademy, is an online learning and career tracking platform. The company also supports its clients' digitization efforts by creating tech solutions through its network of trained students.

Egypt-based health insurtech Sehatech has raised a US$850,000 round of funding to help it grow its team and further develop its product. Founded in 2022 by Mostafa Tarek, Mohamed Elshabrawy and Omar Shawky, Sehatech aims to automate medical approvals, claims processing and the billing cycle, saving insurers’ time and expenses while preventing fraudulent practices.

The African fintech sector has experienced a remarkable surge in acquisitions, with 26 startup acquisitions recorded between June 2021 and July 2023. This figure marks a significant 271% increase compared to the seven acquisitions in the preceding two-year period.

Kenyan save-to-buy platform Mosmos is allowing customers to pay for high value products and services in convenient and flexible installments, as they earn rewards and unlock discounts. Formed to bridge the affordability gap for high value products and services, and make savings targeted and achievable, Mosmos enables customers to save for items they want to purchase, interest-free.

Cameroonian startup Koree, a consumer app that acts as a digital wallet for loyalty cards, is planning to expand across Francophone Africa with the help of matching funding from Catalytic Africa. Founded in September 2022, Koree allows consumers to digitally collect their spare change from cash retail payment roundups, and earn cashback from stores and brands across multiple categories.

Nigerian real estate investment startup Cribstock is helping users become landlords in minutes by purchasing shares of properties that can then earn rent every month from Lagos tenants. Launched in 2021, Cribstock helps allows users to own fractions of properties, and earn a share of rent from tenants. “Think of this as a platform micro-investors use to crowdfund real estate to earn from it,” CEO Harold Nno told Disrupt Africa.

Nigerian logistics startup Kwik has launched on-demand e-commerce fulfillment service KwikShelf, its first fulfillment centre at Iddo House, Lagos. Disrupt Africa reported in July 2019 on the launch of Kwik – a digital platform connecting delivery partners and corporate customers in large African cities and offering digital solutions for e-commerce payment and fulfilment – after the startup raised seed funding, and it saw speedy uptake.

South African personal finance companion FinMeUp is bridging the gap between financial education and executions through its community-based platform of almost 100,000 users. Founded in 2020, FinMeUp offers a comprehensive range of solutions including an education platform, financial advisory, investments, insurance, and credit solutions. As a community-based platform, the startup is dedicated to fostering a collaborative environment where individuals can learn, engage, and grow together. It boasts over 80,000 community members and over 15,000 app users.

Egyptian beauty services booking platform Glamera has successfully obtained the fintech license “SoftPOS” from Saudi Payments, the major payment system in Saudi Arabia, established by Ministry of Finance under the supervision of Saudi Central Bank, which it says will “unlock new horizons of growth and deliver an unparalleled customer experience” in the Saudi market.

Africa’s fintech startup ecosystem is continuing on its growth trajectory, with the number of startups operating in the space increasing by 17.7 per cent to 678 in 2023 as compared to 2021. This is according to the latest edition of Disrupt Africa’s Finnovating for Africa publication, released every two years since June 2017, which tracks the extraordinary development of the fintech ecosystem across Africa over the last few years.

Tanzanian startup Safiri has created the digital infrastructure that enables transit operators to manage their operations and provide more – and better – services to customers. Launched in June 2022, Safiri is digitising the management of transit companies, replacing pen and paper with software in local languages, point of sale devices for the issuance of tickets, and GPS trackers for vehicles.

Tunis-based peer-to-peer (P2P) fashion marketplace Dabchy has launched operations in Egypt. Founded by Amani Mansouri, Ghazi Ketata and Oussama Mahjoub in 2016, Dabchy is an online platform that allows users to buy and sell pre-used and new clothes online.

Ghana’s Oyster Agribusiness, an agricultural enterprise that employs significant levels of tech and works closely with smallholder farmers, has raised US$310,000 in grant and debt funding to propel its mission of sustainable agriculture, gender inclusion, and talent management.

The co-investment fund Catalytic Africa, established in 2019 by the African Business Angels Network (ABAN) and AfriLabs, made three investments totalling EUR174,000 (US$191,000) in startups from Cameroon, DRC and Kenya in June and July. The partnership between AfriLabs, a pan-African network of technology and innovation centres, and ABAN aims to increase the pool of capital available to promising African growth-stage entrepreneurs, support the startup ecosystem, and increase the visibility of impact to institutional funders.

Egyptian AI recruitment startup Talents Arena has raised a US$750,000 pre-seed round of funding to power its expansion into Saudi Arabia. Founded in 2019 by Aya Elgebeely, Talents Arena has developed an AI-powered recruitment platform featuring a talents mining engine and automation features. So far it has made more than 180,000 job matches and placed thousands of candidates in suitable tech jobs.

Cairo-based startup Grinta, a fintech-enabled B2B tech platform digitising the pharmaceutical supply chain, has acquired Alexandria-based online pharmacy Auto-Cure to expand its footprint in the country. Founded in 2021 by Mohamed Azab, Yosra Badr, Ali Youssef, and Hamza Mohamed, Grinta is a managed marketplace that modernises the pharmaceutical supply chain by empowering independent pharmacies. The end-to-end platform provides access to the full spectrum of traceable pharmaceutical and medical products from multiple vendors in addition to providing fulfillment, demand planning, and inventory financing.

Kenyan startup Lipa Later has partnered Mastercard to drive financial inclusion and expand Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) solutions in Africa, starting with Kenya and expanding to Rwanda, Uganda, and Nigeria. Founded in 2018, Lipa Later aims to empower African businesses to do more by enabling e-commerce, financial inclusion and shopping all on one centralised and fully integrated platform.

Egypt-based ed-tech corporate VC firm EdVentures has announced a strategic partnership with VMS, a leading venture studio empowering entrepreneurs and startups in the Middle East, to enhance ed-tech in the region. Since its establishment in 2017, EdVentures, the investment arm of Egypt’s Nahdet Misr Group, has been at the forefront of investing in innovative ed-tech startups.

Egyptian startup Qardy, a marketplace and aggregator for debt financing, is planning to boost financial inclusivity across the country after signing a partnership with the Egyptian Post Office. Founded in July 2022, Qardy facilitates loans for MSMEs, with founder Abdel Aziz Abdel Nabi saying the startup’s goal was to be the “Amazon of lending”.

Egyptian digital savings startup Menthum has secured an undisclosed pre-seed round of funding to help it expand its team and develop its infrastructure. Launched last November by veteran professionals Himanshu Shrimali and Ismail Sarhank, Menthum is a B2B and B2C digital savings platform that provides individuals and companies with an innovative way to invest in safe treasury bills (T-bills) through a money market fund.

Ten Southern African startups have received awards for their solutions to bridge the gap in financial access for underserved communities as part of a challenge supported by the World Bank. The Fintech Challenge was part of the ecosystem development initiatives under the Southern Africa Innovation Bridge Portal supported by the World Bank to crowd-source new and impactful ways to utilise the latest innovations in fintech.

Egyptian startup Exits MENA, a fintech investment banking marketplace, has extended its seed round to US$1.25 million with investment from Silicon Valley-based venture firm Practical VC. Founded in 2022 by Mohamed Aboulnaga, Ahella El Saban and Ayman El Tanbouly, Exits MENA aims to facilitate M&As and investments in companies by offering a seamless and fully integrated online solution on its platform and a full-fledged financial advisory service.

The Africa Business Angels Network (ABAN), a pan-African association of angel investors, and Rwanda Finance Ltd (RFL), a company dedicated to establishing Rwanda as a premier financial destination in Africa, have officially entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate and advance their respective initiatives across the continent.

Chari, a Morocco-based B2B e-commerce startup with embedded financing for the FMCG sector, has secured further funding worth US$1.5 million from Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures (VKAV) to support its growth plan.

Founded in 2022 by Sarah Johnson, Revivo is an online marketplace for quality electronic spare parts, accessories, and repair tools, which aims to increase access to quality and affordable electronics repairs in emerging markets by addressing the needs of small businesses doing the vast majority of repairs.

Egyptian Islamic invoice financing startup Agel has closed an undisclosed seven-figure pre-seed round of funding to help it roll out customised, digital, cashless, and Sharia-compliant financing products, including Murabaha, a cost-plus financing model that complies with Islamic principles.

Ghanaian Web3 startup Mazzuma has secured an undisclosed amount of financing from Adaverse to implement the roll-out of its AI-powered smart contract creation platform – MazzumaGPT.

South African e-health startup Zoie Health has raised a pre-seed extension funding round to fund its expansion and growth.

The Fashion Kingdom (TFK), the leading curated fashion marketplace in Egypt, has acquired direct-to-consumer (D2C) fashion brand Opio to create a powerhouse fashion group

Kenyan fintech startup Pezesha has partnered retail distribution platform Kyosk App to enable Kyosk merchants in Kenya – and soon in Uganda – to access affordable inventory credit.

The Rwanda-based Ampersand, an integrated electric motorcycle and transport energy solution, has reached a major milestone in its mission to provide sustainable mobility solutions in Kenya and Rwanda, with it now having more than 1,000 commercial use electric motorcycles on the roads.

Fewer than 10 per cent of African tech startups are led by a female CEO, while less than 15 per cent even have a female co-founder, according to a groundbreaking study on gender diversity released by Disrupt Africa.

The Moroccan startup PrestaFreedom, a home services platform specialising in household subscriptions and other services for individuals, has raised MDH11 million (US$1.1 million) from the Azur Innovation Fund to accelerate its growth at the national and regional level.

Kenya’s Patamali has developed a groundbreaking decentralised finance (DeFi) platform operating on the Celo blockchain that aims to revolutionise the real estate financing space.

Ugandan fintech startup Zofi Cash has secured US$1 million in pre-seed funding to double down on its commitment to ensuring that every day is a payday for salaried workers.

Tunisian B2B e-commerce startup Kamioun aims to become the leading mobile platform for corner shops, helping them simplify replenishment processes as a stepping stone into other aspects of business digitisation.

Ivory Coast-based fintech Djamo’s first product was a Visa-powered card for digital payments, but it has gradually added other financial services to become the one-stop personal finance partner for consumers.

South African digital fuel management solutions and telematics startup Payment24 has expanded into new markets in North America and Europe, as well as announcing ongoing product innovation in other areas.

Applications have opened for the African Food Fellowship, which is building a radical movement of leaders in Africa working to transform food systems across the continent.

Tunisia-based e-commerce platform Drest has raised US$336,000 from 216 Capital Ventures to fund its expansion into the African market.

Nigerian fintech startup Storspay has raised a US$320,000 funding round and been selected to participate in the Techstars NYC accelerator, backed by JP Morgan Accelerator.

Capria Ventures, a leading Global South specialist firm investing in early-growth Global South startups, has announced the first close of its US$100 million fund.

South African startup Maholla, a viral consumer rewards app, has concluded a US$1.5 million seed funding round to help it continue to scale.

The DRC-based Altech Group has raised US$18 million in debt financing and grants to continue strengthening its market position and expand access to energy across the country.

Young African Catalysts has launched in a bid to democratise access to the African venture ecosystem, leveraging data and community to enable young Africans to upskill, find jobs, and unlock investment.

Ghanaian agri-tech startup Farmerline has expanded into Francophone Africa with an official launch of operations in Ivory Coast, deepening partnerships across West Africa and accelerating its commitment to support small scale farmers everywhere.

The Egypt-based VC firm Camel Ventures has launched an EGP500 million (US$16 million) fund that is focused on the country’s fintech startup ecosystem.

Ethiopian startup Medstore has launched a digital marketplace to allow users to sell and buy medical equipment online, and publish and subscribe to medical equipment tenders.

Nigerian fintech startup OnePipe has secured a US$4.8 million credit facility from TLG Capital, which it will use to provide inventory finance to small shops, while at the same laying off an undisclosed number of team members to extend its runway.

Nigeria’s HouseAfrica, a prop-tech startup providing real estate digitalisation and transparency tools to property developers and their customers, has raised US$400,000 in funding.

South African VC firm Kalon Venture Partners, which invests in digital disruptive technologies, is to raise a US$50 million fund which will see it make investments outside of South Africa for the first time.

Kenyan startup TIBU Health has raised an undisclosed amount of pre-Series A funding to allow it to strengthen its solutions dedicated to chronic diseases and improve its virtual care platform.

Kenyan insurtech startup Turaco has partnered Airtel Money and Prudential in Uganda to launch Hospital Sente, a low-cost hospital cash insurance product with funeral benefits, aimed at increasing access to insurance for underserved communities, and low-income individuals and families.

When Mohamed Badr conceived of the idea for a mobile app that allows businesses and individuals to connect with transportation for items such as furniture, he wanted to launch it in his home country of Egypt.

Cameroonian startup Prepdia, which is helping learners improve their outcomes by reliably connecting them with professional tutors for in-person and online lessons, has expanded to Gabon after seeing impressive growth in its home market.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)-based energy company Nuru is on track to build 13.7MWp of isolated solar-hybrid grids by mid-2024 after securing an initial US$1.5 million from investors in a convertible note round ahead of the close of its Series B funding round.

Tanzanian music streaming startup Jibu has launched a differentiated offering it claims gives a larger chunk of revenues to independent artists as opposed to labels and distributors.

Impact Investing Ghana (IIGh) has begun the operational setup of its Ci-Gaba fund of funds, which seeks to unlock US$75 million in local and international funding for local capital providers, who are investing in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Rwandan startup DoctorAI is using artificial intelligence (AI) to help healthcare providers reduce the mortality and morbidity associated with medical errors and inaccessibility to medical specialists.

Mali’s Sodishop, a B2C and B2B marketplace that sells and delivers almost all categories of products, has expanded across several markets in West Africa and shows no sign of slowing down.

South African hotel management system (HMS) RoomRaccoon has announced its expansion to Zanzibar, offering independent hoteliers the opportunity to accelerate their operations, increase profitability and reduce costs with its all-in-one system.

Ugandan fintech Qiribu believes itself to be the first platform within the East African country to launch an earned wage access product, which it plans to expand into Kenya and Rwanda in the next couple of years.

Nigerian e-health startup Famasi, which began life as a medication management service but has expanded its vision to building pharmacy infrastructure to scale digital health, has raised a pre-seed round of funding.

Nigerian mobility startup Treepz has launched operations in Kenya following strategic investment deals to raise additional US$1.2 million in funding over the last 12 months.

The number of active investors in African tech startups increased by 28 per cent to almost 1,000 in 2022, yet this was a slower rate of growth than witnessed in previous years.

Ghanaian startup Chestify AI Labs provides an artificial intelligence (AI)-based platform that gives a highly accurate algorithm for diagnosing pathologies on chest X-rays, CT-scans and MRI images.

Moroccan fintech startup Gwala has raised an undisclosed pre-seed funding round to help it scale.

Ghanaian startup FLUID has launched a new platform that helps smallholder farmers access loans, and has already signed one bank on a 12-month contract to provide financing to 25,000 farmers in Northern Ghana.

The Cape Innovation and Technology (CiTi), recognised along with its Bandwidth Barn as Africa’s oldest tech incubator, has rebranded to UVU Africa to mark its new pan-African approach. Established in 1999, CiTi works with government, academia, business and society to promote inclusive growth of the digital economy, and has significantly impacted the growth of the Cape Town and South African technology and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Zimbabwean fintech startup Cashlinq has launched a banking-as-a-service platform to enable businesses and startups across the continent to offer superior banking solutions.

Ten Kenyan agri-circularity startups have been selected for the second edition of the O-Farms accelerator programme, which will award two peer-selected companies with milestone-based grant funding of up to EUR25,000 (US$24,000).

Kenyan startup iGas has launched a digital LPG marketplace that aims to accelerate access to clean cooking by solving affordability, accessibility and last mile delivery constraints.

Kenyan fintech startup Kwara has agreed to wholly acquire IRNET Coop Kenya, a software company which is a subsidiary of the Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (KUSCC), in a deal that will see it offer its banking software solutions and mobile banking channels to rapidly increase growth and profitability of SACCOs in Kenya.

The Ethiopia-based Gebeya, a SaaS-enabled, pan-African talent marketplace, has announced an undisclosed pre-Series A investment from a Japanese VC firm to drive its ongoing expansion.

Egypt-based solar power developer and electricity distributor KarmSolar has secured EGP83 million (US$3 million) in debt funding to support the further development and rollout of Farafra Solar Grid, the company’s second micro-grid-solution, covering 100 per cent of clients’ load.

Tunisia-founded enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) startup InstaDeep has been acquired by Nasdaq-listed German biotech company BioNTech SE in a deal that could eventually be worth GBP562 million (US$684m) to its shareholders.

South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt have established themselves over the last few years, by various criteria, as the “big four” African tech startup ecosystems.

Nigerian startup Raenest is helping remote workers and freelancers automate invoicing and get paid faster by clients globally while saving on fees via its Raenest Global accounts and cards.

Egyptian e-health company CheckMe has acquired counterpart DoctorOnline in a deal that brings the former’s market value to US$20 million.

Startups are building out the infrastructure necessary to support a thriving e-commerce ecosystem in Africa, with adoption expected to surge in line with the continent’s high population growth, according to Tesh Mbaabu, co-founder and CEO of Kenyan retail-tech venture MarketForce.

Investors in Africa’s e-commerce and retail-tech space should take an ecosystem-growth approach to success rather than expecting quick returns, and as such local investors may be better placed to build out the space, according to retail-tech entrepreneurs interviewed in the latest Disrupt Podcast series.

Small Foundation and Village Capital have selected 20 African entrepreneur support organisations (ESOs) that work with rural-impacting enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa to take part in the Rural Impacting Entrepreneurship research project aimed at identifying gaps and solutions to deepen impact within the rural business ecosystem and develop a thriving support community.

Kenyan tech ventures have higher rates of acceleration or incubation than their peers in other leading African startup ecosystems, a fact that stems from the country’s extremely well-established startup support scene.

Nigeria’s mobility fintech company Moove, Uber’s largest vehicle supply partner in EMEA, has raised US$30 million from a debut sukuk issuance to fund its expansion into the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

South African early-stage venture capital firm 4Di Capital has announced the second closing of its new US$25 million seed fund – created in partnership with DotExe Ventures in Mauritius – with an undisclosed raise from Mauritian-based conglomerate IBL Group, via its investment vehicle, IBL Link Investments Ltd.

The African gaming industry is still extremely fragmented in that it is made up of a handful of small studios, but is nonetheless “the next big thing” given, among other things, the relative youth of the continent’s population.

Rwandan insurtech startup Eden Care, which offers affordable, accessible and personalised health coverage to businesses and their employees, has raised a pre-seed round of funding to help it expand across East Africa.

Egyptian fintech startup MoneyFellows has announced the first close of its Series B round funding with a US$31 million investment to help it accelerate its growth and move into new markets.

Ghanaian logistics startup ShaQ Express has bootstrapped its way to 13,000 customers in its home market, and is now planning further growth at home and abroad.

South Africa’s Cape Innovation & Technology Initiative (CiTi) has opened its new East Africa office in Kigali, Rwanda, and announced a collaboration with the Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropy’s (AGGP) Jasiri Talent Investor programme and the Jasiri Accelerator.

Ugandan startup Pieme is a social platform that enables locals to turn their homes into part-time restaurants, guest houses, or event venues. Pieme was founded in 2018 when Joshua Muhindo and John Kainja visited Kenya from Uganda, and wanted to experience authentic homemade meals and meet locals over a plate of ugali, sukuma, and nyama choma. They realised the need for an app that would connect people over authentic homemade meals.

Cameroonian startup Mungenow has launched a guesthouse-booking platform aimed at helping travellers to and across Cameroon’s major cities – and eventually the rest of Africa – to find verified and affordable places to stay, no matter their budget.

Ethiopian fintech startup Chapa has launched an online payment gateway that enables businesses to accept payments from people worldwide. Chapa enables organisations and businesses to accept all possible local and international digital payment methods from anyone, anywhere in the world. Its payment APIs can be integrated into any existing digital platform.

The Ghana-based PEG Africa, one of the largest providers of distributed energy in West Africa, has been acquired by Bboxx in a deal that cements the latter’s position as the leading super platform for essential products and services in Africa.

Kenyan startup Roam, previously Opibus, has launched a new electric mass transit bus, the Roam Rapid, which is specifically designed to address the unique challenges of public transport in Nairobi and Africa as a whole.

The Cameroon-based Taaply, which began life digitising business cards, has raised US$500,000 in funding as it announces the release of a new app and website update. Launched in 2021, Taaply is a digital business card solution aimed at cutting down on carbon emissions in Africa. The startup has evolved since Disrupt Africa first spoke to the team, however, and its new website features new and exciting products to help customers further digitalise and manage their social and professional connections while revolutionising the customer data-sharing experience.

Ugandan tourism-tech startup Tripesa has raised a pre-seed round of funding as it seeks product-market fit ahead of continental expansion. Tripesa began life as an online travel marketplace called RoundBob, which was forced to close as the tourism industry ground to a halt due to COVID-19. From the ashes, however emerged Tripesa, which is building infrastructure and logistics to help companies in the African tourism and experiences space do business online at a lower cost.