Startup News: Sub-Saharan Africa

Africa: Over 50% of active business angels prefer established startups (report)

13.11.2022
English

Most business angels operating in Africa opt for conservative investment strategies, typically investing less than $10,000 per transaction in established startups. More than 50 percent of business angels active in Africa invest primarily in high-growth, high-revenue startups, according to a report by research firm Briter Bridges.

In Nairobi, these electric motorcycles fill a transportation gap – and reduce emissions

10.11.2022
English

If you need a ride in Nairobi, take a "boda boda" or motorcycle cab rather than getting into a car. The roads are full of boda bodas - most of them run on gasoline, making them a major source of air pollution. But a handful of startups are trying to replace them with electric versions. Roam is one of them.

Top 5 skills needed to grow the startup ecosystem in Francophone Africa

09.11.2022
English

Despite the progress that some African startups have made, entrepreneurship in Francophone Africa remains a subsistence activity rather than work that adds value and provides solutions for consumers in the marketplace. These are the most important skills entrepreneurs need there:

African solar entrepreneurship in the spotlight

04.11.2022
English

The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), in partnership with Startup | Energy and the African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA), hosted a public pitch event in Kigali, Rwanda, for African startups focused on developing distributed solar technology solutions. The pitch event marked the end of a multi-day EnergyCamp in Kigali

Nigerian companies should invest in startups – CCSO MTN Nigeria

29.10.2022
English

"From a funding perspective, large Nigerian companies can help grow the ecosystem by making large investments in these startups. This will send a signal to the external community and will certainly increase the amount of investment these startups will receive. Nigerian companies should partner with startups"

Startup|Energy: Eight African energy startups you should know about

27.10.2022
German / English

10 energy startups from 5 African countries (Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda) have gone through Startup|Energy’s Energy Camps in the last 12 months. They were selected from a total of 156 applications received. Its business areas are: Energy storage, battery recycling, refrigeration, health, agriculture, e-mobility. All early-stage startups received several weeks …

Africa electrifies its fossil fuel-powered cars

22.10.2022
English

Although the price of electric vehicles (EVs) makes them prohibitively expensive for many people around the world, there are some startups in Africa that are converting traditional internal combustion engine vehicles to a clean transmission and building battery-powered vehicles from scratch.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari puts the Nigeria Start-up Act into effect

20.10.2022
English

The Nigerian Startup Act was designed to create a conducive environment for Nigerian startups to launch and scale their products - and to prevent past setbacks such as the banning of two-wheeled vehicles and cryptocurrencies.

Nigerian startup turns e-waste into solar-powered lanterns

14.10.2022
English

Quadloop recycles lithium batteries from discarded old laptops for its solar lanterns. These lanterns are then used by small businesses so they can remain productive during power outages.

Ampersand partners with Bboxx to provide electric motorcycle cabs for riders in Rwanda

13.10.2022
English

The pilot project is designed to enable cab drivers in the capital to use the motorcycles for their business activities at a lower daily cost than gasoline-powered vehicles. The e-motos are funded by Bboxx through its unique AI asset financing model and mobile payments. Ampersand will provide the e-motos and battery replacements.

Kuza Freezer: solar-powered freezers double small-scale fishermen’s income

12.10.2022
English

Small-scale fishermen in Kenya often work under difficult conditions, and when they bring in their catch, most have no way to store it because electricity is either non-existent or unreliable. With that knowledge in mind, Dennis Onkangi, 29, and Purity Gakuo, 25, founded Kuza Freezer, a youth-led AgriTech startup, in July 2021.

6 start-ups selected for the OceanHub Africa Accelerator

11.10.2022
English

The six startups were selected from 128 applicants from 33 countries. They include Nigerian company Eja-Ice, which provides solar-powered refrigeration systems and cold chain services to small-scale fishermen. The cohort also includes Nigerian company Think Bikes - a Startup|Energy Fellow - which makes electric cargo bikes.