A live snapshot of Africa's tech startup ecosystem, tracking 1,112+ tech companies in Africa, $16.5B in startup funding, and 1,725+ active investors across 45 countries. From fintech and mobile money to developer tools and healthtech, this is the most comprehensive view of african startups.
Last updated: April 5, 2026
Liners is tracking 1112 software products from tech companies in africa, with $16.5B in total disclosed funding. The investor base is wide, 1725 active investors across 45 countries. That mix points to a real africa digital economy, with local demand and global capital both in play.
Funding has cooled a lot since the peak years. In 2026, funding is $34M so far, down sharply from $844M in 2025, a drop of $810M. Looking back, 2024 brought $1.2B, 2023 had $2.4B, 2022 reached $3.5B, and 2021 was $2.9B. The direction is clear, fewer big rounds than a few years ago, even as african startups keep shipping products.
By product count, Fintech dominates with 547 products, far ahead of Health Tech at 80 and E-commerce & Retail at 74. Then come Crypto & Web3 with 59, EdTech with 51, and Logistics & Supply Chain with 48. Smaller but still meaningful clusters show up in Agri Tech with 33 and Travel & Mobility with 31. This lines up with what you see on the ground, fintech in africa is still the main story, helped by mobile money and the day-to-day need to move, store, and access cash digitally.
On geography, Nigeria leads with 535 products, nearly double Kenya at 269. South Africa follows with 175, then Ghana with 135. There is also a strong cross-border set labeled Pan-African with 125, and Egypt close behind at 122. Smaller hubs include Uganda with 77 and Rwanda with 41. In short, the biggest concentration of african startups is in Nigeria and Kenya, and the biggest concentration by sector is Fintech, which keeps pulling the rest of the ecosystem along.
From african fintech companies to healthtech and agritech, here's how the ecosystem breaks down by sector and geography.
Track funding flowing into african startups — from seed rounds to Series C and beyond. The growth of fintech in Africa is reflected in the funding data below.
Who's backing african startups? These investors are the most active across the continent.
Africa's digital economy spans 45 countries. Explore where tech companies in Africa are concentrated and where mobile money and fintech adoption is highest.
The latest headlines from african startups and tech companies across the continent.
SMC DAO has bought Bread Africa, a Nigerian crypto off-ramp startup, in an undisclosed six-figure all-cash acquisition.
The KIRDI techno-centre budget rose to $65.9m after a fresh $26.1m injection. Kingsley Construction is now set to finish the project by February 2028.
A TechCabal analysis says exit activity is rising in Africa, but many deals are not producing meaningful cash payouts for investors.
Telkom Kenya is now the smallest mobile network in the country. Newer entrants gained share, pointing to a more competitive market.
Kenya’s mobile money user base grew to 51.4 million in 2025 from 42.3 million. The December quarter added 2.7 million users, up 5.6%.
Nigeria’s CBN flags regulatory passporting to ease cross-border fintech expansion. Operators and investors say licences help, but execution after approval is the real work.
After five years at BlackRock helping investors build long-term wealth, Radhika Bhachu moved back to Kenya in 2020 to rethink wealth management at home.
Africa has no listed crypto company yet, but the market is moving toward regulated, institution-led crypto rails and behind-the-scenes custody plumbing.
Breet — Crypto & Stablecoins Payment API for African Businesses 
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