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Since 2021, SoftBank has backed 6 African startups across 6 disclosed funding rounds totaling $450.8M, most heavily in Kenya and Fintech.
SoftBank is a global technology investment group headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with its primary corporate site operated by SoftBank Group Corp. The group is active across telecommunications, internet, AI, and investment activities through various entities, including dedicated investment vehicles. The official English corporate website confirms SoftBank Group Corp. as the central listed entity of the broader SoftBank ecosystem. In Africa, SoftBank has participated in several notable startup funding rounds at seed, Series B, and Series C stages, with a recorded total of six rounds between March 2021 and March 2022. Based on verified deal data, these investments have focused on Kenya and Nigeria, backing companies such as Apollo Agriculture, Credrails, Kwara, OPay, SHYFT Power, and Afriex. Across these transactions, SoftBank has supported fintech, agriculture technology, and energy and utilities solutions, reflecting an interest in financial inclusion, smallholder farm productivity, and distributed energy infrastructure. SoftBank’s involvement in Africa has included large scale growth capital, notably the Series C investment in Nigerian fintech OPay, alongside seed rounds in earlier stage companies. Co investors across these African deals have included institutional and impact focused investors such as Vision Fund, Future Africa, Flourish Ventures, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and Leaps by Bayer, indicating SoftBank’s role within broader global syndicates that support high growth African technology companies.
Data updated · Aug 16, 2026
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SoftBank has backed 6 African startups across 6 disclosed funding rounds tracked on Liners, totaling $450.8M since 2021.
Mostly Seed: 4 of its 6 tracked rounds are at that stage, followed by Series B (1).
Its tracked rounds lean toward Fintech (4), Agri Tech (1), Energy & Utilities (1).
SoftBank most often shares rounds with Vision Fund (2 shared deals), Precursor Ventures (2 shared deals), Chris Adelsbach (2 shared deals).
Confirmed African portfolio companies include Apollo Agriculture, Credrails, Kwara, OPay, SHYFT Power, and Afriex. These businesses provide services such as mobile payments, digital banking infrastructure, cross border remittances, agricultural finance and inputs, and distributed energy monitoring and billing.
Public deal information shows that SoftBank has invested a total of 450.8 million dollars across six African funding rounds between March 2021 and March 2022. These rounds span seed, Series B, and Series C stages, primarily in Kenya and Nigeria.