Africa's VC Momentum: 5 Startup Deals Shaping the Future of Innovation

The African startup ecosystem is pulsing with fresh energy, as strategic capital, game-changing exits, and bold growth moves redefine the landscape. Here's a curated roundup of the top five VC deals and investor activity that lit up the continent this past week:

5️⃣ MYDAWA | Healthtech Scaling with Global Backers Kenyan digital pharmacy MYDAWA secured an undisclosed growth round to expand its hybrid healthtech model across East Africa. The round was led by IFU (Denmark's Development Finance Institution), Alta Semper Capital LLP, and Japan’s Ohara Pharmaceutical, signaling a strong international interest in African digital health innovation. MYDAWA leverages AI-driven logistics and e-pharmacy infrastructure to deliver convenient, affordable healthcare at scale.

4️⃣ Kofa | Ghana’s Battery-Swap Pioneer Expands to Kenya Accra-based Kofa raised $8.1 million through a mix of equity, debt, and grants to expand its clean energy operations into Kenya. Known for its battery-as-a-service (BaaS) platform and smart energy infrastructure, Kofa aims to democratize energy access while accelerating Africa’s transition to electric mobility. The raise was supported by the Shell Foundation, Westerwelle Foundation, and Persistent Energy, among others.

3️⃣ Aruwa Capital | Gender-Lens Investing at Scale Nigeria’s Aruwa Capital Management, a women-led growth equity firm, closed $35 million for its second fund, doubling down on gender-lens investing. With support from global institutions like the Visa Foundation, Mastercard Foundation, British International Investment (BII), and FSDAi, Aruwa is targeting inclusive innovations in Nigeria and Ghana. The fund backs women-led and women-focused businesses in healthcare, fintech, and essential consumer goods.

2️⃣ Silverbacks Holdings | Fintech Exit of the Year In a significant liquidity event, Silverbacks Holdings exited its investment in Nigerian fintech LemFi with a 29x return during the company’s $33 million Series B round led by Left Lane Capital. LemFi, which provides cross-border payment solutions for African diasporas, is a textbook case of high-growth African fintech with global relevance.

1️⃣ OmniRetail | Digitizing Informal Trade at Scale Nigeria-based OmniRetail Africa closed a $20 million Series A round to power its B2B commerce and embedded finance platform. The company is transforming Africa’s informal trade sector by digitizing procurement and credit systems for small retailers. With over $800 million in processed transactions and 19 billion Naira (~$15M) in monthly BNPL disbursements, OmniRetail is setting a new standard for retail innovation in West Africa.

---

🔥 The Takeaway: Africa’s tech ecosystem is no longer a frontier — it's an active battleground for impact-driven capital, strategic bets, and validated exits. From healthcare to clean energy and B2B commerce, startups are scaling with purpose, backed by a maturing investor base.