Africa’s technology ecosystem continues to mature, driven by founders building scalable solutions to long-standing economic and social challenges. In 2026, these twenty tech leaders stand out for the reach of their companies, the depth of their innovation, and their growing influence across local and global markets.
1. Olugbenga “GB” Agboola — Flutterwave (Fintech, Nigeria)
Olugbenga Agboola leads Flutterwave, one of Africa’s most influential fintech companies, providing payment infrastructure that connects businesses, banks, and global platforms across multiple markets. His focus on seamless cross-border payments is accelerating digital trade and enabling African businesses to compete globally.
2. Tosin Eniolorunda — Moniepoint (Fintech, Nigeria)
Tosin Eniolorunda has built Moniepoint into a fintech powerhouse serving millions of small and medium-sized enterprises. By combining banking, payments, POS services, and credit, Moniepoint has deepened financial inclusion while positioning itself for regional expansion beyond Nigeria.
3. Jesse Moore — M-KOPA (Energy & Fintech, Kenya)
Jesse Moore’s M-KOPA pioneered the pay-as-you-go solar model and has since expanded into consumer financing for phones, insurance, and mobility. The company’s approach integrates energy access with financial services, unlocking economic participation for low-income households.
4. Benjamin Fernandes — Nala (Fintech, Tanzania)
Benjamin Fernandes has transformed Nala from a consumer remittance app into Rafiki, a B2B payments and payouts infrastructure operating across multiple African markets. The platform simplifies cross-border money flows and supports enterprises engaging with Africa’s growing digital economy.
5. Moulaye Taboure — Anka (E-commerce, Côte d’Ivoire)
Moulaye Taboure founded Anka to help African artisans and creative entrepreneurs access global markets. By handling payments, logistics, and foreign exchange, Anka removes barriers to international trade and amplifies Africa’s creative economy.
6. Owusu Akoto — Freezelink (Agritech & Climate, Ghana)
Owusu Akoto’s Freezelink provides solar-powered cold storage as a service, addressing post-harvest losses that affect farmers and food suppliers. The solution strengthens food security while improving incomes across agricultural value chains.
7. Uka Eje — ThriveAgric (Agritech, Nigeria)
Uka Eje leads ThriveAgric, a platform that supports smallholder farmers with financing, training, and access to markets. By reducing risk and improving productivity, the company is helping modernise agriculture and strengthen rural economies.
8. Amr Abodraiaa — Rology (Healthtech, Egypt)
Amr Abodraiaa’s Rology uses AI-enabled teleradiology to connect medical imaging centres with specialist radiologists worldwide. The platform addresses shortages in healthcare expertise and improves diagnostic speed and quality.
9. Kaushik Burman — Spiro (E-mobility & Energy, Pan-Africa)
Kaushik Burman leads Spiro, a rapidly scaling electric mobility company deploying electric motorcycles and battery-swapping infrastructure across several African countries. The company is reducing transport costs, cutting emissions, and creating green jobs.
10. Elly Savatia — Signvrse (AI & Accessibility, Kenya)
Elly Savatia founded Signvrse to use artificial intelligence for sign-language translation through digital avatars. The technology improves access to information and services for deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, setting a benchmark for inclusive innovation.
11. Deepankar Rustagi — Omniretail (Commerce Tech, Nigeria)
Deepankar Rustagi’s Omniretail digitises informal retail networks by providing supply, payment, and data tools to small shops. The platform enhances efficiency and profitability within one of Africa’s largest economic sectors.
12. Ahmed Aboul-Ella & Botros George — Intella (AI Speech Tech, Egypt/Saudi Arabia)
The founders of Intella are building speech-recognition technology tailored to Arabic dialects. Their work addresses a major gap in global AI systems and unlocks new enterprise use cases across North Africa and the Middle East.
13. CompasAI Founders — CompasAI (EdTech, Nigeria)
The team behind CompasAI is focused on workforce readiness through adaptive learning and skills-development tools. Their platform supports young Africans in building competencies aligned with the digital economy.
14. LevvyBox Leadership — LevvyBox (AdTech, Nigeria)
LevvyBox converts vehicles into mobile advertising platforms, creating new revenue streams for transport operators. The model introduces innovation into urban advertising while monetising everyday mobility.
15. Anka Team — Anka (Creative Tech, Côte d’Ivoire)
Beyond its founder, the Anka team continues to scale digital infrastructure for Africa’s craft and creative sectors, enabling artisans to reach global customers with ease.
16. Nala / Rafiki Team — Rafiki (Fintech Infrastructure)
The Rafiki team is building critical payout infrastructure that supports remittances and enterprise payments into Africa. Their work underpins cross-border commerce and global financial connectivity.
17. Freezelink Team — Freezelink (Climate & Agritech)
The Freezelink team continues to expand cold-chain solutions that reduce food waste and strengthen agricultural supply chains in emerging markets.
18. ThriveAgric Team — ThriveAgric (Agritech)
The ThriveAgric team is scaling climate-smart financing and production models that support millions of farmers, addressing both food security and rural livelihoods.
19. Rology Team — Rology (Health Access)
Rology’s team integrates AI and telehealth tools to extend specialist healthcare access to underserved hospitals and clinics, improving outcomes across health systems.
20. M-KOPA Team — M-KOPA (Energy Inclusion)
The M-KOPA team continues to execute an energy-plus-finance model that delivers essential services to low-income consumers while expanding financial inclusion at scale.
Economic Impact on Africa as A Whole.
Collectively, these leaders and their companies reflect the evolving strength of Africa’s technology ecosystem in 2026. Their innovations are deepening financial inclusion by bringing payments, credit, and digital banking to individuals and businesses previously excluded from formal systems. At the same time, they are enabling cross-border trade and digital commerce, allowing African enterprises to reach regional and global markets more efficiently.
Their work is also accelerating climate-focused solutions, from clean energy and electric mobility to cold-chain infrastructure that reduces waste and improves food security. In healthcare and education, artificial intelligence and digital platforms are bridging gaps in access, expertise, and skills development, improving quality of life and workforce readiness.
Together, these founders are contributing to job creation, productivity growth, and new industry formation. By solving local challenges with scalable technology, they are positioning African economies as increasingly competitive players in the global digital landscape.
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