From Lagos to Nairobi

African startups led by women or focused on women’s needs are getting a boost, thanks to Five35 Ventures’ latest funding round. The venture capital firm, which has made a name for supporting underrepresented founders, announced that it has raised a new fund aimed specifically at empowering female entrepreneurs across the continent. The move comes amid…

Egyptian e-commerce fulfillment startup Taager has announced its expansion into Morocco, marking a major milestone in its broader strategy to scale across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The move signals the company’s growing ambition to build a unified infrastructure for social sellers, micro-entrepreneurs, and online merchants across the region—starting with one of North…

FairMoney, one of Nigeria’s leading digital banks, has introduced FlexiCredit, a new credit solution designed to give working professionals easier, faster, and more flexible access to funds. As rising living costs and unpredictable financial pressures continue to affect households across the country, FlexiCredit aims to bridge the gap by offering a credit product tailored to…

As Nigeria pushes toward its ambitious goal of achieving a $1 trillion GDP by 2030, fintech companies are increasingly stepping up to build the financial infrastructure needed to unlock productivity, empower small businesses, and deepen financial inclusion. FairMoney, one of the country’s fastest-growing digital banks, is taking a bold leap in this direction with the…

Nigeria’s informal retail economy—largely driven by neighbourhood kiosks, open-market traders, and small distributors—moves billions of naira daily, yet remains one of the most fragmented and underserved sectors in the country. Now, a new wave of founders is stepping forward with a digital solution designed to organise this massive but chaotic ecosystem, helping small retailers access…

Across the Middle East and Africa, a wave of technological transformation is reshaping both near-term commerce and long-term scientific advancement. Two developments: Taager’s steady expansion across the MENA region and the establishment of the Africa Quantum Consortium illustrates the momentum building across the continent and its neighbours. Together, they reflect a maturing ecosystem that is…