Startups on Our Radar is a bi-weekly column that spotlights new startups across Africa taking unconventional approaches, filling fundamental gaps, and creating value in a way that feels fresh, focused, and meaningful. Know a startup we should feature next? Please nominate here.
In our debut, we featured 10 startups from Nigeria, Algeria, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Egypt, spanning e-commerce, logistics, SaaS, fintech, EV, AI, and social commerce. If you missed it, catch up here. Expect the next dispatch on May 29, 2025.
Let’s get into today’s picks.
Mystocks.africa wants to put every African stock market in your pocket (Fintech, Botswana)
I first met Humphrey Mwamba, founder of Mystocks.africa, at Accelerate Africa’s demo day on Friday, May 2, 2025. Twice, I watched him pitch, and both times, I was genuinely impressed.
Launched in 2024, Mystocks.africa is an AI-powered investment platform that enables Africans to invest in stocks, bonds, ETFs, and funds across major African exchanges, regardless of location. The platform addresses the long-standing challenge of fragmented and inaccessible African stock markets for retail investors. With thousands already on the waitlist, Mystocks.africa is among the first to offer seamless, cross-border stock trading for Africa’s retail investors.
Key features include AI-driven analytics, real-time market data, customisable charting tools, and a mobile-friendly interface. Users can also access a demo trading account, educational resources, and 24/7 support. Pricing is accessible, with both free and $5/month pro plans.
Why we’re watching: Mystocks.africa is a first-mover making Africa’s capital markets accessible to everyday investors. Humphrey’s finance background (he helped build the East African Commodity Exchange) gives this startup serious credibility.
2. ZOOMe wants to keep electric delivery bikes moving with three-minute battery swaps (EV, Nigeria)
EV adoption in Africa is accelerating. Launched in 2023 by Adedayo Odunlami, ZOOMe is a Nigerian startup that offers a network of battery swap stations and electric motorcycles for logistics firms and fleet operators.
ZOOMe addresses two of the most significant barriers to EV adoption in Africa: range anxiety and operational downtime. Their battery swap technology allows riders to exchange depleted batteries for fully charged ones in under three minutes at any of their nine stations, ensuring fleets stay on the road with zero waiting time.
ZOOMe’s infrastructure-first approach is complemented by after-sales and maintenance support, a digital monitoring app for real-time fleet management, and partnerships with leading players like Spiro to further scale battery-swapping access and drive sustainable logistics. In just over a year, ZOOMe has completed over 19,000 battery swaps, enabled 1.4 million kilometres of emission-free travel, and helped avoid over 140 tons of CO₂ emissions.
Why we’re watching: EV adoption is accelerating across Africa, and ZOOMe’s infrastructure-first model is precisely what’s needed to make electric vehicles viable for businesses on the continent.
Nigeria’s EV market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.8% from 2025 to 2031. With over 27 million motorcycles already on African roads and two- and three-wheelers expected to account for over 50% of new sales by 2040, ZOOMe is well-positioned to capture a significant share of a market worth billions as electrification accelerates.
3. Reasy wants to make paying and vetting overseas suppliers as easy as mobile money (Fintech, Cameroon)
I met Brice Mba, co-founder of Reasy, at a lively mixer during the just concluded Africa’s Venture Capital Week. Within minutes, I was drawing parallels from his business model to Middleman in Nigeria. Launched in 2023, Reasy offers supplier verification, rapid cross-border payments, escrow, and logistics support, making it easier and safer for local businesses to source internationally. Through a recent partnership with Savana, a leading microfinance institution, Reasy now enables merchants to pay Chinese suppliers directly from any Savana branch in Cameroon, bridging the gap between traditional finance and modern trade needs.
Why we’re watching: Reasy is equipping Cameroonian importers with the tools they need to trade confidently and efficiently across one of Africa’s largest commercial corridors. Reasy is helping local businesses overcome fraud risks, payment delays, and shipping hassles, unlocking new growth opportunities in a $295 billion trade ecosystem.
4. Konnect Networks wants to let North African freelancers get paid online like it’s 2025 (Fintech, Tunisia)
I first heard about Konnect Networks, founded by Amin Ben Abderrahman, from an Egyptian investor who couldn’t stop raving about their impact. Konnect is building the “Stripe for North Africa,” making it easier for businesses and freelancers to get paid online despite a conservative banking sector.
With over 27,500 users and $478,000 in revenue in its first two years (2023, 2024), Konnect recently raised $1.5 million to scale its payment gateway across North Africa.
Why we’re watching: Konnect is solving a critical problem in North Africa’s conservative banking sector. The startup’s rapid growth and recent investment from VISA signal that global players are finally paying attention to North Africa’s fintech scene.
5. MazaoHub wants to boost smallholder yields with AI soil tests and on-site support (Agritech, Tanzania)
I first read about MazaoHub in a “why we invested” blog post by Mercy Corps Ventures. Co-founded by Geophrey Tenganamba and Adelard Josephat Urassa, MazaoHub empowers smallholder farmers with AI-driven recommendations, climate data, and a Farm ERP platform. The company blends advanced technology like real-time soil analytics, AI-driven crop and fertiliser recommendations, and a full-featured Farm ERP with on-the-ground support through a network of extension officers and Farmer Excellence Centres. This “Tech and Touch” approach ensures farmers receive actionable insights and the hands-on help needed to adopt new practices.
MazaoHub’s platform covers the entire farming cycle: soil testing and input optimisation to pest scouting, weather risk intelligence, supply chain management, and financial record-keeping. Farmers use the mobile-accessible system to plan, track, and analyse their operations, access credit, and connect directly with buyers, boosting yields, reducing costs, and improving market access. MazaoHub has helped over 14,000 farmers increase yields by an average of 150%, cut fertiliser expenses by 30%, and boost organic manure use by 500%.
Why we’re watching: MazaoHub is closing the productivity gap for Africa’s 33 million smallholder farmers by making climate-smart, data-driven farming accessible even in remote areas. Their blend of AI, affordable soil kits, and in-person extension services is a glimpse of the future of African agriculture, where farmers are empowered as entrepreneurs and environmental stewards.
MazaoHub’s addressable market spans 36 million farmers in East Africa alone, representing a potential market size of $3.6 billion. With Tanzania’s agricultural sector valued at $18.4 billion in 2025 and growing, MazaoHub is well-positioned to scale its impact across the continent.
6. Supplya wants to stock Nigerian corner shops with factory-direct goods on interest-free credit (E-commerce, Nigeria)
The first time I came across Supplya was at a pitch competition. The way co-founder Joy Adeniran fielded tough questions from the judges showed me they truly understand Nigeria’s SME pain points.
Launched in 2021 by Opeyemi Kehinde and Joy Adeniran, the platform enables retailers to source products directly from manufacturers, access interest-free inventory financing for 30 days, and benefit from free last-mile delivery. Supplya streamlines the supply chain and reduces costs for small businesses by partnering with logistics providers and collaborating with Evea Africa for smart credit solutions.
Supplya also empowers retailers with free digital storefronts, a significant advantage in a market where only about 9% of SMEs currently use digital sales tools. The company aims to impact 100,000 retailers by Q4 2025, helping them stock more, save money, and grow their businesses.
Why we’re watching: Nigerian SMEs are the backbone of the economy, accounting for 86% of employment and 50% of nominal GDP. Yet, limited access to credit and supply chain inefficiencies are persistent barriers to growth. Supplya’s model, offering interest-free credit, direct sourcing, and digital tools, addresses these pain points, enabling SMEs to operate more efficiently and competitively.
Nigeria’s e-commerce market is projected to reach $9.54 billion in 2025, with B2B e-commerce representing a growing segment. The unmet demand for SME credit alone is estimated at $32.2 billion, highlighting a vast opportunity for platforms like Supplya that combine financing with digital supply chain solutions.
7. Tyms AI wants to replace paper ledgers with AI-powered bookkeeping for African SMEs (AI, Nigeria)
Tyms AI was one of the interesting new startups I found at GoTime AI’s demo day event. A founder at the event described the startup as “QuickBooks for Africa, powered by AI.” Founded in 2023 by Ibrahim Adepoju and Chineye Ochem, TymsAI automates bookkeeping, payables, receivables, and financial statements.
Tyms AI is tackling one of the biggest pain points for African small businesses: accounting is time-consuming, error-prone, and often unaffordable without dedicated staff. Tyms AI automates bookkeeping, payables, receivables, and financial statements, integrating directly with local banks and payment gateways like Paystack and Flutterwave. This makes it easy for business owners to manage finances, stay compliant, and save up to 40% on accounting costs compared to manual or traditional methods.
Why we’re watching: Tyms AI brings advanced, AI-powered automation to a market where most SMEs still rely on handwritten records and spreadsheets. By eliminating manual data entry and offering seamless integrations, Tyms AI saves business owners hours each week, reduces costly mistakes, and helps them make smarter financial decisions. Its user-friendly platform and compliance with global standards make it accessible even for non-accountants, while its embedded accounting API opens doors for fintech and SaaS partners.
8. Tembo wants to drop plug-and-play payments and wallets into any East African app (Fintech, Tanzania)
I discovered Tembo while doom-scrolling LinkedIn, then heard two investors rave about their API-first approach to payments. Founded by Victor Joseph, Tembo provides secure, fully integrated APIs and SDKs that allow fintechs, e-commerce companies, and digital banks to embed payments, collections, cards, wallets, and programmable bank accounts into their platforms. With a single integration, businesses can manage everything from cross-border payments and local collections to international remittances without the burden of navigating licenses or compliance in each country.
Tembo recently secured a Payment Service Provider (PSP) license from the Central Bank of Tanzania, enabling it to offer domestic and international payment processing directly. The company partners with regulated institutions like Ecobank, Flutterwave, and AzamPay to ensure secure, compliant transactions across multiple African markets.
Why we’re watching: By offering a combination of APIs and Software Development Kits (SDKs), Tembo removes the complexity of regulatory compliance and licensing for businesses looking to accept payments or move money across Africa. Tembo allows its clients to launch and scale financial products quickly and reliably across borders.
9. Sahel AI wants to draft and red-flag your contracts right inside your Microsoft Word (AI, Nigeria)
SahelAI is another interesting startup I came across at GoTime AI’s demo day. Founded by Jamiu Idowu, Sahel AI is Nigeria’s first AI-powered contract drafting and review platform. Integrated directly into Microsoft Word, Sahel AI automates routine contract work for legal professionals, highlights legal risks, and provides actionable suggestions. The company claims it reduces contract review time by up to 80% and saves lawyers as much as 15 hours per week. The generative AI platform includes modules for drafting, reviewing, allowing lawyers to draft contracts from scratch, review specific sections, and access a vast library of clauses without leaving their familiar workflow.
Why we’re watching: Legal tech is just getting started in Africa is a small sector in Africa, and Sahel AI is among the first set of startups offering to improve the productivity of law firms and in-house teams.
10. Coastal Biotech wants to turn Zanzibar seaweed into yield-boosting organic fertiliser (Biotech, Tanzania)
I rarely see fully-fledged biotech startups in Africa, so when I came across Coastal Biotech, I was immediately intrigued. Coastal Biotech is a pioneering marine biotechnology startup founded by Lavine Irvine and based in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The company develops resilient seaweed strains and transforms marine resources into premium, organic agricultural products such as fertilisers, biostimulants, and feed additives that improve soil health and support sustainable farming. Their approach leverages cutting-edge R&D, international biotech standards, and partnerships with institutions like the Technical University of Munich and local Tanzanian organisations.
Why we’re watching: Coastal Biotech is one of the few homegrown biotech innovations in Africa, building intellectual property capacity and delivering sustainable, scalable solutions for agriculture.
That’s all for today. Expect our next dispatch on May 29th. Know a startup we should feature next? Please nominate here.
