Browsing: Startup financing in Africa

• 121 African startups secured $466M, marking a 27 per cent drop from the previous quarter; women-led startups got 6.5 per cent of the capital.
• About 87 per cent of startup funding in the three months to March went to entities in Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and South Africa.
• Gender imbalance persists as only 6.5 per cent of the financing went to female-led startups in Africa.

The big four economies of Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt continue to attract the highest share of funding going to startups in Africa, even as the ecosystem suffered a 27 per cent drop in financing to $466 million in the three months to March 2024.

The latest analysis from Africa: The Big Deal shows that 87 per cent of startup funding in the three months to March went to upcoming entities in Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt and South Africa.

Attracting $160 million, Nigeria’s economy accounted for …

• With the funding for growth, Lapaire intends to open 300 eye care centres.
• Eye care in developing countries like Kenya and many other African states remains underfunded.
• While it initially began with a B2B sales approach, it has since abandoned that model, favouring direct contact with the customers.

Kenya-based Eyewear Startup Lapaire has secured $3 million (KSh476 million) in private equity funding for growth initiatives across African markets. Following the deal’s closure, Lapaire intends to open 300 eye care centres, targeting 80 new outlets by December 2024.

Impact investment fund Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) led the equity round with AAIC, FINCA Ventures, and Beyond Capital pitching in. Cross-Boundary provided advisory support for the deal through USAID’s Africa Trade and Investment activity.

“Over the last few years, we worked hard to build a highly scalable model and we are now in the best position to accelerate our growth to positively impact …