African startups raised $3.9bn across 506 deals in 2025, marking a strong recovery in fundraising after a challenging period for the continent’s venture capital market.

This was disclosed in a new report by Bloomwit Africa, which showed that total technology funding exceeded $4 billion when debt financing is included.

The report revealed that the combined equity and debt funding represented an estimated 25% year-on-year increase, with venture debt emerging as an important source of capital.

According to Bloomwit Africa, the recovery has continued into 2026, with African startups raising $705 million in the first quarter, a 26.5% increase compared with the same period last year.

The report noted that investment activity was strong across startup hubs, including Egypt, South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria.

“The improvement in funding reflects growing investor interest in Africa’s technology ecosystem despite global funding pressures that have affected venture capital markets in recent years.” the report reads.

Again, the report revealed the growing use of venture debt alongside traditional equity financing is giving startups more options to raise capital while reducing reliance on equity alone.

Investment is also becoming less concentrated in a handful of countries, pointing to a wider and more diversified funding sector across the continent.

According to the report, the distribution of capital across Africa’s leading startup markets shows investors’ increasing willingness to explore opportunities beyond traditional investment destinations.

Bloomwit Africa added that sustained investment in technology startups could drive innovation, business expansion and job creation, further strengthening Africa’s position as an emerging destination for venture capital.

The report also linked the renewed investor appetite to the continent’s expanding consumer market, growing internet penetration, youthful population and improving digital infrastructure, factors that continue to make Africa attractive for long-term technology investment.

African entrepreneurs have continued to build businesses across sectors including financial technology, healthcare, agriculture, education, logistics, artificial intelligence and e-commerce.

Despite the slowdown in global venture funding in recent years, many startups stayed focused on developing sustainable business models capable of attracting long-term investment.

With the economy showing signs of improvement, the report reiterated that investors are backing startups with clearer growth prospects and scalable business models

The post African Startup Funding Rebounds to $3.9bn in 2025 as Investor Confidence Returns appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

This is courtesy of a partnership deal with the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development and the Nigeria Army. 

The initiative is to further encourage youth participation in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges, and also empower them for self-reliance. 

While signing the Memorandum of Understanding, Sunday Dare, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, represented by Ismaila Abubakar, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, said the training programme is  timely Nigerian youth who are ready to offer a wide pool of talents in Information and Communication Technology, to develop and drive technological advancements for the betterment of the country. 

He said there is a growing demand for cybersecurity professionals on global and local level, which makes the profession a lucrative career path for today’s youth.  

Dr Wale Adeagbo, Chief Operating Officer of Academy Halogen, said the partnership agreements signal the beginning of a long-term cooperation with the Ministry and the Nigerian Army.

He noted that the free training was the first phase of the partnership. 

“Halogen is excited again to be at the vanguard of a project that will change the narratives of youth development to a remarkable one. After the training, 25 percent of the participants will undergo certification programs which will also be co-sponsored by the ministry and Halogen. Internship opportunities will be made available to youths who participate in the certification program,” Adeagbo said.

He further explained that the MoU with the Nigeria Army Resource Centre will center on capacity development for private security professionals in the country. 

Click here to register for the training.

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Truly, as the media space is rapidly changing, with citizen journalism, digital media, data science, solution journalism, and other innovations changing journalistic practice and media content production, organisations and institutions are taking bold action to help journalists understand these changes and equip them with new skills needed to function in the new age of media.

Nigeria’s leading technology company, MTN Nigeria, has joined global organisations supporting media practitioners to stay relevant in an ever-changing media profession with the launch of groundbreaking Media Innovation Programme (MIP) to train 20 Nigerian media practitioners in digital skills, improvement in writing and reporting skills through group presentations and sessions on PowerPoint tools for effective communication.

“The Media Innovation Programme (MIP) fellows will engage in intensive sessions on courses covering creativity and innovation, entrepreneurship and management principles, subscription business, strategic planning skills, amongst others,” Karl Toriola, the CEO of MTN Nigeria, said at the launch of the programme on Wednesday, April 27 at the Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos.

The six-month fully funded fellowship programme is in partnership with the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University, in Lagos.

The 20 Fellows will spend some time in accelerator labs and innovation centres, creating and incubating ideas, as well as a study visit to the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, adjudged one of the top universities in Africa in media training.

The Media Innovation Programme is coming at a time when media leaders from more than 50 countries across the world say lack of sufficient resources and skills are the major barriers to delivering innovation in their works, according to the ‘Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions 2022’ report published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, in January 2022.

The report revealed that around 51% of 246 media leaders in 52 countries surveyed say they don’t have enough money to invest in innovation this year.

A similar proportion says they struggle to hire or keep enough technical, design, or data staff to deliver solutions.

Through the MIP, MTN will be investing over N300 million in helping Nigerian journalists deliver innovation in their works and have a better understanding of media business and revenue models in a way that guarantees career and financial success.

By investing in media training for journalists in different beats, MTN continues its tradition of contributing significantly to educational growth in Nigeria. 

“We are driven by our belief that everyone deserves the benefits of a modern connected world inspired by the potential of Africa. The world is constantly evolving, with the media landscape changing at remarkable speed boosted by technology. Our motivation is to support the Nigerian media space with our infrastructure and enable capacity building initiatives to accelerate innovation in media practice.”

“It’s a delight to partner with Pan-Atlantic University, who through their expertise have contributed to the professional development of the media industry, not only in Nigeria but across Africa,” Karl Toriola, CEO, MTN Nigeria noted during the announcement. 

The post MTN Nigeria to Spend Over N300m on Media Innovation Programme appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

Additional investors include Flourish Ventures, 20VC, P1 Ventures, Phosphor Capital and Y Combinator along with notable angels Henri Stern (CEO Privy), Kaz Nejatian (CEO of Opendoor) and Med Benmansour (CEO of Nuitee).

Lua enables any team, regardless of technical depth, to build, own, and manage their own agent workforce from day one.

The company is founded by Lorcan O’Cathain and Stefan Kruger, who met while scaling a fintech business in East Africa – Lorcan as COO, Stefan as CTO.

Before Lua, Lorcan was MD of Zephyr Management’s Africa business, a leading VC/PE fund operating across Africa, India and Sri Lanka. Stefan was VP of Engineering at Paystack, joining before the Stripe acquisition.

Lua will use the funding to continue to build out its developer community and the Lua Implementation Network, a growing community of independent partners deploying Lua agent workforces in their own markets around the world.

Since launching its agent developer platform in October 2025, Lua has grown revenue close to 30% week-on-week. In February 2026 alone, more agents were built on Lua than in the entire cumulative period since launch.

Where teams collaborate with agent workforce

Lua is an opinionated, full-stack agent platform with one-click deployment, accessible via CLI or a natural language interface.

The company handles infrastructure, model orchestration, data, channel integrations, and monitoring so that businesses only have to write business logic and choose the integrations their agents need.

Technical builders get a powerful framework and full developer tooling. Non-technical teams get a visual interface that puts the same capability in their hands. Both work on the same agents, on the same platform. In hours, a team can have a fully functioning agent workforce, coordinating handoffs between agents and humans, running inside their existing systems.

“The companies that will win over the next few years are the ones that build their agent workforce with the same intentionality they bring to their human workforce,” said CEO Lorcan O’Cathain. “Most businesses are either blocked by technical complexity or locked into rigid tools that don’t reflect how their teams actually work. Most agent platforms compound this with black box tooling and per-outcome pricing: the more your agents succeed, the more you pay, with no pathway to improving your agent economics. Lua is built on the opposite principle: teams own their agents, own their outcomes, and build compounding efficiency over time.”

“We are thrilled to support Lua. The founders fundamentally understand how agent and human workforces need to collaborate to get work done,” said Lexi Novitske, General Partner at Norrsken22.

“Additionally, they are a global company that has deployed in Africa, Asia, the U.S. and Europe with deep experience, a volume of data, and a pricing intuition that’s difficult to replicate. We’re excited to help them build out this operating system for human and agent workforces.”

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The next cohort is now open, with applications closing on January 31, 2026. Classes are scheduled to commence from 6th February to 6th March, 2026.

The program is part of Trail Alley’s ongoing effort to make digital skills more accessible to beginners, recent graduates, corp members and career switchers who are eager to break into the digital space but may not know where to start. Participation in the program is completely free, with only 200 slots available for this cohort.

According to Trail Alley, the Tech Skill-Up Program focuses on non-coding digital skills that are immediately useful in today’s digital economy. Over the course of four weeks, participants will receive guided mentorship and hands-on training in areas such as digital literacy, graphic design using Canva, video editing with CapCut, and content marketing.

Each learning track is structured to support beginners, with practical projects and live sessions led by experienced professionals.

Duty Osamudiamen, founder of Trail Alley, shared that the fully virtual nature of the program allows anyone within Nigeria to participate.

“Since the program is entirely online, anyone within Nigeria can access the four weeks of training. Our goal is that by the end of the program, participants feel confident enough to pitch their skills to businesses and brands, or even begin building strong personal brands of their own,” she said.

In addition to the above stated, learners will gain access to Trail Alley’s growing community of over 300 digital learners, helping them to lean into peer support, collaborate and grow with professionals with years experience.

Participants who complete the program will also receive full course access and take part in practical projects designed to build real-world confidence.

What Participants Will Learn

Participants will be trained across four key digital skill areas.

1. Digital Literacy

Participants in the Digital Literacy track will build a strong foundation for working confidently in digital environments.

The training focuses on navigating essential digital tools, communicating and collaborating online, managing files and cloud storage, and using technology effectively for remote work and everyday productivity.

2. Graphic Design with Canva

The Graphic Design track introduces participants to visual design using Canva, making it ideal for beginners with little or no design experience.

Learners will be guided on how to create clean, professional visuals such as social media graphics, flyers, and basic branding materials, while also exploring advanced Canva features like animations and mockups.

3. Video Editing with CapCut

In the Video Editing track, participants will learn how to create engaging, social media-ready videos using CapCut. The training covers editing fundamentals, including cutting and trimming clips, adding effects, captions, transitions, and sound, as well as exporting videos optimized for platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts.

4. Content Marketing

The Content Marketing track focuses on helping participants understand how to plan, create, and manage content that attracts and engages online audiences.

Learners will be introduced to content strategy, effective content writing, and tools used for scheduling and managing content across digital platforms.

How to Apply

Interested candidates can apply by visiting the official Tech Skill-Up Program page on the Trail Alley website.

Applications are open until January 31, 2026, and candidates are encouraged to apply early, as available slots are limited to 200 participants.

The Tech Skill-Up Program is open to anyone committed to learning and personal growth, regardless of prior experience.

Trail Alley emphasizes that the program is especially suitable for beginners who need structure, guidance, and community support to stay consistent because, as the internet knows, motivation alone is not enough.

Classes begins from: 6th February to 6th March, 2026.

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With applications open to graduates across Nigeria, DreamDevs is designed as a national talent search for the next generation of world-class engineers.

Each year, just 20 high-potential candidates are selected into an intensive bootcamp, with the strongest performers progressing into internship and full-time roles at Moniepoint.

Last year’s cohort delivered four hires – three interns and one full-time engineer – validating the programme’s role as a high-impact talent pipeline.

Targeting graduates from technology, computer science, engineering, and related fields with foundational programming knowledge in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, DreamDevs offers a rigorous nine-week boot camp that immerses participants via hands-on training from leading software engineers. Standout performers will secure six-month internship placements at Moniepoint, with potential progression to full-time employment based on performance.

“The results from our first cohort validated our belief that with the right training and support, Africa’s young tech talent can compete globally,” says Felix Ike, co-founder and chief technology officer at Moniepoint Inc. “This year, we’re doubling down on our commitment by aiming to convert half of our participants into full-time employees. For us, DreamDevs is all about creating sustainable career pathways that drive Africa’s digital economy forward.”

The initiative aligns with Moniepoint’s broader vision of using technology to power the dreams of millions and engineer financial happiness across Africa.

It complements the company’s existing talent development programs, including HatchDev, a collaboration with NITHub Unilag that produces 500 specialised developers annually across software engineering, intelligent systems, and IoT/embedded systems as well as its hugely popular, Women-in-Tech which is now in its fifth year.

The initiative is also in tandem with the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, for which Moniepoint serves as a key sponsor.

While the 3MTT programme focuses on mass technical skills training across Nigeria, DreamDevs provides a specialised pathway that takes graduates from foundational training through to employment, creating a complete talent development ecosystem.

“We’re proud to support the government’s vision of building three million technical talents while also creating direct employment opportunities through initiatives like DreamDevs. This multi-faceted approach ensures we’re contributing to national goals while simultaneously addressing our industry’s immediate talent needs. By investing in young people and providing them with practical experience, startup incubation support, and product development opportunities, we are not only creating high-impact jobs and driving sustainable economic growth across the continent,” Ike said.

For Victor Adepoju, a member of the first cohort and now a Backend Engineer at Moniepoint,

“The organisation of the program was top-notch. The training covered a wide range of topics and provided a solid foundation I could continue to build on. I learned a great deal about cloud technologies, particularly Google Cloud Platform. The program also emphasised valuable soft skills, including planning, organisation, and prioritisation, which have been very useful in my day-to-day work.”

Selection will be based on technical aptitude, learning potential, and alignment with Moniepoint’s values of innovation and excellence.

How to apply to Moniepoint DreamDevs Cohort 2

Interested and qualified recent graduates are encouraged to apply before the January 20th deadline via the official portal at dreamdevs.moniepoint.com.

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The 2026 edition will be delivered in exclusive partnership with the Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening the region’s venture ecosystem through the development of a long-term, execution-ready talent pipeline for high-growth technology companies.

The Fellowship builds on the momentum of last year’s inaugural cohort, which attracted hundreds of applicants from 14 countries and delivered a high-impact summer experience in Riyadh. Fellows came from leading global and regional educational institutions such as UC Berkeley, Purdue University, King’s College London, KFUPM, and many others.

The cohort participated in 10 curated sessions with leading founders, operators, and investors, and a number of them secured extended or full-time opportunities.

The fellowship program is highly selective and competitive, with single-digit acceptance rates. It brings together Fellows acrossengineering, product, and business disciplines.

Embedded within high-growth technology companies and technology investment firms, and supported by structured, in-person programming.

More than 40% of Fellows secured extended or follow-on roles by the end of the program, demonstrating the uniqueness of the fellow and the Fellowship’s effectiveness in developing equipping them with the best skillset to be top performers in their careers.

Designed to meet a pressing ecosystem need, the Fellowship addresses the shortage of talented operators, limited early exposure to real company-building, and the need to retain top talent within the region.

It creates a structured pathway connecting ambitious early talent with venture-backed, high-growth technology companies across the Outliers and SVC networks, embedding future operators inside high-performance and innovation-driven cultures and strengthening the talent base required for companies to scale.

The partnership marks the first time a regional fund of funds has formally backed a dedicated regional talent pipeline for high-growth technology companies.

The Outliers Fellowship offers Fellows:

• A summer internship with leading technology companies across the Outliers and SVC network such as Lean, Strataphy, Stream, Lendo, Penny, Soum, Ejari and Stitch among others
• Tailored one-on-one mentorship sessions
• Curated, high-impact weekly in-person programming designed to accelerate the Fellows’ careers and learning
• A lifelong community of Fellows and like-minded ambitious builders

Dr. Nabeel Koshak, CEO and board member of SVC,

“This partnership reflects SVC’s national role in advancing the venture capital ecosystem in Saudi Arabia through a holistic approach that goes beyond investment. Building human capital, strengthening institutional capabilities, and fostering knowledge and awareness are essential to the long-term competitiveness of our ecosystem. This Fellowship represents a practical model for developing talent that can operate at global standards and support the Kingdom’s economic transformation.”

Sarah AlSaleh, general partner at Outliers, shared,

“The strength of any tech ecosystem is ultimately shaped by the people who choose to build within it. The Outliers Fellowship is designed to give emerging talent early, meaningful exposure to real operating environments and ambitious companies. Partnering with SVC allows us to build this pipeline with long-term intent and to help shape a generation of operators who will define the region’s next chapter.” 

By convening top students from around the world in Riyadh each summer, the program positions the city as a central hub for company building and operator development.

In doing so, it also aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by cultivating talent, accelerating job creation, and fostering innovation.

How to Apply:

Applications for the 2026 Fellowship open on January 26 and close on February 27.

Visit the link here.

The post APPLY: Outliers and SVC 2026 Fellowship Now Open appeared first on Tech | Business | Economy.

The roadshow aims to mobilize staff of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government to actively participate in the upcoming Inter-Agency Innovation Competition and Awards which has cash prize of N140 million with the goal to drive collaboration in boosting Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.

The roadshow trains which will start off from the Old Federal Secretariat in Area 1 and pass unto the main Federal Secretariat at the Central Business District, Abuja.

The Roadshow will have major stops at MDAs located around that vicinity.  It is designed to raise awareness about the competition’s objectives, benefits, and the critical role of innovation in enhancing public servants’ participation in using innovation to address Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges, especially through the industrialization Agenda by the Federal Government.

Staff from various MDAs will have the opportunity to engage directly with the Inter-Agency Innovation committee officials, participate in informative sessions, and learn how to submit innovative entries through a link here.

The Chairman, NASENI Inter-Agency Innovation Competition, Engr. Dr. Olayode Olasupo, who doubles as Director, Manufacturing Services Department at NASENI, said home-grown innovations are pivotal to Nigeria’s yearning for industrial development.

He said this can be realized by giving Nigerians especially civil servants opportunities to contribute towards the nation’s development.

“We want to make sure talents in staff are not wasted, and we know that all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) have such staff in abundance.”

“The competition hereby invites all MDAs to propose innovative solutions in various sectors, including health, agriculture, education, and infrastructure, leveraging innovation, science, Engineering and technology to enhance service delivery and improve the quality of life for Nigerians.”

The chairman encouraged all MDAs to embrace this opportunity to showcase staff’s innovative ideas and creativities and to further collaborate in driving technological advancement for a more prosperous Nigeria. “Join us in driving innovation for a better Nigeria.

“Together, we can unlock our nation’s potential through innovation in science, Engineering and technology. Join the movement by submitting entry”, he said, adding that the Federal Government through its Renewed Hope Agenda is serious about harnessing talents to build a modern and industrialized Nigeria.

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The GFRS capitalizes on the extensive network of WBAF which provides a unique opportunity to 100 selected startups and scaleups to pitch their businesses on the Global Fundraising Stage at the World Congress of Angel Investors WBAF 2022 on 25th to 26th of October 2022 in Antalya, Turkey. 

The economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic made it more difficult than ever for startups to reach out for finance – smart or otherwise. WBAF’s response to this issue has been to strengthen its focus on developing innovative financial instruments for entrepreneurs and SMEs as a part of its global agenda.

An affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), one way WBAF does this is through its Global Fundraising Stage, an international co-investment platform, supported by the WBAF Angel Investment Fund. 

The ultimate goal is to create a high-quality portfolio with some of the world’s most promising startups, scaleups and, at the same time, create opportunities for co-investment and follow-on investments. An additional goal is to connect the best startups with the best angel investors, making it possible for the startups to benefit from the know-how, networks, and mentoring of qualified investors. 

The Global Fundraising Stage is designed to capitalize on the worldwide growth in entrepreneurial activity and venture financing for startups and scaleups and to capitalize on WBAF’s extensive network of global investors. These include angel investors, private equity funds, co-investment platforms, wealth management institutions, family offices, VCs, and acceleration centers.

It is important to note that the WBAF Angel Investment Fund is only one of many investors and investing institutions that will be present at GFRS 2022.

Eligibility

The mission is to showcase the world’s top startups and scaleups, which, typically, are funded companies in the process of raising €50K to €3M, with the aim of globalising. 

The 2022 Global Fundraising Stage is supported by the WBAF Angel Investment Fund, which aims to invest in the top startups of GFRS 2022.

Applications are open to two types of entrepreneurs:

• Startups: Promising businesses that are seeking financing but have not yet raised any outside capital from angel investors, venture capital firms or other formal sources of seed funding. They need between €50K and €500K to scale up.

• Scale-ups: Typically, these are companies that have received funding from angel investors or VCs and who are now raising €500K – €3M with the aim of internationalising.

How to apply 

Are you an SME or startup with the zeal to thrive higher? Apply before the deadline on 15 October, 2022.

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The programmes are open, competitive, and fully merit-based, targeting ambitious Africans who are building businesses or have scalable business ideas capable of creating jobs and driving sustainable economic growth.

They are:

1. Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme (Pan-African)
2. Aguka Ideation Programme (Rwanda – Youth-Focused)
3. IYBA-WE4A Programme (Women-Led Green Businesses)

The flagship Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme is open to entrepreneurs from all 54 African countries, across every sector.

Successful applicants will receive:

• US$5,000 non-refundable seed capital
• World-class business training
• Dedicated mentorship
• Lifetime access to TEFConnect
• Entry into Africa’s largest entrepreneurship ecosystem

Since its launch in 2015, the programme has funded over 24,000 entrepreneurs, trained 2.5 million Africans, helped create 1.5 million jobs, and generated US$4.2 billion in revenue across the continent.

Application deadline: March 25, 2026

Aguka Ideation Programme (Rwanda – Youth-Focused)

The Aguka Ideation Programme is a youth-focused initiative in Rwanda, delivered in partnership with UNDP, the European Union, and the Rwandan Ministry of Youth and Arts.

The programme supports young Rwandans with:

• Entrepreneurship training
• Expert mentorship
• US$3,000 seed capital
• Business development support and pitching opportunities

The initiative is designed to help youth-led ideas evolve into sustainable and scalable enterprises.

Application deadline: January 10, 2026

IYBA-WE4A Programme (Women-Led Green Businesses)

The IYBA-WE4A Programme is a multi-partner initiative supporting women entrepreneurs building businesses in green and sustainable sectors across selected African countries.

Selected entrepreneurs will receive:

• US$5,000 seed capital
• Tailored business and green-enterprise training
• Mentorship and investment-readiness support
• Lifetime access to TEFConnect

The programme focuses on sectors such as sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, circular economy, eco-tourism, and other environmentally focused industries.

Application deadline: January 25, 2026

Each programme is designed to provide African entrepreneurs with practical tools, catalytic capital, and long-term networks to build businesses that generate jobs and deliver lasting impact.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation encourages stakeholders to share this opportunity widely with aspiring entrepreneurs, universities, incubators, innovation hubs, youth networks, and women-led business communities across Africa.

To apply for each of the opportunities, visit here.

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