The round was co-led by Moxxie Ventures and Mercuri, joined by EWOR, Tekton Ventures, Amigos Venture Capital and six unicorn founders. 

Their support comes only months after the company’s two young founders topped AndroidWorld, an influential benchmark for mobile-device automation, beating long-established research groups from Google DeepMind, ByteDance, Microsoft Research and Alibaba.

Unlike web developers, mobile teams usually wait weeks to push even small updates through. Minitap argues that this drag has held the industry back for years. 

The company says its platform lets teams work at a pace closer to the web, cutting feature-delivery cycles from six weeks to a few days.

Nicolas Dehandschoewercker, Minitap’s co-founder and CEO, said the long delays in mobile development impacted their motivation. “We spent two years building our first viral mobile product, today, and I’m embarrassed by that timeline,” he said. He added that “Mobile is 60% of internet usage but moves at 10% of web speed. Every consumer app company (Duolingo, Calm, Hinge etc) ships 5x more experiments on web than mobile. We built Minitap to close that gap for everyone.”

His co-founder, Luc Mahoux-Nakamura, stressed the need for faster testing across consumer apps. “Every consumer mobile company needs to experiment faster. The companies that run 10x more experiments will win their markets. We’re building the infrastructure that makes that speed possible.”

The pair grew up in a small village in Burgundy, studied side by side, and later built several projects together before launching Minitap. Their path included early products, time in military school, engineering research, and work on drone infrastructure, an experience they now say gave them a rare mix of skills.

Investors appear to agree. Daniel Dippold, founder and CEO of EWOR, described the team’s speed and technical range as a competitive advantage. 

“Nicolas is leading one of the fastest teams I’ve seen. It comes from years of working together, knowing mobile inside out, and understanding how to build AI systems that hold up. The combination of AI research capabilities, mobile development skills, and sheer hunger of will is unprecedented and ideal for solving this specific problem.”

Minitap’s platform is built on two key components: mobile-use, an open-source framework that allows automated systems to operate smartphones like real users; and minitap cloud, an infrastructure capable of spinning up thousands of mobile configurations at once. 

Together, these tools help teams generate code, test it across devices, flag errors, and deliver working features far faster than traditional workflows.

Their speedy progress on AndroidWorld brought attention earlier this year. Within their first 40 days, they reached the top of the benchmark and later released their framework openly, drawing more than 1,900 GitHub stars.

The seed round also attracted founders behind companies such as Hugging Face, Last.fm, Adjust, SumUp, FlixBus and Worldcoin, alongside operators from OpenAI, DeepMind, LangChain and LlamaIndex. Investors say the founders’ momentum was difficult to overlook. 

Katie Jacobs Stanton of Moxxie Ventures said: “When you see two 23-year-olds from rural France beat Google in 40 days, you recognize something rare. Nico and Luc are solving a massive problem that they uniquely understand and are moving at an urgent speed.”

Today, Minitap is being used by consumer mobile teams that want to run more experiments without expanding their engineering headcount. The company says its tools will eventually allow product managers to describe a feature, drop in a design, and have code generated and tested in a single afternoon.

Mercuri partner Esha Vatsa believes the long-term potential is vital. “Minitap is one of the first companies that is bringing agentic AI to mobile use and possibly the very first that is taking a full-stack approach to enable the use of AI coding agents for mobile app development. This is a substantial challenge and a huge opportunity that Nico and Luc are uniquely positioned to solve.”

Minitap founders say their vision is to enable the development of mobile apps that adapt themselves automatically, running experiments, studying user behaviour, generating improvements and rolling out new versions with minimal human involvement.

From startups to multinationals, organizations are racing to adopt digital tools, boost efficiency, and stay competitive in a tech-driven world.

For software developers, data scientists, cybersecurity experts, and other techies or digital talent, the market has never been more promising.

Here are the top industries in Nigeria where techies can build rewarding and lucrative careers:

1. Fintech & Digital Finance

Nigeria is Africa’s fintech powerhouse, home to unicorns like Flutterwave, Interswitch, and Opay. Fintech startups are reshaping how people save, invest, and make payments.

Techies skilled in software engineering, blockchain, UI/UX, cybersecurity, and mobile app development are in high demand.

Why it’s lucrative: Access to global funding, remote work potential, and the chance to work on products used by millions daily.

2. eCommerce & Retail Tech

Platforms like Jumia, Konga, and Fouani Online Store are transforming Nigeria’s retail space. Beyond online shopping, logistics, payment gateways, and AI-driven customer experience are areas where tech talent is critical.

Why it’s lucrative: High user adoption, growing demand for digital marketplaces, and opportunities to develop scalable solutions for consumers.

3. Telecommunications & ICT

Telcos like MTN, Airtel, and Glo are not just communication providers, they are now digital service enablers. Careers in cloud computing, network engineering, cybersecurity, and big data analytics are in strong demand as telcos drive 5G adoption and expand mobile services.

Why it’s lucrative: Strong salaries, steady demand, and opportunities to work on cutting-edge digital infrastructure projects.

4. Agritech

Agriculture is Nigeria’s largest employer, and tech is driving its transformation. Startups like Thrive Agric and Farmcrowdy are leveraging AI, IoT, and blockchain to improve food production, distribution, and financing.

Why it’s lucrative: Growing investor interest in agritech, constant demand for food, and the chance to solve real problems with scalable digital solutions.

5. Health Tech

With a fast-growing population, Nigeria’s healthcare sector is under pressure. Tech is stepping in with telemedicine, electronic health records, and AI-powered diagnostics. Companies like LifeBank and Helium Health are paving the way.

Why it’s lucrative: Critical need for innovation, strong social impact, and expansion of private healthcare technology solutions.

6. Media & Entertainment Tech (TechTainment)

Nigeria’s creative industry; film, music, and gaming, is going digital. Streaming platforms, animation studios, and gaming startups are creating roles for tech professionals in software engineering, AR/VR, and digital content distribution.

Why it’s lucrative: Nollywood and Afrobeats have global audiences, creating demand for digital platforms and immersive technologies.

For techies in Nigeria, the future is brimming with opportunities across multiple industries. Whether it’s building fintech apps, powering health-tech platforms, or scaling ecommerce solutions, skilled professionals can find not just jobs, but truly lucrative careers.

The key? Continuous upskilling, adaptability, and the courage to innovate.

Welcome to the realm of augmented reality (AR) in mobile app development, where innovation knows no bounds. In this piece, we embark on a journey to explore the exhilarating importance of augmented reality in daily growth, unlocking a realm of endless possibilities and captivating experiences.

Enhancing User Experience:

One of the primary reasons why augmented reality is gaining popularity in mobile app development is its ability to enhance the user experience. AR technology allows users to interact with digital elements in real-time, blurring the line between the physical and virtual worlds. 

Whether it’s trying on virtual clothes, visualizing furniture in a room, or playing interactive games, AR creates an engaging and memorable experience for users. By integrating augmented reality into mobile apps, developers can provide a new level of interactivity, making the user experience more immersive and enjoyable.

Driving Business Growth:

Augmented reality has the potential to drive significant business growth. By leveraging AR technology, businesses can create unique and compelling experiences for their customers, leading to increased engagement and customer loyalty. 

For example, retail apps can use AR to allow customers to virtually try on products, eliminating the need to visit physical stores. This not only enhances the shopping experience but also reduces the return rate and increases customer satisfaction. 

Similarly, AR can be used in real estate apps to provide virtual property tours, enabling potential buyers to visualize spaces before making a purchase decision. Incorporating augmented reality into mobile apps will help businesses differentiate themselves in the market, attract more customers, and ultimately drive revenue growth.

Education and Training:

Another area where augmented reality is making a significant impact is education and training. Traditional learning methods can often be static and less engaging, making it difficult for students to grasp complex concepts. 

Augmented reality transforms the learning experience by bringing textbooks and educational materials to life. With AR-enabled mobile apps, students can explore three-dimensional models, conduct virtual experiments, and engage in interactive lessons. 

This immersive and hands-on approach to learning not only makes education more enjoyable but also enhances knowledge retention. Furthermore, AR can be utilized in corporate training programs, enabling employees to simulate real-life scenarios and acquire new skills in a safe and controlled environment.

Future Possibilities:

The potential applications of augmented reality in mobile app development are vast and continue to expand. As technology advances, we can expect to see even more innovative uses of AR in various industries. 

From healthcare and tourism to gaming and entertainment, augmented reality has the power to revolutionize how we interact with the world around us. Developers are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible, creating captivating experiences that were once considered science fiction.

So, it’s clear that augmented reality is no longer a futuristic concept; it has become a powerful tool in the realm of mobile app development. Its ability to enhance user experiences, drive business growth, and revolutionize education and training makes it an essential component for daily growth. 

As the technology continues to evolve, businesses and developers need to create a future where the digital and physical worlds seamlessly merge, providing endless possibilities for innovation and growth.