2025 is believed to be that year startups will bring out a bigger side of innovation, but let’s not forget—it’s also the year we might finally figure out how humans and AI can really blend to do exploits.
There have been loads of launches and sky-high valuations, some startups are quietly impacting industries and improving lives. Nigeria and other African nations are innovating commendably, building solutions across the climate, AI, fintech and other sectors.
In 2024 alone, African startups attracted over $2 billion in funding. Although this was lower than the previous year, the continent gained even more global competitiveness and recognition, revealing that Africa is no longer ‘just catching up’.
Startups like Flutterwave, Opay, Moove and others have not stopped keeping us in awe, but there are even more startups emerging to disrupt the problem-solving determination and we must keep an eye on them in 2025.
Here are the top 15 startups to watch in 2025:
1. Moniepoint (Nigeria)
Moniepoint reached unicorn status in 2024 after a $110 million Series C funding round led by Development Partners International, Google’s Africa Investment Fund, Verod Capital, and Lightrock. This funding pushed the fintech company’s valuation to over $1 billion.
Moniepoint specialises in banking-as-a-service solutions, providing digital payments, banking, foreign exchange, credit, and business management tools. This integrated platform aims to serve African businesses of all sizes, processing over 800 million transactions monthly valued at over $17 billion, while maintaining profitability.
Tosin Eniolorunda, founder and group CEO, recently reiterated the company’s focus on driving financial inclusion and empowering Africa’s informal economy, which employs 83% of the continent’s workforce. Moniepoint has even been recognised by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s National Inclusive Payment Initiative Award in 2022.
In October 2024, the company’s $110 million funding made up 43% of total African startup investments that month. During a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa, Vice President Kashim Shettima commended Moniepoint’s contributions to financial inclusion, SME empowerment, and anti-fraud initiatives in collaboration with law enforcement agencies.
Moniepoint’s mission is to create “financial happiness” by expanding its footprint across Africa and offering seamless business solutions to ensure NJ economic growth and stability.
2. Vesti (Nigeria)
Among the top startups to watch in 2025, Vesti is a migration fintech company simplifying the complex processes of migration and cross-border financial services. In 2024, Vesti celebrated the opening of its state-of-the-art software engineering office in Lagos, a ₦1 billion investment in Nigeria’s tech sector.
This Centre of Excellence in Software Engineering and Financial Technology is designed to enable collaboration and innovation. The facility included themed meeting rooms, collaborative workspaces, a lounge, cafeteria, swimming pool, and gym, as Vesti’s focused on employee satisfaction and talent development.
Co-founders Olusola and Abimbola Amusan revealed plans to create over 600 engineering jobs in Lagos within two years and 1,500 by 2027. Vesti is also working to connect Africans to global markets.
The company’s platform provides comprehensive legal and financial services for immigrants, including AI-powered support, remittances, and foreign exchange. Following successful expansions to Ghana, Zambia, and the UK, Vesti now plans to enter Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan in 2025.
With cash-positive operations in H1 2024, Vesti is targeting a Series A funding round to further scale its global footprint. The company’s mission is to empower one billion immigrants worldwide.
3. NeuRaL AI (Nigeria)
NeuRaL AI is bolstering artificial intelligence adoption in Nigeria. In 2024, the company launched REACTOR, an AI platform enabling businesses to integrate Generative AI into their operations.
This solution, priced at ₦99,000 per month, offers end-to-end support, from setup to maintenance and training, for organisations aiming to deploy custom AI models.
NeuRaL AI’s mission aligns with Nigeria’s AI-focused initiatives. The government recently introduced a National AI Strategy, supported by $3.5 million in seed funding, to strengthen the country’s pace in AI innovation. By 2030, Nigeria’s AI market is projected to reach $8.75 billion, providing fertile ground for NeuRaL AI’s growth.
The company’s innovative services and collaborative approach make it a strategic partner for businesses looking to stay competitive in the AI industry. With the Nigerian government investing heavily in AI infrastructure, NeuRaL AI is well-placed to capitalise on this growing market.
4. PBR Life Sciences (Nigeria)
In 2024, the company raised $1 million in pre-seed funding to support its expansion across Africa. The round saw contributions from investors such as Launch Africa, Microtraction, Kaleo Ventures, Octerra Capital, and ARM Labs.
This funding will enable PBR Life Sciences to broaden its reach, expanding into Ghana and Kenya, alongside its ongoing operations in Nigeria.
Founded in 2015 by Ayodeji Alaran, a pharmacist with experience at pharmaceutical giants like GSK, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca, PBR Life Sciences pivoted in 2021 to focus on leveraging big data for healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The company’s flagship solution, “Versus,” uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze healthcare data from retail pharmacies, offering pharmaceutical companies required insights into product performance, market share, and competitor activity.
This platform is very important in enhancing the operational efficiencies of healthcare providers while promoting inclusivity in clinical trials, ensuring underrepresented patient populations are included in research.
PBR Life Sciences is already doing great in healthcare analytics across Nigeria and aims to replicate its success across Africa. The startup’s growth has been further enhanced by its participation in the Techstars Lagos accelerator program, where it received $120,000 in funding and access to a network of mentors and investors.
With Africa facing increasing health challenges, PBR Life Sciences is working to impact healthcare delivery with its scalable, data-driven solutions.
5. NALA (Tanzania/Nigeria)
NALA, a Tanzanian-founded fintech startup, addressing the high cost and inefficiency of international money transfers into Africa, was named in CB Insights’ Fintech 100 list.
In 2024, the company raised $40 million in a Series A funding round to extend its consumer business beyond Africa and to enhance its B2B payments platform, Rafiki, which facilitates payments into Africa for global businesses.
The funding round was led by Acrew Capital, with participation from investors such as DST Global, Norrsken22, and HOF Capital. NALA aims to serve the 1.3 billion people across Africa and also the emerging markets in Asia and Latin America.
Since its inception in 2017, NALA has expanded its services from local money transfers in Tanzania to offering international remittance services in 11 African countries, enabling users in the UK, US, and the EU to send money to Africa with lower fees compared to traditional services.
NALA has already seen commendable growth, with revenue increasing tenfold over the past year and achieving profitability for the first time. The company’s focus on reducing the high costs associated with cross-border payments addresses a big challenge for Africans, who lose an estimated $8 billion annually in remittance fees.
In 2025, NALA plans to continue improving its platform and expand into new markets, with the goal of transforming the global remittance sector while making cross-border payments more accessible and cost-effective for businesses and individuals alike.
6. Appmint (Nigeria)
Appmint is an innovative platform designed to bridge the gap for startups and small businesses across Africa. The startup addresses several challenges faced by the African digital marketplace, including high costs, a lack of technical expertise, and infrastructure barriers.
Appmint offers a no-code, AI-powered platform that integrates business functions, allowing entrepreneurs to build websites, automate processes, manage customer relationships, and access data-driven insights—all within one affordable solution.
The platform was developed by Durubata Limited to make sophisticated digital tools more accessible to African entrepreneurs. CEO Jacob Ajiboye explained during the launch that Appmint’s mission is to reduce costs of operations and provide an affordable, user-friendly platform that enables business growth for startups.
This initiative is particularly important in a region where many businesses find it hard to access the technology necessary to scale their operations effectively.
Appmint’s to bolster its scalable tech infrastructure that can drive growth across Africa’s diverse markets, placing it among the top startups to watch in 2025.
7. Juicyway (Nigeria)
Juicyway is a fintech startup enhancing cross-border payments by leveraging stablecoin technology. Founded in 2021 by Ife Johnson and Justin Ziegler, Juicyway facilitates global remittances, enabling individuals and businesses to send and receive money in fiat currencies and cryptocurrencies.
The startup made headlines in 2024 when it raised $3 million in a pre-seed funding round led by P1 Ventures, with participation from investors such as Ventures Platform, Future Africa, and Microtraction.
Juicyway is addressing a big issue in Africa’s remittance market, where transaction fees are often really high. With an average remittance fee of 13% on $200 transfers in Q4 2023, there is a pressing need for more cost-effective solutions.
Juicyway’s platform leverages stablecoins to enable faster, cheaper, and more efficient global money transfers, with 24/7 execution and settlement. The company’s focus on creating a liquid ecosystem for currency exchanges allows users to trade at market-driven rates, reducing remittance costs and promoting greater financial inclusion.
Since its launch, Juicyway has processed over $1.3 billion in 25,000 transactions across 4,000 customers, including partnerships with companies like Bolt, IHS, and Piggyvest. With the new funding, Juicyway plans to expand its team, enhance its technology, and enter new markets.
In 2025, the company will continue to scale its operations, providing faster, cheaper, and more secure remittance solutions that enhance financial inclusion for Africans and people in other emerging markets.
8. Hermplify (Nigeria)
Hermplify, one of the top startups to watch in 2025, is an AI-powered platform with a mission to support women entrepreneurs and young girls in Africa, providing them with the tools to grow their businesses and gain tech skills.
Officially launched in 2024, Hermplify targets the challenges that women in Africa face, particularly in accessing technology and funding. With over 100 million female entrepreneurs across the continent, many of whom are limited by these barriers, Hermplify aims to be the solution that allows women to thrive in Africa’s digital economy.
The platform offers a range of tools such as automated invoicing, payment processing, and online storefronts, helping women manage their businesses with ease.
Added to these, Hermplify provides educational resources, including courses in digital marketing, web design, and data analysis, giving women a competitive edge in the digital space. Again, the platform also provides access to financial services, including soft loans, to support business growth. In its first month alone, the platform attracted over 1,700 registered users.
The African digital economy is expected to grow to $300 billion by 2025, CEO Anthony Olanrewaju describes Hermplify as a movement aimed at amplifying women’s voices and talents across Africa, with plans to expand the platform to other countries on the continent.
9. JADA (Nigeria)
JADA, a Lagos-based talent hub specializing in data and AI staff augmentation, has already done great in its mission to transform Africa’s AI talent industry.
The company raised $1 million in 2024 to support its goal of training Africa’s next generation of AI professionals. Founded by Massimiliano Spalazzi and Olumide Soyombo, JADA addresses the global shortage of skilled data and AI professionals, especially in light of the increasing demand for such expertise.
The company provides a proprietary four-month training program aimed at experienced professionals in data analytics, machine learning, and generative AI, combining both technical and soft skills.
In addition, JADA uses an AI-powered algorithm to select candidates based on assessments of their technical skills, case studies, and cultural fit. The business model provides a solution for companies looking to integrate AI into their operations by giving them access to highly trained professionals from Africa, where they can benefit from a cost-effective yet high-quality workforce.
The company has been focusing on clients in Europe and the Middle East, leveraging Africa’s favourable time zones and English proficiency. With plans for further geographical expansion, JADA is aiming to compete globally in the AI talent market. This places the company among the top startups to watch in 2025.
10. PaidHR (Nigeria)
In 2024, PaidHR, a Nigerian startup focused on HR functions, attracted attention for its innovative solutions in payroll management. Founded in 2020, PaidHR has processed billions of naira in salaries and is now looking to expand its services with the launch of a cross-border payroll solution.
This feature allows businesses to pay employees in multiple currencies, offering flexibility for companies with international teams. In addition to this, the startup has introduced a wallet feature that allows employees to convert their salaries into any preferred currency, helping them hedge against the devaluation of the naira.
The cross-border payroll feature supports 49 currencies and is designed to ensure regulatory compliance while simplifying financial transactions for businesses. PaidHR also provides a range of HR services, including employee onboarding, performance management, and compliance.
The company’s success in processing salaries across Africa has already seen it serve over 200 businesses, with plans for further growth in the coming years.
PaidHR’s innovative HR solutions, one that places it among the top startups to watch in 2025, provide a much-needed service for companies looking to optimize their payroll systems and offer employees greater control over their earnings, tackling business challenges related to currency instability.
11. Aya Data (Ghana/Nigeria)
Aya Data, a Ghana-based AI consultancy, is growing fast in the data annotation and AI solutions space. In 2024, the company raised $900,000 in a seed round to scale its operations and expand its AI product offerings.
Aya Data’s services focus on collecting and labelling data necessary for the development of large language models like ChatGPT, serving as an essential partner for global tech companies like Meta and OpenAI.
Beyond data annotation, Aya Data offers two key products: AyaGrow, an AI-powered solution for precision agriculture, and AyaSpeech, a tool that allows businesses and governments to interact in local African languages via speech-to-speech technology.
These solutions have already attracted global clients like MIT, Seedtag, and Unilever. The company’s focus on building local expertise and training individuals for technical roles such as data engineering and data science reiterates its focus on strengthening Africa’s place in the global AI space.
Justifying its being among the top startups to watch in 2025, Aya Data plans to scale its team and expand its offerings to support African businesses in leveraging AI for increased competitiveness. With a revenue of $500,000 in 2023, Aya Data seeks to continue its growth and contribute further to the AI sector.
12. Octavia Carbon (Kenya)
Climate change continues to threaten life on Earth, but Octavia Carbon, a Kenyan-based company, is determined to tackle this issue leveraging climate tech with its innovative direct air capture (DAC) technology.
The startup focuses on filtering CO2 from the atmosphere and turning it into rock, a process that helps mitigate the growing levels of carbon emissions. Octavia Carbon’s solution is part of a global movement to combat climate change, with increasing urgency as the UN reports a significant rise in atmospheric CO2 levels.
This innovative technology offers a promising avenue for reducing the carbon footprint and addressing one of the most pressing challenges of our time. Octavia Carbon’s work reveals the role of technology in developing sustainable solutions for environmental issues, and its growth is closely tied to the global push for climate action.
With the climate tech sector growing fast, Octavia Carbon’s success in advancing DAC technology places it among the top startups to watch in 2025.
13. Waste2Light (Nigeria)
Another company among the top startups to watch in 2025 is Waste2Light which has made great achievements in the renewable energy sector by developing a technology that converts plastic waste into components for 3D-printed turbines.
These turbines leverage both wind and hydro energy, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional energy sources. In recognition of its innovation, Waste2Light was awarded N8 million in the TotalEnergies Startupper Challenge 2024, providing the company with the resources to scale its operations.
Led by Emmanuel Abah, Waste2Light has been recognised for its dual focus on addressing energy shortages and environmental issues. Abah’s leadership helped in securing the top prize in the Power Up category of the TotalEnergies Startupper Challenge 2024.
One of Waste2Light’s key initiatives is the proposed hydro-turbine project for the Gurara community in Niger State. This project, which aims to provide 500 kW of electricity to five communities, will impact approximately 25,000 residents. The project is in its proposal stage, pending approval, but it reflects the company’s focus on solving electricity shortages in rural Nigeria.
Looking towards 2025, Waste2Light aims to electrify 100 communities, providing 1 million people with access to clean energy, creating 500 jobs in the clean energy sector, and securing funding for the Gurara hydro-turbine project. The company is also focused on forming partnerships with local governments and stakeholders to drive sustainable energy development.
Waste2Light is working to close the electricity gap, especially in underserved rural areas.
14. CDIAL.AI (Nigeria)
In 2024, CDIAL.AI received recognition when it was selected as one of the top beneficiaries of the N100 million AI Fund, a collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy and Google.
The company’s mission is to make technology accessible to everyone, regardless of their language, technological expertise, or economic status. In focusing on breaking down technological limitations, CDIAL.AI is creating innovative solutions for underserved regions, with a special emphasis on local languages.
Its flagship offering, Indigenius, a cutting-edge language diversity tool, helped in securing CDIAL.AI a top spot at the “Innovation to Transform Education” event in Lagos, hosted by Future Perspectives, an initiative led by former Nigerian Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
The event saw the company’s solution take the top prize for its impactful potential in education. CDIAL.AI’s services include hardware, mobile applications, chatbots, and enterprise software, making it one of the startups to watch in 2025.
Supporting over 180 languages for typing and 13 languages for generative AI, the company is tackling the challenge of digital inclusion for over a billion Africans. As CDIAL.AI moves into 2025, its solutions promise to bridge the digital divide, creating a more inclusive technological future for people across Africa and beyond.
15. Flowmono (Nigeria)
Another Nigerian startup that is doing great is Flowmono, a platform focused on workflow automation and e-signature solutions. In 2024, Flowmono gained significant recognition, winning multiple “Best Of” badges from Gartner Digital Markets brands, including Capterra and GetApp.
These awards validate Flowmono’s focus on innovation, customer satisfaction, and delivering cutting-edge solutions that simplify business operations. With a platform that combines secure e-signature technology, real-time data integration, and workflow automation, Flowmono has become a preferred choice for businesses looking to improve productivity.
Under the leadership of CEO Babatola Awe and CFO Akintayo Okekunle, Flowmono has experienced great market growth in 2024. Customers have commended its seamless integration into existing workflows, its user-friendly interface, and its ability to simplify document signing processes.
Flowmono has received glowing reviews for its ability to save businesses time and enhance efficiency, all while ensuring the security and confidentiality of their data.
Flowmono is aiming for an even bigger 2025. The company plans to introduce advanced AI-powered automation tools, enhanced analytics for deeper insights, and expanded integrations with popular business platforms to create a more seamless user experience.
Flowmono is ready to meet the demand for smarter, more efficient tools for businesses to gain higher efficiency. The company’s focus on data security, adherence to industry standards such as GDPR, NDPR SOC 2, ISO 27001, and ICO, and customer satisfaction make it a startup to watch as it grows in the coming year.
