DFS Lab

A provider of bespoke delivery services to companies with a particular focus on Quick Service Restaurants.

Pastel supports African businesses by offering tools that help manage their businesses and maximize efficiency.

Tushop is a community group buying platform where members can sell groceries to those in their social networks and communities.

Kibanda Topup digitizes the supply for micro, small and medium-sized restaurants. Kibanda Topup allows restaurant owners to order inventory such as grains, poultry, beverages, and beef by app through a simple SMS and get the orders the next day.

NALA Incorporation Company Limited develops a mobile payments application that facilitates various financial transactions without the need for an internet connection. Founded in 2017 and based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, NALA's platform enables users to make bill payments, peer-to-peer transfers, and purchase cell phone minutes. The application enhances the mobile money experience by allowing users to execute transactions quickly and securely, while also providing features such as budgeting tools, transaction tracking, and multi-factor authentication. Additionally, NALA supports international payments for Africans globally, streamlining the process of sending and receiving money across different countries.

Sendchamp is a unified communications platform designed for businesses in Africa, facilitating improved communication and relationship-building with customers. The company offers a range of Communication APIs and CRM solutions that enable businesses to reach their audiences through various messaging channels, including SMS, Email, Voice, Whatsapp, and other digital platforms. With a focus on customer onboarding, engagement, service, and retention, Sendchamp provides both APIs and no-code tools that empower developers and organizations to personalize their communication strategies and enhance customer interactions.

Tushop is a community group buying platform where members can sell groceries to those in their social networks and communities.

PesaKit is a technology company based in Nairobi, Kenya, that specializes in providing a platform for last-mile agent networks in the mobile money and digital finance sectors. Established in 2018, PesaKit utilizes artificial intelligence to develop a virtual assistant that streamlines the management of liquidity and conversion processes for mobile money agents and merchants. The company's software application features an API-driven interface, enabling users to digitize distribution and access channels effectively. PesaKit aims to enhance financial inclusion by supporting mobile money agents with innovative tools that improve their operational efficiency.

Appetito operates an online grocery delivery platform that specializes in providing customers with daily fresh baked products, groceries, and a diverse range of savory and sweet snacks. The company's service allows consumers to conveniently order essential food items and have them delivered directly to their doorstep, enhancing the accessibility and variety of food options available to them. By focusing on quality and convenience, Appetito aims to meet the needs of customers seeking fresh and appealing food products.

Salescabal is a cloud retail application that allows merchants and retailers to collect customer data and engage with them on their different social network or via traditional media. Salescabal take business from offline to having a complete online presence with a storefront and a companion mobile app to collect customer data in their brick and mortar stores.

Operator of a cloud kitchen platform intended to build food brands for delivery. The company provides food via its in-house brands on its platform and also runs a dark-kitchen model for the delivery of its in-house menu, enabling food enthusiasts to select from a range of nearby restaurants and receive quick food delivery.

GoBEBA is an on-demand e-commerce logistics platform operating in emerging Africa markets. We bring together local merchants, consumers and logistics service providers to enable efficient discovery and ordering of frequently purchased products and services in one platform. This combination delivers an asset-light convenient, multi-category on-demand ordering service for everyday essentials. We do this by aggregating demand for merchants through a curated digital marketplace which connects merchants directly to consumers and logistics service providers in an on-demand basis . GoBeba is an ‘everything’ app’ for a wide range of services including grocery shopping, food delivery, cargo, and many other on-demand services.

PayHippo is a financial technology company focused on providing financing solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. It offers automated underwriting and credit assessment tools that facilitate the flow of capital to approximately 40 million small businesses in the region. Through its API integration, PayHippo enables partners to effectively monitor the SMEs utilizing its financing services. The company specializes in providing various financial products, including working capital loans, asset financing, and inventory financing, which help businesses acquire necessary equipment and access clean energy solutions. By bridging the financing gap for SMEs, PayHippo contributes to the growth and sustainability of small businesses in Africa.

Star Kitchens provides digital solutions to African food merchants enabling them to scale their business. It is building the future of food commerce by developing software with a full-stack approach. Star Kitchens is led by an experienced team with scale-up experience at leading African companies such as Jumia, IrokoTV, Konga, and Lambert. The company was founded in 2020 and is based in Lagos, Nigeria.

GoBEBA is an on-demand e-commerce logistics platform operating in emerging Africa markets. We bring together local merchants, consumers and logistics service providers to enable efficient discovery and ordering of frequently purchased products and services in one platform. This combination delivers an asset-light convenient, multi-category on-demand ordering service for everyday essentials. We do this by aggregating demand for merchants through a curated digital marketplace which connects merchants directly to consumers and logistics service providers in an on-demand basis . GoBeba is an ‘everything’ app’ for a wide range of services including grocery shopping, food delivery, cargo, and many other on-demand services.

Tanda is a fintech startup focused on enhancing access to essential digital financial services for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Africa. The company provides a platform that enables micro-retailers to access inventory credit and serve as distribution points for vital services, including airtime sales, utility payments, mobile banking, and insurance. Despite their crucial role in local economies, where they supply over 70% of essential goods valued at more than $180 billion annually, over 90% of micro-retailers lack credit histories and access to traditional financing. Tanda aims to bridge this financing gap by facilitating financial inclusion for low-income MSMEs, allowing them to diversify their income streams and improve their financial resilience through commissions earned from various services.

TaniHub is a B2B agriculture marketplace that connects farmers with food, hotel, restaurant, and catering business people. It offers an e-commerce platform for agricultural products and empowers local farmers by providing market access and financial access. Through TaniHub, local farmers can sell their crops to individuals as well as micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in various regions. Headquartered in Jakarta, Jakarta Raya, co-founders Ivan Arie Sustiawan, Eka Pamitra, Michael Sugianto, Miftahul Choiri, Wahyu Setyo Nugroho, Wawan B. Setyawan, and William Setiawan founded it in 2015.

NALA Incorporation Company Limited develops a mobile payments application that facilitates various financial transactions without the need for an internet connection. Founded in 2017 and based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, NALA's platform enables users to make bill payments, peer-to-peer transfers, and purchase cell phone minutes. The application enhances the mobile money experience by allowing users to execute transactions quickly and securely, while also providing features such as budgeting tools, transaction tracking, and multi-factor authentication. Additionally, NALA supports international payments for Africans globally, streamlining the process of sending and receiving money across different countries.

Veridium Ltd is a developer of biometric authentication solutions aimed at enhancing security and reducing data breaches. The company offers VeridiumID, a platform that integrates biometric authentication into mobile applications through a front-end software development kit (SDK). Additionally, it provides VeridiumAD, which adds biometric capabilities to Microsoft Active Directory and Azure AD, and the 4 Fingers TouchlessID, a multi-finger contactless system compatible with unmodified smartphones. Veridium's technology focuses on replacing traditional passwords and tokens with a streamlined, single-step multi-factor authentication process, ensuring data privacy and protection against fraudulent activities. Founded in 2015 and based in Quincy, Massachusetts, Veridium aims to deliver a passwordless experience for both employees and clients, bolstered by AI-based behavioral biometrics for enhanced identity verification.

Cherehani Africa is a financial platform focused on empowering women micro-entrepreneurs in rural and underserved areas by providing access to credit and personalized financial literacy resources. The company's innovative approach combines technology with a human touch, enabling it to deploy capital with enhanced efficiency. Cherehani leverages existing micro-savings group structures to offer various financial products, including asset financing for business tools and loans for agriculture, water, sanitation, and hygiene. Additionally, Cherehani Africa prioritizes financial education, delivering market information and training through a proprietary web-based platform complemented by in-person field visits. This comprehensive support system aims to foster the growth of micro-businesses and improve the financial stability of women in these communities.

Nobuntu Group (Pty) Ltd, founded in 2017 and based in Cape Town, South Africa, provides funeral insurance services and offers a savings initiative known as the People's Fund. The company is dedicated to designing and distributing community-oriented savings products aimed at helping South Africans prepare for retirement. By addressing the challenges related to retirement savings, Nobuntu seeks to ensure that all individuals can age with dignity and comfort, regardless of their financial planning timeline. Through its services, Nobuntu aims to transform the retirement savings landscape in South Africa, promoting financial security for its clients.

NALA Incorporation Company Limited develops a mobile payments application that facilitates various financial transactions without the need for an internet connection. Founded in 2017 and based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, NALA's platform enables users to make bill payments, peer-to-peer transfers, and purchase cell phone minutes. The application enhances the mobile money experience by allowing users to execute transactions quickly and securely, while also providing features such as budgeting tools, transaction tracking, and multi-factor authentication. Additionally, NALA supports international payments for Africans globally, streamlining the process of sending and receiving money across different countries.

Inclusive Financial Technologies develops a mobile application that helps financial institutions reach customers by enabling them to onboard, verify, and monitor via digital channels, including USSD and the Web. The company aims to make ID verification and multi-factor authentication in Sub-Saharan Africa using a single restful application programming interface (API). It offers user onboarding, KYC and AML compliance, fraud detection, and document authentication. The company uses machine learning, forensics, imaging, and voice capture technology to enable thin file identities. Its products include Smart Bank, Inclusive ID, and iCapture. Inclusive Financial Technologies was founded in 2016 and is based in Accra, Ghana.

SERV'D is an impact enterprise working towards financial inclusion and economic empowerment of the domestic help segment (maids, cooks, nannies and drivers) by organizing the currently unorganized sector through technology and a dignity driven professional approach.