Future Africa

Lori Systems Corp. is a logistics platform founded in 2016 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, with additional offices in Mombasa, Kampala, and Lagos. The company specializes in connecting cargo owners with vetted transporters, addressing the significant logistics costs that account for up to 75% of product expenses in Africa. By leveraging technology, Lori's platform enhances supply chain management through real-time cargo monitoring, electronic documentation, and automated payment processes, thereby improving operational efficiency. Since its launch in May 2017, Lori has achieved substantial growth, boasting a compounded monthly growth rate of 30%. The increasing demand for its tech-enabled logistics solutions reflects the company's success in providing transparency, flexibility, and cost savings to businesses across the continent.

Itana operates Nigeria's first Digital Free Zone, facilitating global tech-powered businesses to operate remotely in Africa without physical presence. It offers end-to-end support for business incorporation, banking services, licenses, immigration assistance, and operational services, creating an ideal online jurisdiction for scalability across the continent.

Smile Identity Inc. is a technology company based in San Francisco, California, that focuses on identity verification solutions. Founded in 2016, the company has developed an application called SmartSelfie, which allows users to create a universal biometric for authentication on Android devices. The team comprises engineers and financial services professionals from both the United States and Africa, bringing expertise in global markets with a focus on highly regulated environments. Smile Identity has developed advanced encryption, authentication, and security solutions, as well as image processing technology. The company has experience working with telecoms, lenders, banks, and startups, enabling them to understand the unique challenges faced by consumers and enterprises in Africa. With support from prominent investors in Silicon Valley and Africa, Smile Identity has established a pan-African presence, operating in countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Rwanda.

Uncover is a beauty company that provides skincare products for consumers. The company's mission is to inspire, support, educate, and empower women to take control of health and well-being and become the most trusted skin-care brand. Uncover was founded in 2020 and is based in Kenya.

Nexford University is an online higher education institution founded in 2017, based in Washington, D.C. It aims to provide accessible and affordable education tailored to the demands of the global workforce. Serving markets such as the United States, the Philippines, Nigeria, and Egypt, Nexford offers degree programs and courses across various industries, including technology, business, and healthcare. The university's curriculum is designed to align with employer needs, leveraging artificial intelligence to identify and focus on in-demand skills. This approach ensures that learners, particularly from middle-income societies, receive a relevant and dynamic education that prepares them for success in a competitive global job market.

Hohm Energy is a company based in Gauteng, South Africa, founded in 2021. It operates an online marketplace that facilitates connections between customers and accredited solar providers, product suppliers, and financiers. The company offers a comprehensive solar purchasing experience by leveraging scalable technology to manage the entire solar transition journey for clients. This includes scoping solutions, installation, and ongoing operations and maintenance, aiming to accelerate the adoption of solar rooftops and contribute to a lower-carbon future.

Jumba is a construction technology platform based in Nairobi, Kenya, established in 2022. The company focuses on optimizing B2B construction material purchases and financing, serving as a vital link between manufacturers and retailers. Its platform allows businesses to order a range of materials, including cement, steel, paint, tiles, plumbing, electrical supplies, and finishes for kitchens and bathrooms, with the option to pay later. By connecting small hardware stores with medium-sized retailers in their vicinity, Jumba facilitates inventory updates and streamlines the construction supply chain in Africa, making the procurement process more efficient for hardware retail establishments.

MIA Group is a consumer internet company in Francophone Africa. We are on a mission to make commerce easy through a digital ecosystem fulfilling the everyday needs of consumers online and offline. Our businesses include Miaplenou.com: The largest online retail platform operating in Togo, Benin, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Launched 2012. Kiosk: online reselling App that enables anyone to start a business without investment. Launched 2021. MiaPay: QR code payment and lifestyle services

Big Cabal Media (BCM) is a digital media company focused on serving African audiences both on the continent and globally by producing high-quality media brands and original content. The company operates two prominent media publications: TechCabal, which provides in-depth coverage of technology, startups, and innovation in Africa, and Zikoko, which captures the essence of Nigeria’s youth culture through engaging storytelling across various formats. TechCabal also features a data and intelligence unit, TechCabal Insights, that aids development finance institutions, NGOs, state governments, global tech brands, and African startups in addressing challenges within the digital economy. By reflecting and amplifying the voices of African youth and providing critical insights into the tech landscape, BCM aims to highlight the potential of Africa's digital economy as a pathway to prosperity.

Finclusion is a FinTech accelerating company that provides financial services and credit products using AI-powered and data-driven lending for fraud prevention and credit granting. The company also offers buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services, salary advance schemes, loan services, and transactional banking to individuals and SMEs across 5 countries—South Africa, Eswatini, Namibia, Kenya, and Tanzania.

Stitch operates a financial API platform that facilitates secure connections between bank accounts and various applications. By providing full API access to financial accounts, Stitch enables users to share their transaction history, confirm their identities, and initiate payments efficiently. The platform integrates directly with existing bank infrastructures, ensuring compliance and enhancing user experience through a lightweight single sign-on process. This approach allows clients to conduct fraud-free bank payments and access financial data with ease.

Kwara GmbH is a technology company that specializes in developing a digital banking platform tailored for savings and credit co-operative societies (SACCOs). Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Berlin, Germany, with an additional office in Nairobi, Kenya, Kwara aims to modernize credit unions by providing a comprehensive cloud-based solution. The platform facilitates loan application servicing and approval for members, while also offering integration services, customer support, real-time financial tracking, and compliance assistance. Kwara's offerings include Kwara Pronto, a tool for managing loans. Currently, the company serves over 200 SACCOs across Kenya, South Africa, and the Philippines, enabling these financial institutions to enhance their operations and improve access to formal financial services.

Eden Life Inc., based in Lagos, Nigeria, specializes in tech-enabled housekeeping services for professionals. Through its online platform and mobile application, the company offers a range of services including laundry, meal preparation, house cleaning, equipment maintenance, and meal delivery. By aggregating vendors offering diverse services, Eden Life enables clients to efficiently manage their household chores.

Edves Limited is a company that specializes in developing school management software aimed at automating various educational processes. Founded in 2016 and based in Lagos, Nigeria, Edves provides a comprehensive platform that addresses enrollment, payment processing, e-learning, and performance analytics for K-12 schools. Serving over 1,700 schools across 11 countries in Africa, the software facilitates online learning through features such as e-books, video tutorials, and virtual classrooms. Additionally, it offers tools for school administrators to track fee defaulters, generate reports, and monitor student performance, thereby enhancing the overall educational experience and operational efficiency of institutions.

Releaf is a Nigerian supply chain technology firm established in 2017 that operates as an online marketplace connecting agribusiness buyers and sellers. The company focuses on sourcing ingredients for African food factories, particularly targeting crops such as cassava, palm oil, ginger, cashew nuts, fish, maize, cocoa, kola nuts, yam, and sesame seeds. By utilizing digital technologies, including USSD and open banking, Releaf engages with over 2,000 smallholder farmers, facilitating the supply of high-quality palm kernel nuts to food manufacturers. The firm also provides extension services to these farmers and converts raw materials into factory-grade inputs for the vegetable oil sector. With a vision to create climate-adaptive supply chains in response to Africa's growing population, Releaf aims to enhance efficiency in food production and support the agricultural ecosystem.

MarketForce is a technology company headquartered in the United States, with operations in Kenya and Nigeria, focused on enhancing B2B commerce and fintech solutions for African merchants. Launched in 2018, the company has developed the "RejaReja" platform, which allows merchants to digitally source, order, and pay for inventory. In addition to these services, MarketForce offers access to financing, enables digital payment collection, and allows merchants to resell digital financial services like airtime and utility tokens. Operating in five markets across Sub-Saharan Africa, MarketForce has established a rapidly growing network that includes over 200,000 merchants and 50 consumer brands. The company employs an asset-light business model to drive efficiency and productivity in the distribution of goods, utilizing advanced technology to streamline operations for its users.

Smile Identity Inc. is a technology company based in San Francisco, California, that focuses on identity verification solutions. Founded in 2016, the company has developed an application called SmartSelfie, which allows users to create a universal biometric for authentication on Android devices. The team comprises engineers and financial services professionals from both the United States and Africa, bringing expertise in global markets with a focus on highly regulated environments. Smile Identity has developed advanced encryption, authentication, and security solutions, as well as image processing technology. The company has experience working with telecoms, lenders, banks, and startups, enabling them to understand the unique challenges faced by consumers and enterprises in Africa. With support from prominent investors in Silicon Valley and Africa, Smile Identity has established a pan-African presence, operating in countries such as South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and Rwanda.

Rivy is making it easier to finance small and medium sized businesses in Africa. There is a need for financing of $158 bn for SMEs in Nigeria alone. To start, Rivy o helps SMEs access and spend lender capital effectively. During their first full operational year in 2020, the Rivy o co--founders leveraged their domain expertise and founding experience to beat their 2020 goal by 50%.

Nexford University is an online higher education institution founded in 2017, based in Washington, D.C. It aims to provide accessible and affordable education tailored to the demands of the global workforce. Serving markets such as the United States, the Philippines, Nigeria, and Egypt, Nexford offers degree programs and courses across various industries, including technology, business, and healthcare. The university's curriculum is designed to align with employer needs, leveraging artificial intelligence to identify and focus on in-demand skills. This approach ensures that learners, particularly from middle-income societies, receive a relevant and dynamic education that prepares them for success in a competitive global job market.

Termii is a Lagos-based company founded in 2014 that provides a cross-channel messaging and customer engagement platform tailored for African businesses. The platform facilitates communication with customers through SMS, email, voice, and instant messaging, enabling teams to secure repeat customers via personalized outreach. In addition to messaging services, Termii offers a suite of business applications that address various needs such as digital branding, sales, marketing, customer relationship management, eCommerce, accounting, inventory, and project management. This comprehensive approach allows clients to enhance their business operations and improve customer engagement across multiple channels.

Sote, Inc. is a technology company based in San Francisco, California, with an additional office in Nairobi, Kenya. Incorporated in 2017, Sote develops a digital customs clearing and freight forwarding platform tailored for the logistics industry. Its software provides a comprehensive workflow tool that allows industrial cargo owners to manage freight clearing and forwarding processes efficiently. The platform features a dashboard that enables users to track shipment status, payment history, and estimated arrival times for containers, facilitating better coordination among all parties involved in logistics. Additionally, Sote is committed to empowering African businesses by leveraging proprietary trade data to address the trade finance gap in the region. By offering reliable credit, risk management, underwriting, and business intelligence, Sote aims to transform the landscape of trade finance and logistics in Africa.

Evolve Credit is a Nigerian fintech company founded in 2020, headquartered in Lagos. It operates an online platform that empowers consumers to explore, compare, and apply for various loan products tailored to different needs, including personal loans, SME loans, and options for salary earners and the unemployed. The platform provides expert reviews, ratings, and comparisons based on price, interest rates, and other terms. Additionally, Evolve Credit offers a Software as a Service (SaaS) core banking platform that enables financial institutions to streamline, digitize, and manage deposit, lending, and recovery services efficiently. This platform includes no-code tools designed to offer personalized customer banking experiences both online and offline.

Releaf is a Nigerian supply chain technology firm established in 2017 that operates as an online marketplace connecting agribusiness buyers and sellers. The company focuses on sourcing ingredients for African food factories, particularly targeting crops such as cassava, palm oil, ginger, cashew nuts, fish, maize, cocoa, kola nuts, yam, and sesame seeds. By utilizing digital technologies, including USSD and open banking, Releaf engages with over 2,000 smallholder farmers, facilitating the supply of high-quality palm kernel nuts to food manufacturers. The firm also provides extension services to these farmers and converts raw materials into factory-grade inputs for the vegetable oil sector. With a vision to create climate-adaptive supply chains in response to Africa's growing population, Releaf aims to enhance efficiency in food production and support the agricultural ecosystem.

Kobo360 is a digital logistics platform founded in 2017 and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. It connects manufacturers and cargo owners with truck operators, utilizing technology and data analytics to streamline haulage operations. By creating an integrated logistics ecosystem, Kobo360 aims to enhance supply chain efficiency and reduce costs for all stakeholders, including cargo owners, truck owners, and drivers. The platform addresses logistics challenges by offering real-time visibility, optimizing routes, and improving last-mile delivery. Additionally, Kobo360 is working to enter the agro-trading sector, facilitating a marketplace that directly links farmers with global buyers, thereby reducing reliance on middlemen and increasing profits for smallholder farmers. The company's mission is to develop a comprehensive Global Logistics Operating System that fosters trade and commerce across Africa and emerging markets.