African startup funding dips 6% year on year
Startup funding in Africa fell 6% year-on-year to $1.4 billion in the first six months of 2026, following a drop in the number of early-stage companies securing venture capital investment, according to data from Africa The Big Deal. The biggest deal of the year so far came in June, when four-year-old electric motorcycle maker Spiro raised $270 million. That helped boost the half-year total, but the number of startups raising $100,000 or more fell to its lowest level since 2021, the data showed.
Tech fundraising in Africa remains well behind 2022 peak days as Silicon Valley investors continue to pull out of the continent amid rising interest rates. But the $3.2 billion total recorded in 2025, the highest figure in three years, reflects increased activity from investors stepping in to fill the gap.
