If you thought nothing happened last week (November 10 – November 16, 2025), then it means your feed was stubbornly quiet.
There was data centre drama, green energy cheques, government-sized funds, and a law that might rewrite how the internet gets regulated in Africa’s largest market.
It reads like a startup pitch deck that someone accidentally mixed with a policy brief and a real estate prospectus. Entertaining, unsettling, useful.
African tech news highlights
Nigeria moves to back startups with new public funds and strategy
The Nigerian government signalled a renewed push to catalyse innovation by unveiling two new funds through iDICE. One will target creative industries, and the other will be a fund of funds focused on smaller managers backing tech and innovative startups. This is part of a larger plan to turn creativity and skills into a $10 billion export engine by 2030 and to keep Nigeria competitive amid regional ramp-ups.
Equinix to build a new data centre in Lagos
Global digital infrastructure firm Equinix announced plans to open a new data centre in Lagos named LG3, with an investment figure reported at about $22 million. The facility will be Equinix’s first newly built site in West Africa and is intended to bolster connectivity and cloud adoption across the region. More data centre capacity is becoming a clear theme this month.
Nigeria’s digital bill and regulatory power shifts
Nigeria’s National Assembly held a public hearing on the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill 2024. A key point of debate is the expanded powers that could be granted to the national technology regulator NITDA. The bill could change how digital services are governed and how tech firms interact with regulators. Expect more commentary and potential industry pushback as the text moves through the legislative process.
Impact Hub launches in South Africa’s Cape Winelands
Impact Hub has opened its first location in the Western Cape, becoming the second in South Africa, to support local impact entrepreneurs. The hub connects innovators with government, academia, business, and civil society to co-create solutions that are community-owned and sustainable. Unlike traditional incubators, it focuses on small, locally led ventures that aim for meaningful social and economic change rather than chasing large-scale “unicorn” growth.
Ghanaian e-health startup Rivia’s network now spans 52 providers, over 50k patients
Ghana-based e-health startup Rivia has built a digitally-integrated network of 52 clinics, serving over 50,000 patients by offering AI-supported virtual care, a hospital management system, and infrastructure upgrades.
The company’s “Health Access” model focuses on simplifying care and bridging fragmentation in the healthcare system, targeting both individuals and small to medium businesses with free and paid plans. Rivia recently acquired Waffle, raised pre-seed funding, and plans to expand across West and East Africa while raising a seed round to scale its platform.
Moni rebrands as Rank, acquires AjoMoney and Zazzau MFB
Nigeria’s Moni has rebranded as Rank, signaling a shift to a broader financial services platform for communities while announcing the acquisitions of AjoMoney and Zazzau Microfinance Bank. The app enables individuals and businesses to save, spend, invest, and grow money collectively, leveraging community trust and technology, with pilot group savings yielding returns up to 23 per cent. Rank’s strategy combines innovative digital solutions with human advisory support to scale community-powered financial access across Africa.
2 African startups named in CB Insights’ List of “The 100 Most Promising Fintech Startups”
Ghana’s Affinity Africa and Egypt’s Thndr have been named among CB Insights’ 2025 list of “The 100 Most Promising Fintech Startups,” highlighting early- and mid-stage companies driving innovation in financial services.
Affinity Africa, a branchless digital bank launched in 2022, has surpassed 100,000 customers and raised US$8 million to expand locally and regionally.
Thndr, an Egyptian investment platform founded in 2020, has grown from commission-free equities trading to mutual funds, raised over US$35 million in funding, and recently expanded into the UAE.
Ghanaian startup SokoJob launches AI-powered hiring platform
SokoJob has introduced an AI-driven job-matching platform in Ghana designed to speed up hiring and improve the efficiency of the labour market. The platform features tools like an AI resume helper, intelligent job matching, and optimised response times to connect candidates with employers faster. Early results from its pilot phase show the platform successfully filling technical and business roles with greater speed and accuracy.
Karsa launches to help users obtain virtual US bank accounts
Nigerian startup Karsa has launched a mobile app that gives users a virtual US bank account, enabling them to get paid, hold, and send dollars, with Visa card spending coming soon. Founded by Shahryar Hasnani and Dale Wilson and backed by Y Combinator, the platform aims to simplify global money movement for freelancers, remote workers, and anyone needing reliable access to foreign currency. Early adoption spans Nigeria, Pakistan, India, and Kenya, with users paying small fees on transactions and currency exchanges.
Austria launches a programme to help Kenyan and Ugandan professionals become founders
International Partnerships Austria, through its Tech Wings Africa initiative, will support 200 Kenyan and Ugandan tech talents to launch startups via bootcamps, venture-building tracks, and mentorship. Participants gain access to intensive training, one-on-one guidance from experienced founders, and 100 paid internships in African tech startups. The programme aims to produce at least 10 revenue-generating early-stage startups while equipping graduates with validated business models and market-ready plans.
Key funding rounds (November 10 – November 16, 2025)
SolarSaver raises $60m to expand solar access for SMEs
- Sector: Renewable Energy & Distributed Power (solar and battery systems for small businesses)
- Lead investor(s): Inspired Evolution’s Evolution III Fund, FMO (Dutch development bank), Swedfund (Swedish development finance institution)
- Why it matters: Provides affordable, reliable electricity to small and medium-sized enterprises in Southern Africa, supporting business growth, job creation, and climate resilience.
South African solar company SolarSaver has raised $60 million to scale its small-scale solar and battery systems for SMEs in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia. The company installs and operates systems on client premises, selling power through rent-to-own and power purchase contracts with no upfront cost.
maxwell+spark raises $15m Series B round
- Sector: Green-Tech & Industrial Electrification (battery-powered logistics, sustainable energy systems)
- Lead investor(s): Klima, with new participation from Chevron Technology Ventures and Idemitsu
- Why it matters: Accelerates the shift from diesel and lead-acid systems to efficient, maintenance-free lithium-ion batteries in warehouses, refrigerated transport, and backup power, reducing emissions and improving operational efficiency.
Founded in 2017 in Durban, maxwell+spark pioneered the world’s first battery-powered transport refrigeration system and commercialized lithium-ion solutions for forklifts and warehouse operations. The funding will expand production and operations across South Africa, the US, and the EU, supporting its mission to decarbonize energy-intensive industries.
Chari raises Series A extension with backing from DisrupTech Ventures
- Sector: Retail Tech & Fintech (digitising small merchants, financial inclusion)
- Lead investor(s): DisrupTech Ventures, joining Y Combinator–backed Series A extension
- Why it matters: Strengthens Morocco’s informal economy by turning corner shops into financial access points and enabling regional fintech expansion.
Morocco’s Chari, a Y Combinator alumnus transforming traditional retail into a nationwide fintech network, has secured additional investment from Egyptian VC DisrupTech Ventures. Founded in 2020 by Ismael and Sophia Belkhayat, Chari serves over 20,000 food retailers in Morocco and has expanded into Tunisia and Ivory Coast, offering rapid product delivery while digitising payments, insurance, and working capital for small merchants.
Trends to watch
More digital infrastructure spending in West Africa
Equinix’s Lagos deal and several industry notes show investors and infrastructure firms placing bets on cloud, connectivity and data sovereignty. That is likely to attract more global cloud players and local enterprises that need lower latency and regulated data handling.
Public sector capital playing a bigger role
From iDICE’s new funds to MOFI’s MREIF listing, governments and state-backed entities are more visibly deploying capital into ecosystems. That can unlock scale for startups but also shifts the dynamics between public policy and private venture when it comes to priorities and timelines.
Climate and energy tech are seeing sizeable cheques
The headline $60 million into SolarSaver suggests climate tech is moving from pilot grants to commercial-scale raises. Expect more renewable and distributed energy platforms to court regional expansion capital.
Regulatory change is back at the centre of attention
The Digital Economy Bill in Nigeria is a reminder that lawmaking and regulatory design remain among the biggest factors shaping how startups plan product roadmaps, hire compliance staff, or rethink where to locate regional operations. Last week’s hearings indicate potential shifts in who enforces digital rules and how.
Conclusion
This week felt like a reminder that African tech is maturing in multiple dimensions at once. There are more power plays around infrastructure, governments are stepping in with larger vehicles, and climate tech is starting to attract scale capital. For founders, that means guardrails and new routes to growth. For investors, it means fresh sectors to underwrite and new partners to coordinate with.
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