Grace Ashiru
An African company led the way in mobile money nearly two decades ago, enabling millions to perform banking transactions despite a lack of strong financial infrastructure. While this marked a significant advancement, the continent still faces numerous challenges, including providing electricity to 600 million people, tackling the devastating effects of climate change, and improving agricultural yields.
Today, African startups, now equipped with cutting-edge technologies like generative artificial intelligence, are in a unique position to help address these issues and improve the quality of life for the world’s youngest population.
This year marks the launch of the inaugural Africa Startups to Watch list, aiming to identify the most innovative ideas and founders from across the continent.
We believe that diversity – in founders, teams, locations, backgrounds, and ideas – leads to the most exciting companies, and we hope this list will reflect that.
If your startup was created to address Africa’s challenges, has a standout idea that has attracted both investors and customers, and is privately held, we encourage you to apply.
We’ll ask for details on how your product is performing and information about any external funding you’ve secured.
The selected startups will be unveiled in the first quarter of 2025, and those on the list will be featured on Bloomberg TV and our other platforms.
Be sure to submit your application by Nov. 8. We’re seeking thorough qualitative details that give us a clear understanding of your business model, customer interest, and what makes your product unique. Specific claims always stand out more than generic statements.
