Startups On Our Radar spotlights African startups fixing African challenges with innovation. In our earlier version, we featured 5 game-changing startups pioneering financing, mobility, music, and logistics. Anticipate the subsequent dispatch on September 26, 2025.
This week, we discover seven African startups within the fintech and logistics/mobility sectors and why they need to be in your watchlist. Let’s dive into it:
1. Swiftway needs to simplify cargo delivery for African companies (Logistics, Ghana)
Once you consider logistics, what nearly all the time involves thoughts is the picture of supply bikes zig-zagging throughout metropolis site visitors. Swiftway Shippers is tackling the opposite facet of logistics by serving to African companies transfer cargo throughout borders by air or sea. For a lot of African corporations that import and export items, the method is often fragmented. Each stage has its personal charges and paperwork. Swiftway integrates all these shifting components right into a single platform. Customers can request pickup or drop-off, clear items, and observe their cargo in real-time from a single dashboard.
By its e-shipping platform, Swiftway additionally supplies insights on tariffs and routes, all whereas guaranteeing transparency throughout a community of companions that embrace airways, delivery corporations, freight forwarders, clearance brokers, last-mile supply corporations, and warehouses. In simply 4 months of operations, the corporate says it has processed over $44,000 in cargo worth and generated $5,000 in income.
Why we’re watching: Swiftway is trying to construct and differentiate itself in a sector that has confronted funding and investor pressures, amongst different challenges, in recent times. Nigeria’s Kobo360 closely relied on short-term loans to maintain its enterprise and scale. By December 2024, it had all however shut down after traders’ exit. Kenya’s Lori Techniques additionally noticed its valuation shrink to $5 million from $120 million as a result of it did not ship the technology-driven scale traders anticipated. Swiftway is specializing in consolidating its operations in Ghana earlier than it considers scaling. The startup is doing this with the $100,000 pre-seed spherical it’s presently elevating.
2. Vendai needs to be the AI working system for African retailers (AI, Kenya)
Vendai is an AI retail assistant designed for small outlets, significantly FMCG retailers. Vendai makes use of LLMs to present store house owners real-time insights into gross sales patterns and stock. Retailers can add stock utilizing photos, and get suggestions to run their outlets extra effectively. The corporate has over 250 companies in its beta testing section, with plans to launch in December 2025. Vendai is presently elevating a $10,000 pre-seed funding spherical and has partnered with distributors like Mahitaji Enterprises in Nairobi.
Why we’re watching: Not like its opponents, Market Power and Twiga, Vendai needs to be a software-only platform. Co-founder Timothy Liede, explains that he has seen opponents wrestle with skinny revenue margins and maintaining unit prices down as a result of they embrace logistics and different parts. For this reason Vendai needs to be asset-light and give attention to software program. Vendai can also be working in direction of integrating offline capabilities into its platforms. Which means that merchants who do not need entry to the web can nonetheless entry the options Vendai presents.
3. Tiny Fund needs to assist novices make investments with out understanding about copy buying and selling (Fintech, Nigeria)
Tiny Fund connects on a regular basis and newbie traders to vetted skilled merchants in shares, crypto, foreign exchange, and different belongings. To entry it, customers merely fund their wallets, decide a dealer based mostly on their threat urge for food, after which the system displays the commerce on their dashboard. Tiny Fund has signed up 17 subscribers because the begin of its pilot section in August 2025. It earns $425 in recurring month-to-month income.
Why we’re watching: Copy buying and selling opens up advanced markets to retail traders who don’t have the time or information to commerce themselves. Tiny Fund is positioning itself as a platform for newbie traders. It claims to be much less technical than its opponents, together with OctaFX and AvaTrade.
4. Case Radar needs to make entry to authorized information as simple as a Google search (LegalTech, Nigeria)
As a substitute of digging by means of courtroom archives or flipping by means of giant textbooks, Case Radar makes use of AI to simplify authorized analysis. This platform offers Nigeria-specific authorized solutions and paperwork and connects individuals to authorized professionals immediately. Launched in September 2024, the startup says it has over 2,000 energetic customers. Customers can entry this platform for as little as ₦1,000 ($0.67) per hour. First-time customers get three free trials with the AI mannequin. Case Radar already works with legal-aid establishments that use its analysis instruments to triage and put together issues.
Why we’re watching: Information of authorized rights and entry to authorized assist are some bottlenecks within the authorized sector in Nigeria. Case Radar fills that hole by simplifying entry to info. Whereas most odd Nigerians don’t know their rights, Case Radar’s long-term objective is to lift authorized consciousness throughout the nation.
5. Paycita needs to be the all-in-one administration software for African companies (SaaS, Nigeria)
Paycita is constructing a unified platform the place companies can handle payroll, stock, vendor funds, expense monitoring, and even purchase airtime for employees members. Paycita permits SMEs and huge companies to onboard workers, view their attendance in real-time, handle value determinations, and provides out loans with out leaping by means of completely different apps. Subscription plans begin as little as ₦7,500 ($49.93) monthly, making it accessible to small groups.
Why we’re watching: In Nigeria, SMEs make up 96% of companies, 84% of employment, and contribute 48% to nationwide gross Home Product (GDP). But, over 50% fail of their first 12 months on account of components together with infrastructural deficits. Paycita is providing an built-in SaaS software that’s aiming to seize Africa’s SME digitisation wave.
6. Midupay permits companies settle for crypto and naira funds with ease (Fintech, Nigeria)
Midupay is a cross-border funds platform that lets companies arrange a free storefront to record their merchandise, and share distinctive hyperlinks with prospects. Distributors can obtain funds in each naira and cryptocurrencies (if merchandise are listed in USD) by means of financial institution transfers or wallets like Binance. Past funds, Midupay supplies companies with dashboards to handle stock, gross sales, buyer interactions, and AI-powered insights for predicting gross sales and crafting advertising and marketing methods. Launched in August 2025, Midupay has onboarded 18 companies and prices a 1% price per transaction.
Why we’re watching: The cryptocurrency market in Nigeria was estimated to succeed in $2.5 billion in 2025. With the latest legalisation of crypto, the alternatives on this market are rising quicker. For SMEs who wrestle to promote to worldwide prospects on account of lack of entry to a multi-currency pockets, Midupay locations itself in that hole.
7. Timeless Healthcare needs to be Nigeria’s on-line hospital (Healthtech, Nigeria)
Launched in June 2025, Timeless Healthcare is positioning itself as a 24/7 on-line hospital that connects Nigerians to medical doctors by means of video and audio session. Customers can add take a look at outcomes, obtain digital prescriptions and decide up remedy from companion pharmacies. The platform runs on a subscription foundation, with plans ranging from as little as ₦1,800 ($1.20) to entry providers. The startup has recorded 100 sign-ups with 50 paying subscribers.
Why we’re watching: Well being accessibility and affordability stay a few of Nigeria’s largest issues. A 2022 research revealed that the ratio of medical doctors to the inhabitants in Nigeria was 1:8,836. Over 190 million Nigerians lack entry to medical insurance, leaving most individuals to pay out-of-pocket for care. By combining affordability with its package deal, Timeless Healthcare bets that its mannequin may give on a regular basis Nigerians constant entry to healthcare.
That’s all for right now. Anticipate our subsequent dispatch on September twenty sixth. Know a startup we must always function subsequent? Please nominate right here.
Mark your calendars! Moonshot by TechCabal is again in Lagos on October 15–16! Meet and be taught from Africa’s prime founders, creatives & tech leaders for two days of keynotes, mixers & future-forward concepts. Get your tickets now: moonshot.techcabal.com
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