African startups elevate $343 million in April 2025, signalling comeback after March slowdown

African startups raised a complete of $343 million in April 2025, making a robust comeback after a disappointing March.

In keeping with information from Africa: The Huge Deal, final month’s funding additionally marks the second-best April on document, surpassed solely by the funding frenzy of April 2022.

This surge represents a 4.5x enhance in comparison with April 2024, providing sturdy indicators that investor confidence in African innovation is rebounding—albeit with some warning.

In March, African startups managed to safe solely $50 million, and it was one of many lowest month-to-month totals since late 2020.

Main offers

The month’s spectacular tally was pushed by a handful of huge offers. South African healthtech firm, hearX, led the best way by elevating $100 million via a merger with U.S.-based listening to help agency Eargo.

That is the primary mega-deal (price $100 million or extra) on the continent in 2025 and marks a big cross-continental play within the world listening to well being market.
Egyptian Islamic fintech Bokra raised $59 million by way of a sukuk issuance—a uncommon transfer for a startup only a yr after its $4.6 million pre-seed spherical.
The deal not solely exhibits the maturing of Islamic fintech in North Africa but additionally rising investor urge for food for different financing constructions.
Sew, a South African funds infrastructure agency, secured $55 million from current buyers because it expands its end-to-end fee options throughout the continent.

Introduced exits

Whereas the report excludes exits from the funding complete, there have been a minimum of 4 notable exits in April, three of which had been in fintech:

ADVA in Egypt was acquired by UAE-based Maseera.
Bankly, a Nigerian fintech, was purchased by funding agency C-One Ventures.
South Africa’s Peach Funds acquired Senegal-based PayDunya to deepen its attain in Francophone West Africa

Sturdy year-to-date efficiency

The April rebound has improved the broader image for African startup funding in 2025. Between January and April, startups raised $803 million throughout 163 offers, a 43% enhance from the $563 million raised in the identical interval final yr.

The variety of startups securing offers has additionally grown from 147 in Jan–Apr 2024 to 163 this yr, displaying improved breadth in deal movement.

A minimum of 225 distinctive buyers have participated in offers price $100,000 or extra to this point this yr, underscoring rising confidence and variety in capital sources.

“But when this tempo retains up, 2025 might nicely be a superb yr. To not point out that since early 2024, a minimum of $1.3 billion in funding was closed by VC funds centered on Africa, together with Janngo Capital (with a give attention to gender), Airnergize Capital, Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures, Saviu’s Fund II (centered on Francophone Africa) or LoftyInc Capital, to call only a few,” the report famous.

What you must know

The improved funding raises hope of survival for a lot of African nations requiring capital injection to remain afloat within the face of the present financial realities.

In keeping with a latest report by Startup Graveyard , funding scarcity was the first reason for African startups’ shutdowns in 2024, the identical as in 2023.