SectorsTaxonomy · updated daily
Startup sectors in Africa
1,289 sectors in 10 groups. FinTech is the largest, with 2,073 companies, followed by SaaS (1,909) and Marketplace (1,291).
- Sectors
- 1,289
- in 10 groups
- Largest sector
- FinTech
- 2,073 companies
- Largest group
- 6,422
- Enterprise, AI & Data
- Startups
- 10,016
- in the index
Startups by sector group10 groups · largest first
- Enterprise, AI & Data6,422
- Fintech & Capital5,651
- Commerce & Consumer4,999
- Education & Workforce1,734
- Climate, Energy & Agrifood1,614
- Mobility, Logistics & Infra1,527
- Health & Bio1,508
- Media, Community & Entertainment945
- Industrial, Hardware & Manufacturing494
- Public Sector & Services101
A group's figure adds up its sectors; a startup in two sectors counts twice.
All sectors1,289
Fintech & Capital
5,651Payments, lending, banking rails, and market infrastructure powering digital commerce.
124 sectors68 more with fewer than 5 companies: Consumer Finance 4, DeFi 4, Financial Software 4, Life Insurance 4, Mobile Banking 4, Mobile Wallet 4, Staffing Agency 4, Venture Capital 4, WealthTech 4, Agricultural Insurance 3, Card Payments 3, Financial Literacy 3, Real Estate Investment 3, Agency Banking 2, Agri finance 2, Asset Financing 2, Car Financing 2, Car Insurance 2, Co-operative Savings 2, Commercial Lending 2, Credit Cards 2, Credit Insurance 2, Digital Financial Services 2, EdFinTech 2, Financial Markets 2, Investment Banking 2, Online Payments 2, Payment Systems 2, Payments Management 2, Property Insurance 2, Social Payments 2, Staffing and Recruiting 2, ACH 1, Banks 1, Biometric Identity Proofing 1, Capital 1, Car Loans 1, Credit and sourcing 1, Credit Bureau 1, Credit Data Marketplace 1, Credit Intelligence 1, Credit Management 1, Credit Unions 1, Digital Bank 1, Direct Debit 1, E-wallet 1, Electronic Cash Payment Solutions 1, Equipment Loaning 1, Farmer Financing 1, Financial Enablement 1, Financial Institutions 1, Financial Planning 1, Fintech for Energy 1, Healthcare Financial Inclusion 1, Human Capital 1, Human Capital Consulting 1, Impact Investing 1, Infrastructure Finance 1, Investment Advice 1, Micro credit 1, Micro-investment 1, Money Manager 1, PAYG 1, Payment Enabler 1, POS Loans 1, Short-term supply loans 1, Social Lending 1, Virtual Banking 1
Commerce & Consumer
4,999Retail, food, and consumer platforms reshaping how products are discovered and sold.
98 sectors43 more with fewer than 5 companies: Consumer 4, Consumer Rewards 4, Consumer Software 4, Digital Commerce 4, Marketing & Advertising 4, Social Media Marketing 4, Travel Accommodations 4, Travel Services 4, Bakery 3, Consumer Insights 3, Food 3, Market Insights 3, Pets 3, Rental Real Estate 3, SMS Marketing 3, Consumer Applications 2, Consumer Loyalty 2, Retail Distribution 2, Seafood 2, Social Shopping 2, TeleMarketing 2, Ad Network 1, Adventure Travel 1, Apparel and Fashion 1, Consumer Devices 1, EBook Store 1, Food Supply 1, Market Automation 1, Mobile commerce 1, Mobile Marketing 1, On-Demand Warehousing 1, Performance Marketing 1, Pet Food 1, Primary Market Research 1, Property Marketing 1, Referral Marketing 1, Search Engine Marketing 1, Space Travel 1, Store 1, Travel and Tours 1, Travel and Transport 1, Warehousing & Distribution 1, WiFi Marketing 1
Enterprise, AI & Data
6,422Automation, SaaS, APIs, and intelligence tooling that helps companies operate at scale.
112 sectors65 more with fewer than 5 companies: Business Automation 4, Cloud-based 4, Data Management 4, Cloud Kitchen 3, Cloud Technology 3, Contact Management 3, Data Integration 3, Internet Services 3, AI-as-a-Service 2, Business Analytics 2, Cloud Storage 2, Connectivity 2, Data Annotation 2, Data Collection 2, Data Infrastructure 2, Data Security 2, Data Security Software 2, DevOps & Cloud Hosting 2, Domains 2, Electronic Design Automation (EDA) 2, Enterprise AI 2, Machinery 2, Open Data 2, Software Testing 2, Sports Data Analytics 2, Workflow Automation 2, AI Visibility 1, Application Security 1, AudioTech 1, Automated Internet Management 1, Build VPNs 1, Business Developer 1, Business IT device protection 1, Cloud Server 1, Cloud Solutions 1, Cloud-Based Development 1, Computer and Network Security 1, Customer Data Management 1, Data Automation 1, Data Services 1, Data Sharing 1, Design Software 1, Developer Friendly 1, Digital Security 1, Generative AI 1, Home Automation 1, Information and Internet 1, Internet Radio 1, Media Data Sharing 1, Mobile Computing Software Products 1, Multichannel Analytics 1, National security 1, OpenAPI 1, Plasma Machines 1, Real world Data 1, Research Data 1, Robotic Advisory Software 1, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) 1, Software as a platform 1, Software Products 1, Software support 1, TelcoCloud 1, TMT (Technology, Media & Telecom) 1, Video analytics 1, WiFi cybersecurity 1
Health & Bio
1,508Digital health, biotech, and wellness solutions improving outcomes and access to care.
81 sectors57 more with fewer than 5 companies: Eye Care 4, Healthcare Management 4, Medical Equipment Manufacturing 4, Medical Health 4, Online Pharmacy 4, Public Health 4, Women's Health 4, Bioinformatics 3, Biomedical Engineering 3, Biopharma 3, Child Care 3, Health data solutions 3, Hospital Management 3, Hospitality Software 3, Medicine Delivery 3, Personal Care Products 3, Reproductive Health 3, Animal Health 2, AutoCare 2, Biomass Energy 2, Health & Wellness 2, Healthcare System 2, Medical Consultations 2, Medical Imaging 2, Personal Health 2, Primary Health Care 2, Sexual Health 2, Telepharmacy 2, Biodiesel Production 1, Biogas 1, Biomass 1, Biomedical waste 1, Biometric ID 1, Career Advising Workshops 1, Career Coaching Sessions 1, EHospital 1, Emergency Medicine 1, FemTech 1, Health Startup Advisory 1, Healthcare IT 1, Home Care 1, Medical Device Supply 1, Medical Equipment 1, Medical Evacuation 1, Medical Interpreting 1, Medical Tourism 1, Medical Translation 1, Medical Wearable 1, Medicals 1, PetCare 1, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing 1, Pharmacovigilance 1, Pharmatech 1, Precision Medicine 1, Primary Care 1, Residential Care 1, Wearable Fitness 1
Climate, Energy & Agrifood
1,614Agri-innovation, clean energy, and sustainability sectors driving long-term resilience.
85 sectors55 more with fewer than 5 companies: Energy Access 4, Environment Conservation 4, Green Solutions 4, Off-Grid Solar 4, Solar Power Generation 4, Waste Innovation 4, Cleaning Services 3, Climate Technology Product Manufacturing 3, Energy Systems 3, Farmers 3, Power Grid 3, Alternative Energy Equipment 2, Commercial and Industrial Solar (C&I) 2, Dairy Farming 2, Energy Leasing Solutions 2, Farmers Market 2, Fish Farming 2, Fishery 2, Power Generation 2, Renewable Energy Equipment Manufacturing 2, Solar Installation 2, Water Purification 2, Water Treatment 2, Wind Energy 2, Agriculture Management Systems 1, Agroforestry 1, Clean Water 1, Climate Data and Analytics 1, Community Water Systems 1, Direct Air Carbon Capture 1, Drinking Water 1, Dry Cleaning 1, Education Empowerment 1, Empowerment 1, Energy & Environment Resources 1, Energy & Resources 1, Energy Distribution 1, Energy Efficiency 1, Energy Transmission 1, Greenhouse 1, Hydropower 1, ICT For Agriculture 1, Laundry and Dry-cleaning 1, Power Continuity Solution 1, Solar EPC 1, Solar Power Stations 1, Solar Powered Water Pumps 1, Solar Refrigerators 1, Solar Water Heating 1, Sustainable Tech 1, Sustainable Tourism 1, Water Distribution 1, Water Filter 1, Water Production 1, Water Technology 1
Mobility, Logistics & Infra
1,527Infrastructure and movement layers behind supply chains, travel, and physical operations.
49 sectors25 more with fewer than 5 companies: Air Transportation 3, Boating 3, Space Technology 3, Vehicle Rental 3, Workspace 3, Cold Chain Transportation 2, Freight and Package Transportation 2, Freight Forwarding 2, Freight Management 2, Last Mile Transportation 2, Vehicle Leasing 2, Aerodynamics 1, Aerospace Component Manufacturing 1, Content Delivery Network 1, Defense and Space Manufacturing 1, Dropshipping 1, E-Logistics 1, Freight Delivery 1, Laundry Delivery Service 1, Marine Transportation 1, Micro-mobility 1, Product Delivery 1, Service Delivery 1, Supply chain technology 1, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) 1
Media, Community & Entertainment
945Audience, storytelling, and engagement platforms spanning events, content, and culture.
73 sectors38 more with fewer than 5 companies: Creative Media 4, Entertainment Technology 3, Mobile Gaming 3, Social listening 3, 3D Games 2, Blogging 2, Content 2, Dating 2, Digital publishing 2, EGaming 2, Entertainment Production Services 2, Event Planning 2, Film Production 2, Livestreaming 2, Music publishing 2, Music Technology 2, Online publishing 2, Private Social Networking 2, Social App 2, Social Audio 2, Social Gaming 2, Sporting Goods 2, Sportswear 2, TV Media 2, Computer Games 1, Content Development 1, Content Optimization 1, Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) 1, Digital Media Production 1, Game publishing 1, Games 1, Media & Publicity 1, News and TV 1, PC Games 1, Social Media Advertising 1, Social Organization 1, Socialism 1, Virtual Event 1
Education & Workforce
1,734Learning and enablement platforms building practical skills and talent capacity.
59 sectors40 more with fewer than 5 companies: Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) 4, Education App 4, HR Services 4, Primary and Secondary Education 4, Primary Education 4, Professional Training 4, Workforce Management 4, Edutainment 3, Future of Work 3, Inclusive Learning 3, Learning & Development 3, Robotics Learning 3, Secondary Education 3, Skill Assessment 3, Talent 3, Talent Management 3, Virtual Workforce 3, Deep Learning 2, HR Consultation 2, Open Talent Economy 2, Professional Training & Coaching 2, Sex Education 2, Soft Skills Development 2, Staffing 2, Charter Schools 1, College Recruiting 1, Computer Software Education 1, Continuing Education 1, Corporate Training 1, Dental Training 1, E-Recruitment 1, HR Development 1, Information Security Training 1, Learning 1, Legal Education 1, Part-Time Jobs 1, Religious Education 1, Social Recruiting 1, Virtual Learning 1, Workforce 1
Industrial, Hardware & Manufacturing
494Deep tech and production innovations bridging software, hardware, and operations.
25 sectors11 more with fewer than 5 companies: Network Hardware 3, Semiconductor Manufacturing 3, Mining Technology 2, Communication Hardware 1, Computer Aided Manufacturing 1, Computer Hardware Manufacturing 1, Computers and Electronics Manufacturing 1, Equipment Manufacturing 1, Hardware repair 1, Plastic Manufacturing 1, Robotics and Drones 1
Public Sector & Services
101Inclusion, civic systems, and service delivery segments supporting broader access.
13 sectors9 more with fewer than 5 companies: Social Impact 4, Public Relations 3, Business Legal advisory 2, EGovernment 2, Government 2, Legal Documents Generation 2, Africa 1, Government Relations 1, Public Service 1
Unclassified
2,755New or niche sectors pending taxonomy assignment so nothing gets lost.
570 sectors456 more with fewer than 5 companies: Advertising Platforms 4, App Development 4, Arts & Crafts 4, Auto Dealers 4, AutoTech 4, Batteries 4, Business Information Systems 4, Car Hailing 4, Cards 4, Cold-storage 4, Cross-border 4, Directory 4, E-Signature 4, Earth Observation 4, Gifting 4, Graphic Design 4, IaaS 4, Interior Designs 4, Jewelry 4, Leasing 4, Management Consulting 4, Mobile App Development 4, Networking 4, Online Auctions 4, Open Source 4, P2E 4, Packaging Services 4, Pension 4, Product Research 4, Rural Electrification 4, Sharing Economy 4, Superapp 4, Taxi Services 4, Virtual Assistant 4, Accelerator 3, Aggregator 3, Animal Feed 3, Animation 3, Art 3, Artisans 3, Aviation 3, Battery-as-a-Service 3, Broadband 3, Brokerage 3, Carpooling 3, Commercial 3, Coupons 3, Crowdsourcing 3, DevOps 3, EBooks 3, Embedded Systems 3, Emergency Services 3, Forestry 3, Fulfillment 3, Funding 3, Genetics 3, HMO 3, Home Improvement 3, Incubator 3, Innovation Management 3, Laundry Services 3, Mapping Services 3, Metaverse 3, Mineral 3, Mortgage 3, Natural Language Processing 3, Parenting 3, Precious Metals 3, PrivacyTech 3, Product Design 3, Quality Control 3, Railroad 3, Rehabilitation 3, Search Engine 3, SEO 3, Stock 3, USSD 3, UX 3, VAS 3, Video 3, Video Production 3, Wedding 3, WiFi 3, Accessories 2, Advice 2, Animation and Post-Production 2, Appliances 2, Audio 2, Audiobooks 2, Authentication 2, Beekeeping 2, Billing 2, Books 2, Business Advisory 2, Business Infrastructure 2, Business Network 2, Business Service 2, Car Maintenance 2, Car Wash 2, Catering 2, Church 2, Commodities 2, Commodity Aggregator 2, Computer 2, Computer Vision 2, Consultation 2, Cooking 2, Customer Engagement Messaging 2, Customer Management 2, Digital Agency 2, Digital Footprint 2, Digital Solutions 2, Electrical 2, Employee Benefits 2, Engagement 2, Engineering 2, Enterprise 2, Equipment 2, Fabrication 2, Facility Management 2, Fiber Optic Solutions 2, Fruits 2, Geolocation 2, Geospatial Mapping 2, GPS Tracking 2, Handyman 2, Horticulture 2, Hotel 2, ICT 2, Import and Export 2, Individual & Family Services 2, Insights 2, Invoice Management 2, Land Management 2, Local Business 2, Loyalty & Rewards 2, Maintenance Management 2, Marine Technology 2, Mechanical Design 2, Mini-grid 2, Mobile Advertising 2, Mobile Services 2, NFC 2, Open Source Infrastructure 2, Open Source Solutions 2, Outdoor Advertising 2, Phone Comparison 2, Photography 2, Prosthetics 2, Psychotherapy 2, Quiz 2, R&D 2, Recreation 2, Repair and Maintenance 2, Sanitation 2, SDG 2, Seed-supply 2, Sensor 2, SensorTech 2, Smart grid 2, Smart Home 2, Startups 2, Stock Exchanges 2, Styling 2, SuperApp Infrastructure 2, Survey 2, Tax Services 2, Technical Support 2, Textiles 2, Therapy 2, Tour Guide 2, Trivia 2, TV Production 2, Vendor Solutions 2, Visitor Management 2, VoiceBot 2, Weight Loss 2, AD/HD 1, Alumni 1, Android 1, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) 1, Anti-counterfeiting 1, App-only 1, Arabic 1, Arabic Virtual Assistant 1, Asset Tracking 1, Association 1, ATM 1, Auction Sales 1, Audit 1, Backup Solutions 1, Bespoke 1, Bicycle 1, Bluetooth 1, BnB 1, Bolt 1, Brand Strategy 1, Breakdown 1, Brewing 1, Building Development 1, Bulbs 1, Bus Management Systems 1, Business Expansion 1, Business Registration 1, Business Supplies & Equipment 1, Business Tools 1, Buy and Rent 1, C2C 1, CaaS 1, CAD 1, Cannabis 1, Car Comparison 1, Car Management 1, Car Rental 1, Car Service 1, Card Acquisition 1, Cargotecture 1, Carpentry 1, Cash Flow Management 1, Chemical 1, Child Psychology 1, Children's Products 1, Co-Living 1, Collaborative Consumption 1, Comics 1, Commercials 1, Commodity Exchange 1, Company Incorporation 1, Computer Numerical Control (CNC) 1, Concierge 1, Container Houses 1, Contract Review 1, Cooking Stoves 1, Cooling-as-a-service 1, Copyright Management 1, CRO 1, Crowd-sourcing Technology 1, Cruise Ship 1, CSI 1, Customer Retention 1, Customer Satisfaction 1, DApps 1, Dental 1, Desalination 1, DevOps deployment platform 1, DevSecOps 1, Digital Collectibles 1, Digital Collection 1, Digital Gift Vouchers 1, Digital KYC 1, Digital Lifestyle 1, Digital Literacy 1, Digital Mapping 1, Digital Signage 1, Digital Studio 1, Digital Transformation 1, Digital Vouchers 1, Distribution Companies 1, DRM 1, Dyslexia 1, EBikes 1, ECG 1, Editing 1, ELaundry 1, Electrical Tools 1, Electrification 1, ELicense 1, Employee Relations 1, Employee Rewards 1, Encryption 1, Enterprise Applications 1, EPurchasing System 1, Equities 1, ERP Implementation 1, ERP Selection 1, Ethereum 1, Expense Management 1, Facilities Support Services 1, FICA 1, Foreign Regulations and Compliance 1, Francophone 1, Freezer 1, Funding Advisory 1, Funding Platform 1, Funeral Services 1, Gardening 1, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) 1, Genomics 1, GIS Solutions 1, GivTech 1, Glasses 1, Gold-as-a-Service (GaaS) 1, Group Buying 1, Handcrafts 1, Housekeeping 1, Human Computer Interaction 1, Hydroponics 1, Hyperledger 1, Illustration 1, Immersion Technology 1, Information 1, Infrastructure Management 1, Innovation 1, Innovative Tech 1, Integrated Antenna 1, Intelligent Systems 1, International Trade and Development 1, Internship Program 1, Intrusion Detection 1, Invoice 1, Islam 1, Knowledge Sharing 1, Laptop repair 1, Last-Mile Distribution 1, Lead Generation 1, LED 1, Ledger 1, Life Science 1, Lifestyle Tech 1, Lighting 1, Listings 1, LLM 1, LMS 1, Local Based Services 1, Lotteries 1, Loyalty Management 1, Management 1, Maritime 1, Mass Communication 1, Maternity 1, Mechanical Engineering 1, Mechanical Systems 1, MENA 1, Mental Awareness 1, Merchant of Record 1, Migrations 1, Mobile Apps services 1, Mobile Technology 1, Model United Nations 1, MOOC 1, MPOS 1, Mutual Funds 1, Natural Resources 1, Nature Reservation 1, Next-generation utility 1, Oil Extraction 1, On Demand Salary 1, On-Demand Expertise 1, On-demand Laundry 1, One to One 1, Online Advertising 1, Online Classifieds 1, Online Notary 1, Online Therapy 1, Optics 1, Optimization 1, Optometry 1, Orchestration platform 1, Organic 1, Organic Fertilizer 1, Organization Development 1, Organizational Change Management 1, OSINT 1, OTT 1, Outdoor 1, Package 1, Paper and Forest Products 1, Parking 1, People Assessment 1, People Management 1, Performance Management 1, Personal Development 1, Personalization 1, Pets Services 1, Phone repairs 1, Phytochemicals 1, Plug & Play 1, Political Risk Analysis 1, Portfolio Management 1, Postal Services 1, Poultry 1, Poultry Products 1, Prefabricated Building 1, Print on Demand 1, Privacy 1, Private Equity 1, Product Authentication 1, Product Development 1, Production Management 1, Productions 1, Psychology 1, Psychometric Testing 1, PV Systems 1, Quality Control Testing 1, Queuing Solution 1, Reconciliation 1, Repair 1, Research and Design 1, Revenue Management 1, RICA 1, Running Shoes 1, Sales Assistant 1, Sanitation and Hygiene 1, Scholarships 1, Securities 1, Semantic Search 1, Sharing 1, Simulation 1, Smart Address System 1, Smart Cities 1, SOC-as-a-Service 1, Soccer 1, Spa 1, Sponsorship 1, Startup Management 1, Stokvel 1, Storage-as-a-service 1, Structured Cabling 1, Study Abroad 1, Tax Registration 1, Taxes Consultancy 1, Taxi Hailing 1, Tech device protection 1, Tech gadget repair 1, Tech-Enabled 1, Technical Writing 1, Techwear 1, Teleradiology 1, Tenders Management System 1, Themes 1, Therapeutics 1, Timbering 1, Time Stamping Authority 1, Toiletries 1, Toys 1, Translation Services 1, TV 1, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) 1, Used Products 1, Vacation Rental 1, Value Chain Digitization 1, VFX 1, Video Advertising 1, Video on Demand 1, Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) 1, Video Websites 1, Virtual Consultation 1, Virtual Currency 1, Weather Reports 1, Web Apps 1, Wind Turbines 1, Wine And Spirits 1, Wireless Connection 1, Wireless Solutions 1, Writing 1, ZKP 1
Frequently asked about African startup sectors
- What is the largest startup sector in Africa?
- FinTech, with 2,073 companies. SaaS (1,909) and Marketplace (1,291) follow.
- How are startups assigned to sectors?
- Each startup is tagged with one or more sectors, and each sector belongs to one of 10 groups. A startup tagged with two sectors counts in both, so group totals can add up to more than the number of startups.
- Why do some sectors have only a few companies?
- Narrow sectors, such as a single payment method, collect only the startups that name them. They are listed under their group so they stay easy to find.