How many startups are there in Africa?

3,463 technology companies are on the StartupList Africa record as of 17 Oct 2026, with $45.1B in disclosed funding between them. 16 have a latest known disclosed valuation of $1B or more.

Which African countries have the most startups?

Nigeria (848), Egypt (721), South Africa (554) and Kenya (484). Together they are home to 2,607 of the 3,463 companies on the record.

What are the largest startup sectors in Africa?

Financial Services (644), FinTech (600), SaaS (271), Health Care (252) and E-Commerce (233), by number of companies on the record.

How do I narrow the list?

Search by name, then filter by industry, stage and country. Every filtered view has its own link you can share.

How does a startup get listed?

Founders submit their company through the free submission form. Existing profiles can be claimed by their team from the profile page.

StartupsDirectory · updated daily

Venture-stage Internet startups in Africa

Name: SLA Startup Index — startups in Africa
Creator: StartupList Africa
License: https://www.startuplist.africa/attribution-policy

13 startups on the record match this view, sorted by momentum.

3,463 companiesSource: SLA Startup IndexHow we count →Submit a startup →

Venture-stage Internet startups in Africa13 · by momentum

Clear filters

#	Startup	Sector	Last round	Raised	Founded	Employees
1	MainOneLagos, NigeriaVenture	Telecommunications	Venture	$100M	2007	201+
2	CSquaredNairobi, KenyaVenture	Communication Hardware	Venture	$100M	2013	101+
3	MawinguNanyuki, KenyaVenture	Internet	Venture	$69M	2013	51+
4	Carry1stCape Town, South AfricaVenture	Gaming	Venture	$57M	2018	11+
5	One Africa MediaDurban, South AfricaVenture	Advertising	Venture	$52M	2012	51+
6	FairMoneyIkeja, NigeriaVenture	FinTech	Venture	$42M	2017	51+
7	CitiCape Town, South AfricaEst. 1998Venture	E-Learning	Venture	$21M	1998	11+
8	PaixAccra, GhanaVenture	Telecommunications	Venture	$20M	2016	11+
9	DatacentrixMidrand, South AfricaEst. 1998Venture	Cloud Data Services	Venture	$14M	1998	501+
10	MagalixCairo, EgyptVenture	SaaS	Venture	$3M	2017	11+
11	Sensor NetworksCape Town, South AfricaVenture	Internet of Things	Venture	$3M	2015	11+
12	Wuilt6th Of October City, EgyptVenture	Internet	Venture	$3M	2016	11+
13	ShopstarCape Town, South AfricaVenture	SaaS	Venture	Not disclosed	2013	2+

SLA Startup Index · as of 17 Oct 2026 · raised is disclosed funding

Frequently asked about African startups

How many startups are there in Africa?: 3,463 technology companies are on the StartupList Africa record as of 17 Oct 2026, with $45.1B in disclosed funding between them. 16 have a latest known disclosed valuation of $1B or more.
Which African countries have the most startups?: Nigeria (848), Egypt (721), South Africa (554) and Kenya (484). Together they are home to 2,607 of the 3,463 companies on the record.
What are the largest startup sectors in Africa?: Financial Services (644), FinTech (600), SaaS (271), Health Care (252) and E-Commerce (233), by number of companies on the record.
How do I narrow the list?: Search by name, then filter by industry, stage and country. Every filtered view has its own link you can share.
How does a startup get listed?: Founders submit their company through the free submission form. Existing profiles can be claimed by their team from the profile page.

Cite this page

StartupList Africa, “Startups in Africa”, updated 17 Oct 2026.

startuplist.africa/startups