E-Financial
Resilient African Tech Ecosystem Still Growing With $6.5 Billion Raised In 2022
Partech Africa, the VC fund dedicated to technology startups in Africa, has issued its annual report on Africa Tech Venture Capital.
The report, which aims to provide a practical picture of the state of the ecosystem, revealed that despite the global VC downturn, the African tech ecosystem grew faster than all other markets globally.
Total funding invested into tech startups on the continent reached $6.5B, an increase of 8% vs 2021, spread across 764 deals – compared to 724 rounds in 2021.
The report, consisting of disclosed and confidential deals, saw debt funding more than double in volume, reaching $1.55 billion through 71 deals [65% YoY growth]. In comparison, equity rounds showed a slight decline, as 653 African tech startups raised $4.9B [-6%] in 693 equity rounds [2% YoY growth].
Focusing on equity funding, the report revealed the ecosystem was still accelerating during Q1 and Q2 of 2022 compared to 2021, with the YoY comparison showing Q1 and Q2 at +127% YoY and +83% YoY, respectively.
However, the global VC slowdown stifled growth in activity in Q3 [-65% YoY] and Q4 [-35% YoY]. In 2022, fundraising activities remained flat across all stages. At $1.4M, Seed+ ticket sizes averaged higher in 2022 [+12% YoY], while Series A remained the same at $8.5M.
Later stages reverted to 2019 levels, as Series B and Growth round sizes dropped by -23% and -50% YoY, respectively. In addition, 2022 witnessed a significant reduction in the number of megadeals [over 100M], with only seven deals compared to 14 in 2021.
Speaking on the launch of the annual report, Tidjane Deme, General Partner at Partech, said: “2022 was a particularly challenging year for the venture ecosystem worldwide, as venture and growth investors scaled back their investment by a third.
“However, by comparison, our report revealed that the African tech ecosystem showed great resilience, as more investors have doubled their commitment to the continent by investing in local teams and funds dedicated to the market, proving to be the best way forward.”
Overall, Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt and Kenya remain the top investment destinations in Africa, with a share of total volume staying relatively steady at 72%.
Nigeria retained the top rank, bringing in $1.2B in capital, despite a decline of 36% from 2021; South Africa, Egypt, and Kenya each attracted over $0.7B in funding, with Ghana completing the top 5 with just over $0.2B. Overall, 28 countries attracted equity funding in 2022, 13 of them in Francophone Africa.
In light of the market downturn, the report’s findings also revealed that Fintech, which has historically attracted sizable investments, was the most impacted by the slowdown in the number of large rounds.
However, fintech remains the most funded sector in Africa, across all sources of capital, with 39% of the total equity volume [$1.9B] and 45% of the total debt volume [$691M].
Other sectors have experienced substantial growth and gained a meaningful share of the equity funding activity this year, most notably Cleantech, which made a big comeback with 18% of total equity funding at $863M [+347% YoY] but also 39% of the total debt funding at $605M.
The report’s findings also show:
- Female-founded startups raised 22% of all equity rounds in 2022, up 2 percentage points from 20% in 2021. They also contributed $644 Million or 13% of the total equity funding, down 3 percentage points from 16% in 2021.
- Outside of the top 4 countries, Ghana ($202 million), Algeria ($150 million), Tunisia ($117 million) and Senegal ($105 million) were the only other countries that broke the $100M funding mark.
- Despite a slowdown in the growth rate of equity investors, Africa’s tech ecosystem attracted 1,149 unique investors for the first time [+29% YoY vs 2021]. African tech has seen more investors committed, with 89 participating in 5 or more deals [compared to 65 investors in 2021].
- The number of debt investors active on the continent is growing 2.5x YoY, with a good mix of local debt institutions, international lenders with emerging market vehicles and Development Finance Institutions.
Cyril Collon, General Partner at Partech, added: “Much of our methodology has remained the same over the years, and we, therefore, can provide a snapshot of how the African continent has evolved over the years. Nigeria and the fintech vertical have remained at the top spot; however, in an environment where equity funding is more challenging, debt has proved to be a solid alternative source of African tech startups in 2022, which signals a maturity within each sector.”
Headquartered in Dakar, Partech Africa is the largest VC fund dedicated to technology startups in Africa.
With a focus on Late Seed, Series A and B equity rounds in startups which are changing the way technology is used across multiple sectors, including education, mobility, finance and healthcare, the VC has, to date, invested in 17 African startups, such as Wave and TradeDepot.
Using the same methodology as previous years, the seventh Partech Africa annual report on African tech start-ups only includes equity rounds where the total amount is higher than US$200K.
Keystone Bank Limited and the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), youth entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion across Nigeria.
The MoU signing ceremony took place at the bank’s head office in Lagos on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
Speaking at the event, Mrs Nnenna Anyim Okoro, the Executive Director, Corporate and South, Keystone Bank, described the partnership as a bold and strategic step toward accelerating national economic transformation.
According to her, the collaboration underscores Keystone Bank’s unwavering commitment to empowering the next generation of business leaders and fostering an inclusive financial ecosystem.
“At Keystone Bank, we believe that entrepreneurship is the heartbeat of sustainable economic development.
Across Nigeria, MSMEs are not just businesses; they are the dreams and daily struggles of men and women determined to create value, provide jobs, and build a better future. They are, quite literally, the engine room of our national economy.
“Our sponsorship of the Annual EDC SME Conference 2025 and support for the Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) Walk reflect our deep belief in the transformative power of small businesses.
“This partnership is also about financial inclusion, youth engagement, capacity building, job creation, and collaboration,” she stated.
Olayemi Sule, Group Head, Retail & Digital Banking, Keystone Bank, emphasized the innovative offerings customers can expect as a result of the partnership.
“Our customers should look forward to a suite of innovative financial products and digital solutions specifically designed to support business growth, enhance financial literacy, and improve market access.
Also speaking, Dr. Nnenna Ugo, EDC board member and Head, Alumni Relations and Support Services at Pan-Atlantic University, expressed optimism about the partnership’s long-term impact.
“We are super excited about this partnership and confident that it will drive transformation for both institutions.
“The EDC was established to build capacity and provide support services for SMEs. In the past 21 years, we have trained over 350,000 entrepreneurs across Nigeria.
“Keystone Bank’s support comes at a critical moment as we scale our programs and expand our reach ahead of the 2025 SME Conference and GEW Nigeria.
“The SME Conference is a powerful platform that brings together key players in the ecosystem each year to address pressing issues affecting small businesses.
“This collaboration strengthens our capacity to engage more entrepreneurs, provide deeper insights, and drive conversations that inspire growth, resilience, and innovation.
“We commend Keystone Bank’s leadership for its vision and dedication to inclusive economic growth. The bank has truly distinguished itself as a champion of enterprise, and we are proud to have them as a strategic partner,” she concluded.
As part of the agreement, Keystone Bank becomes the major sponsor of the 2025 EDC SME Conference and a key supporter of the GEW Walk, a flagship event during Global Entrepreneurship Week Nigeria 2025.
Both events are expected to attract thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, thought leaders, and policymakers, offering a vibrant platform for knowledge-sharing, networking, and business empowerment.
Fidelity Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s top-tier financial institutions, has promoted 376 employees following its recently concluded annual performance review exercise.
This represents approximately 12% of the bank’s workforce, underscoring its management’s deep appreciation for the pivotal role played by staff in recoding the highest growth by percentage volumes in the banking industry with 210% increase in its Profit Before Tax (PBT) which grew from N124.3 billion in 2023 to N385.2 billion in 2024.
The announcement, which was recently communicated internally, comes on the heels of a 20% across-the-board salary increase implemented in June 2025—a gesture that reflects the bank’s commitment to staff welfare. It is worth noting that this follows a similar salary adjustment carried out in November 2024.
Under the leadership of Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, Fidelity Bank has consistently outperformed market expectations. In 2024, the bank recorded the highest share price growth of 116% in the industry following the completion of its Public Offer which was over subscribed by 238% .
In recognition of the banks stellar performance, global rating agency, Fitch Ratings recently upgraded Fidelity Bank’s National Long-Term Rating from ‘A(nga)’ to ‘A+(nga)’ in a further endorsement of the bank’s financial strength and prudent management. The upgraded ratings reflects improved profitability metrics and robust capital buffers, reinforcing the bank’s sustained upward trajectory.
Fidelity Bank Plc on Wednesday refuted claims that its Managing Director, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, is involved in an ongoing fraud case concerning the account of Woobs Resources.
The Bank’s position follows reports published by Sahara Reporters alleging that Dr. Onyeali-Ikpe was listed as a defendant in the case.
However, documents sighted by Nigeria CommunicationsWeek revealed that the charge sheet dated May 12, 2025, named the defendants as Victor Ukutt, Fidelity Bank Plc, Whoba Ugwunna Ogo, and Safiya Whoba.
A statement by the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice dated June 9, 2025, confirmed that Onyeali-Ikpe’s name was struck off the charge list.
The Ministry noted that she was neither the Managing Director nor the account officer at the time the account in question was opened.
The clarification aims to dispel misinformation and uphold the integrity of the institution and its leadership.
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