Telecom
Yep, Nigerian Financial Super-App Raises $1.5m in Pre-Seed Funding
Yep!, a financial super-app, has raised $1.5 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Greenhouse Capital as the company launches its revolutionary new digital financial super app on iOS and Android in five African countries (Nigeria, Niger, Togo, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso).
The company has ambitious growth plans of doubling an existing network of about 100,000 merchants to over 200,000 by the end of 2022.
The founders are also in discussions with international credit providers to increase the super-app’s debt facility to $10 million by the end of this year as the company scales its lending operations.
Yep! Co-Founder Olaoluwa Awojoodu said: “We have secured a $500,000 credit facility that will enable us to kick-start the provision of working capital loans to our existing merchants as we expand across the continent.
“As we strive to deliver on our promise of bringing financial access to all Africans and connecting Africans to the world, increasing Yep!’s lending capacity will be a key catalyst in pulling more customers and merchants into our ecosystem.
“Access to finance can be transformative – it unlocks opportunities among those that need it the most and has a huge impact on the wider economy.”
Yep! is a digital financial services company leveraging technology to deliver unconventional and intuitive financial services and solutions that fills the gap left by existing banking models which fail to serve Africa’s unbanked, underserved and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
As part of its mission to boost financial inclusion, Yep! will leverage its existing merchant network, PayCentre Africa, to ease entry into the formal economy for rural communities, who would otherwise be financially excluded. The company’s services enable entrepreneurs, small business owners, students, MSMEs, and merchants to gain safe and easy access to financial solutions digitally.
In 2021 alone, over 5 million customers transacted more than $2 billion through the company’s growing network of merchants. In an attempt to close the loop, bank these customers; Yep! secured a microfinance bank (MFB) licence in Nigeria, enabling the company to set up accounts for customers, businesses, and merchants, in a matter of seconds.
The firm is exploring partnerships with leading U.S. banks and service providers to expand its products to customers in the U.S., building on remittance flows to Africa from the diaspora and migrants from the region. Product lines across the Atlantic will include low-cost and freely accessible remittances to African countries, free checking and saving accounts and a credit card to start.
In recent years, remittance flows to low and middle income have soared as high as $550 billion, a figure that does not include sums transferred through informal channels.
With banks and money transfer services temporarily closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of customers turned to online remittances, which continue to provide vital support to families affected by economic hardship or facing increasing costs for school. According to data from the World Bank, remittance inflows to Sub-Saharan Africa rose in 2021, rising by 6.2% to $45 billion.
As migration flows from the continent are expected to increase, and digitisation paces ahead, remittances to sub-Saharan Africa are set to receive unprecedented growth, a trend Yep! is sure to benefit from.
Airende Ojeomogha, Co-founder, Yep! said: “The informal sector is the backbone of economic activity in Africa and accounts for over 80% of jobs in cities across the continent.
“However, populations and businesses in this segment often do not have the necessary tools to grow and scale – due to restricted access to financial services that enhance growth, such as savings and credit facilities. With our network of around 100,000 merchants spread across West Africa, we get to hear from millions of customers and businesses, so we know our customers’ challenges.
“This strengthens our ability to build and provide the right products that eradicate their pain points and respond to evolving needs.”
Garry Ottosen, Co-founder, Yep!, said: “We want to create a disruptive financial platform that democratises access to financial services and economic opportunities for both retail and business customers across Africa. Yep! succeeds only when our customers do.”
Greenhouse Capital led the $1.5 million investment round, adding the firm to its portfolio of pioneering companies in Africa, including Y.C. companies Flutterwave, Credpal, and Helium health.
Ruby Nimkar, Partner at Greenhouse Capital stated why they invested in Yep! saying, “We are excited to support Olaoluwa, Airende and Garry as they make financial services accessible to consumers and businesses both on the continent, as well as in the diaspora.
“The founders are seasoned operators and we were impressed by the vision, the team and the speed of execution.”
In celebration of International Women’s Day (IWD) 2026, Techeconomy, a leading business news platform in Nigeria, has unveiled its “100 Women Shaping the Future: Techeconomy Power List 2026,” recognizing exceptional women driving innovation, leadership, and impact across technology and the broader digital economy.
Techeconomy
The annual recognition spotlights women who are transforming industries through entrepreneurship, policy leadership, digital innovation, financial inclusion, media, education, and emerging technologies.
The initiative is part of Techeconomy’s commitment to promoting gender inclusion and highlighting female leadership shaping Africa’s technology ecosystem.
The Techeconomy IWD Power List features a diverse group of women, from corporate executives and startup founders to policymakers, ecosystem builders, and social innovators, whose work continues to influence the future of technology, business, and digital transformation in Nigeria and across Africa.
Speaking on the initiative, Joan Aimuengheuwa, the Managing Editor at Techeconomy, noted that the recognition goes beyond celebrating titles, focusing instead on impact, resilience, and the ability to shape the future through innovation and leadership.
According to her, “the women on the list represent different sectors including fintech, banking, healthcare, agriculture, education, communications, and the creative economy, demonstrating the growing role of women in advancing technology-driven development.
The unveiling aligns with the global celebration of International Women’s Day, which highlights the achievements of women and calls for accelerated progress toward gender equality. Across the world, the technology sector continues to push for greater female representation and leadership as part of efforts to build more inclusive digital economies.
Also speaking, Oluwatosin Aloba, the Brand Manager at Techeconomy, said: “Techeconomy IWD 2026 Power List is specially designed to inspire the next generation of female innovators and leaders by showcasing role models who are breaking barriers and redefining possibilities in the technology landscape.
“Techeconomy encouraged industry stakeholders, institutions, and the broader public to celebrate the achievements of these women while continuing to support policies, programs, and investments that expand opportunities for women in technology”, she added.
The full list of the “100 Women Shaping the Future: Techeconomy Power List 2026” is available on the Techeconomy website or visit: https://techeconomy.ng/techeconomy-iwd-2026-power-list-celebrates-100-women-shaping-the-future-of-tech/.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), via its Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), has partnered with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to launch applications for the fifth cohort of the iHatch Startup Incubation Programme, targeting 37 innovation hubs—one per state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
NITDA
The initiative selects hubs as state-level managers to run incubation programmes, addressing uneven support outside Lagos and Abuja. “Nigeria’s startup ecosystem has grown rapidly, but access remains uneven,” said ONDI National Coordinator Victoria Fabunmi. “iHatch builds stronger hubs, standardises quality, and boosts investment readiness across all regions.”
Amid Africa’s $3.42 billion startup funding in 2025, Nigeria’s innovation clusters in major cities, sidelining rural founders. Selected hubs will incubate five startups each for at least one year, providing structured guidance for growth and funding. Hubs gain operational support, resources, and performance rewards—prioritizing ecosystem leadership over cash grants.
Eligibility and Timeline
Eligible hubs must:
Operate for at least one year with local engagement.
Possess infrastructure for incubation activities.
Applications close March 16 at ondi.nitda.gov.ng/#/ihatch.
Fabunmi emphasized: “By equipping hubs with tools, curriculum, and oversight, iHatch ensures consistent outcomes for founders everywhere,” tackling geographic gaps to scale local innovation.
French media group Canal+ has announced a €100 million turnaround plan to revive growth at MultiChoice, Africa’s largest pay-TV operator, after the DStv owner lost hundreds of thousands of subscribers and suffered a decline in revenue in 2025.
MultiChoice
The move follows Canal+’s full takeover of the South Africa-based broadcaster, which has been squeezed by weaker household purchasing power across Africa and intensifying competition from global streaming platforms.
According to Canal+’s latest financial disclosures, MultiChoice ended 2025 with 14.4 million subscribers, down from 14.9 million a year earlier, while revenue fell 6 per cent to €2.4 billion.
Adjusted earnings before interest and tax dropped 14 per cent to €159 million, prompting Canal+ to describe 2025 as “another challenging year” marked by falling subscriber numbers and an unsustainably high cost base.
The group cited currency depreciation in key markets such as Nigeria and persistent electricity shortages as major headwinds making it harder for households to maintain pay-TV subscriptions.
Canal+ also pointed to problems at Showmax, MultiChoice’s streaming service, describing one of its key contracts as an “expensive failure” and confirming that the arrangement is being shut down as part of a wider refocus on the core pay-TV business.
Under the new “boost plan,” which will roll out from 2026, Canal+ aims to restart subscriber growth and improve profitability across MultiChoice’s footprint by investing in content, pricing, distribution and sales.
On content, the French group says it plans to assemble the “best content on the African continent” by blending premium international programmes with more locally produced films, series and sports tailored to African audiences.
It will also simplify subscription packages and adjust pricing structures to make DStv and related offerings easier for customers to understand and afford.
To expand reach, Canal+ intends to subsidise hardware such as decoders and satellite dishes, lowering entry costs for new users.
In addition, the company will recruit more than 1,000 sales staff across African markets as it shifts MultiChoice towards a more aggressive, “sales-focused” model designed to win back and attract subscribers.
Alongside this investment push, Canal+ is embarking on significant cost-cutting measures, including a voluntary severance plan for some MultiChoice support staff and a restructuring of Irdeto, its technology and cybersecurity subsidiary.
Canal+ now expects to generate over €250 million in synergies by 2026, up from an earlier €150 million estimate, driven by the shutdown of loss-making Showmax contracts, operational restructuring at MultiChoice and rationalisation of company-owned properties.
The cost of delivering these savings is projected at between €70 million and €100 million. Despite the planned reforms, the group still anticipates a slight further decline in MultiChoice’s subscriber base in 2026, though the pace of losses is expected to slow, with adjusted earnings before interest and tax forecast to rise modestly to about €170 million as cost savings begin to offset weaker revenue and higher expenses.
Canal+ gained effective control of MultiChoice on 20 September 2025 after acquiring a majority stake, later buying out remaining shareholders and delisting the company from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in December 2025.
The French media group has said it intends to complete a secondary listing on the JSE before June 2026 to reinforce its presence in Africa’s fast-growing media and entertainment market.
The €100 million boost plan underlines the mounting pressure on traditional pay-TV operators across the continent as currency weakness, rising living costs and rapid expansion of streaming services force a strategic rethink of legacy television business models.
Court Freezes Bank Accounts of Petrocam, Founder over Alleged N9Bn Zenith Bank Debt
FG Approves First National Policy on Cosmetic Safety, Health
FCCPC Says Telcos, Energy Firms Lead Consumer Complaints in Nigeria
Microsoft Expands Africa AI Push while DeepSeek Gains Users
Mobile Phones Used by Food Vendors Could Spread Infections- Experts
Dr. Cairo Ojougboh Foundation Bolsters Nigeria’s Education Drive with ₦2.7m Student Support
Kaspersky Brings more Transparency to Threat Detection with New Hunt Hub
Kaspersky Discovers New Phishing Campaign Exploiting Google Tasks Notifications to Steal Corporate Credentials
esentry 2025 Report Shows Healthcare, Financial Services and Telecoms as Staging Grounds for Increased Cyberattacks in Africa
AfDB, UNDP Launch $10Bn AI Initiative for Africa
Telecom3 days agoChina Threatens to Shut Nigeria’s Satellite Over $11.44m Unpaid Debt
Telecom3 days agoUS Court Dismisses All Claims Against Binance in Major Anti-Terrorism Lawsuit Victory
Telecom3 days agoTikTok Pumps $200k into AI Media Literacy for Sub-Saharan Africa at Nairobi Summit
General News3 days agoMore Nigerians Emerge Millionaires in Week 9 of NIVEA’s Consumer Campaign
E-Business3 days agoNITDA, Nkenne AI Seek to Localise AI for Nigerians
E-Business2 days agoFG Moves to Strengthen Children’s Online Safety
Telecom3 days agoNCC Orders Telcos to Report Cyberattacks Within 4 Hours from 2027
E-Business3 days agoMeta to Charge Location Fees on Ads to Six Countries from July 1, 2026