Launch Africa Ventures

Paps is a transport and logistics company based in Dakar, Senegal, founded in 2016. It provides innovative distribution and delivery solutions tailored for companies and merchants. The company's e-commerce platform facilitates real-time scheduling and tracking of deliveries, enhancing the logistics process. Paps specializes in the distribution of documents and parcels, secure storage of goods, and insured delivery options, including last-mile and relay point services. Additionally, it offers professional services such as cash-on-delivery management, courier provision, returns management, and periodic reporting. The company’s on-demand logistics application features live tracking, an intelligent address system, and automatic dispatch, ensuring clients benefit from timely shipment movements.

Meditect is a social enterprise focused on digitizing the medicine supply chain in Africa, with operations in Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, and Cameroon, and plans for expansion across sub-Saharan Africa. The company develops AI and blockchain-based software designed to track falsified medicines and enhance the integrity of drug distribution. By providing innovative solutions, Meditect aims to combat the sale of counterfeit medications and ensure the authenticity of medicines through a system that allows pharmacists to verify their products. This initiative addresses the critical challenge of access to quality medicines in the context of Africa's rapidly growing population, leveraging digital technology to improve healthcare delivery in developing countries.

Maad is a rapidly growing B2B marketplace located in Dakar, Senegal, focused on serving small retailers and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands in Francophone Africa. The company offers a technology-driven platform that facilitates mobile ordering and ensures reliable product delivery. Its services include providing data on product availability and market share, as well as targeted promotional offerings to help businesses enhance their sales. Additionally, Maad supports retailers by offering working capital loans, creating a comprehensive solution for their operational needs.

Termii is an online platform based in Lagos, Nigeria, that assists African businesses in engaging with their customers through personalized communication via SMS, email, voice, and instant messaging channels. Founded in 2014, Termii offers a comprehensive suite of business applications that cater to various needs including digital branding, sales, marketing, customer relationship management, eCommerce, accounting, inventory, and project management. By providing these tools, Termii aims to enhance customer retention and improve business operations, making it easier for companies to secure repeat customers and foster effective communication.

Kredi is a neo bank building Africa's one-stop shop for digital financial services. Kredi is a platform that eliminates all the challenges of using multiple applications and allows users to manage all aspects of their financial lives. We are fully licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria. We provide access to digital financial services such as savings, credit, payment, investments, and insurance to all consumers in Nigeria in one place.

ShopMeAway is a logistics and e-commerce platform that connects global brands with underserved markets in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. The company addresses the challenges of limited access to goods in less industrialized countries, which often leads to inflated prices or unavailability. By integrating a cross-border logistics application with its e-commerce module, ShopMeAway enables consumers and businesses in these regions to order from international online stores efficiently. Since its establishment in 2018 in Senegal, the company has expanded its operations to Ivory Coast and partnered with Amazon to distribute its entire catalog to clients. Future expansion plans include entering the Nigerian and Moroccan markets within the next 12 to 16 months, with aspirations to extend its reach into Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia in the long term.

Edves Limited is a company based in Lagos, Nigeria, that specializes in designing and developing school management software aimed at automating various administrative and educational processes. Founded in 2016, Edves's platform serves over 1,700 K-12 schools across 11 African countries, streamlining enrollment, school fees payment, result processing, and online learning. The software offers features such as e-books, video tutorials, and virtual classrooms, facilitating a comprehensive digital learning environment. Additionally, it provides tools for school owners to manage fee defaulters and set reminders, while educators can generate annual reports to track student performance. By enhancing digital infrastructure for educational institutions, Edves aims to improve learning outcomes and optimize school operations.

Afrikamart is a West African distribution platform specializing in fresh produce, aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the agribusiness sector. It serves as a digital marketplace connecting producers and suppliers with retailers, hotels, and restaurants. By leveraging digital technology, Afrikamart facilitates the exchange of vital information, such as purchase prices, product availability, and forecasts, between suppliers and customers. The platform also organizes end-to-end logistics through a network of transporters and optimizes financial transactions based on different purchasing and payment terms. Committed to addressing inefficiencies in the food value chain, Afrikamart empowers underprivileged women and youth by providing them with economic opportunities while promoting fair trade practices through the use of artificial intelligence and advanced algorithms.

Maad is a rapidly growing B2B marketplace located in Dakar, Senegal, focused on serving small retailers and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands in Francophone Africa. The company offers a technology-driven platform that facilitates mobile ordering and ensures reliable product delivery. Its services include providing data on product availability and market share, as well as targeted promotional offerings to help businesses enhance their sales. Additionally, Maad supports retailers by offering working capital loans, creating a comprehensive solution for their operational needs.

Afrikamart is a West African distribution platform specializing in fresh produce, aimed at enhancing the efficiency of the agribusiness sector. It serves as a digital marketplace connecting producers and suppliers with retailers, hotels, and restaurants. By leveraging digital technology, Afrikamart facilitates the exchange of vital information, such as purchase prices, product availability, and forecasts, between suppliers and customers. The platform also organizes end-to-end logistics through a network of transporters and optimizes financial transactions based on different purchasing and payment terms. Committed to addressing inefficiencies in the food value chain, Afrikamart empowers underprivileged women and youth by providing them with economic opportunities while promoting fair trade practices through the use of artificial intelligence and advanced algorithms.

Yobanté Express is a logistics technology startup focused on transforming cross-border and last-mile parcel delivery in key African markets. The company utilizes a fully digitized platform that ensures full traceability and exceptional customer support, minimizing merchandise loss and damage. By leveraging an asset-light model, Yobanté Express operates a cost-efficient network of relay points and independent carriers, facilitating fast and affordable delivery across cities and borders. Its platform connects local carriers with commerce, enabling efficient same-day delivery services, particularly in Senegal. This proven success has positioned Yobanté Express for expansion into other high-growth African markets.

Edves Limited is a company based in Lagos, Nigeria, that specializes in designing and developing school management software aimed at automating various administrative and educational processes. Founded in 2016, Edves's platform serves over 1,700 K-12 schools across 11 African countries, streamlining enrollment, school fees payment, result processing, and online learning. The software offers features such as e-books, video tutorials, and virtual classrooms, facilitating a comprehensive digital learning environment. Additionally, it provides tools for school owners to manage fee defaulters and set reminders, while educators can generate annual reports to track student performance. By enhancing digital infrastructure for educational institutions, Edves aims to improve learning outcomes and optimize school operations.

Releaf is a Nigerian company founded in 2017 that operates as an online marketplace connecting agribusiness buyers and sellers. It focuses on sourcing ingredients for African food factories, including cassava, palm oil, ginger, and maize, among others. Releaf aims to create climate-adaptive supply chains in response to the continent's growing population. The firm provides extension services to smallholder farmers, acting as a buyer and streamlining the conversion of raw materials into factory-grade inputs for vegetable oil production. By leveraging digital technologies such as USSD and open banking, along with proprietary machinery, Releaf collaborates with over 2,000 smallholder farmers, facilitating the supply of high-quality palm kernel nuts to food factories. This approach not only enhances operational efficiency for food manufacturers but also supports the economic development of small agricultural startups.

Omnibiz is a B2B e-commerce platform based in Lagos, Nigeria, that focuses on fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. Founded in 2019, the company aims to support local businesses by digitizing the supply chain and enhancing operational efficiency. Its unified distribution platform offers tools that improve reliability, visibility, and financial capabilities for businesses. Key features include order tracking and integrated payment options, all designed to facilitate a seamless supply chain experience. By providing these resources, Omnibiz helps local enterprises navigate the complexities of the modern market and achieve their business objectives effectively.

MarketForce is a technology company headquartered in the United States, with operations in Kenya and Nigeria, focused on enhancing B2B commerce and fintech solutions for African merchants. Launched in 2018, the company has developed the "RejaReja" platform, which allows merchants to digitally source, order, and pay for inventory. In addition to these services, MarketForce offers access to financing, enables digital payment collection, and allows merchants to resell digital financial services like airtime and utility tokens. Operating in five markets across Sub-Saharan Africa, MarketForce has established a rapidly growing network that includes over 200,000 merchants and 50 consumer brands. The company employs an asset-light business model to drive efficiency and productivity in the distribution of goods, utilizing advanced technology to streamline operations for its users.

Rivy is making it easier to finance small and medium sized businesses in Africa. There is a need for financing of $158 bn for SMEs in Nigeria alone. To start, Rivy o helps SMEs access and spend lender capital effectively. During their first full operational year in 2020, the Rivy o co--founders leveraged their domain expertise and founding experience to beat their 2020 goal by 50%.

Alpha Direct is a Botswana-based insurtech company focused on providing affordable and accessible insurance products to Africa's underserved consumer market. The company leverages cloud technology, big data, and artificial intelligence to develop innovative insurance solutions. In less than five years, Alpha Direct has become the fifth largest short-term insurance underwriter in Botswana and is now pursuing regional expansion across Africa, including plans to enter the long-term insurance sector. Its product offerings encompass a range of insurance types, such as car, business, bus, workers, and travel insurance, aimed particularly at low-income groups. The company has gained recognition for its innovative "insurance in a box" product, which is sold through retail outlets and features a cloud-based activation and policy management platform. This has enabled Alpha Direct to rapidly acquire thousands of customers. Over the next five years, the company intends to expand its offerings to include long-term insurance and extend its reach into South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, and Nigeria, as well as license its products and technology in ten additional African countries.

Trove Technologies Limited operates an online platform designed to facilitate investment in a range of securities, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and cryptocurrencies. Based in Lekki, Nigeria, Trove aims to simplify the investment process for beginners by providing an accessible application that allows users to easily find and select investment opportunities. The platform features a user-friendly KYC process, brokerage services, and a personalized news feed related to the assets traded. Trove enables investors to participate in both local and international markets, offering access to Nigerian stocks, government bonds, and a selection of cryptocurrency assets. Through its seamless approach to micro-investing, Trove empowers users to engage with the financial markets with ease.

WellaHealth is a startup focused on improving healthcare access for low-income individuals and families in Nigeria. The company has developed a digital triage bot that provides guidance based on the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control guidelines, allowing users to log their health responses for potential follow-up by public health authorities. In addition to this innovative tool, WellaHealth offers micro-health insurance plans that target prevalent diseases, providing affordable coverage for treatments and medications. Their platform connects users to a network of pharmacies and healthcare professionals, enabling them to manage their health needs without facing significant financial strain.