African Startup heatmap
Find here great opportunities for entrepreneurship, technology, and sustainable development across the African continent. Created by DEEP Ecosystem members, it showcases each leader’s vision, initiatives, and collaborative projects that are shaping Africa’s innovation future.
Welcome to the African Collab
It showcases the significant opportunities for entrepreneurship, technology, and sustainable impact across the African continent.
Created by DEEP Ecosystem members, it highlights the vision, initiatives, and collaborative projects of leaders who are shaping Africa’s innovation landscape and driving meaningful change.
Meet Active Members of the African Collab
Connect With our most active members
Kelvin Mateyu
Co-Founder of Capital Catalyst Ecosystems
Kelvin Mateyu is the Co-Founder of Capital Catalyst Ecosystems, a forward-thinking organization established in 2025 to drive sustainable economic growth, technological innovation, and environmental resilience across Malawi and the wider African continent.
Read Kelvin’s latest article: Unlocking Youth Potential
UNLOCKING YOUTH POTENTIAL: A NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN MALAWI
This thought-leadership article, co-created by Kelvin Mateyu, co-founder of Capital Catalysis Ecosystems, and DEEP Ecosystems, highlights a new partnership strengthening Malawi’s innovation landscape. Unlocking Youth Potential: A New Partnership for Entrepreneurship in Malawi outlines how Capital Catalyst Ecosystems, the University of Lilongwe, and ThinkingLabs are working together to expand opportunities for young innovators. The initiative focuses on bridging education and industry
Read more…
Yeetah Kamikazi
Partnerships and Resource Mobilizer at kLab
Yetetah is an economist, entrepreneur, and tech enthusiast known for her creative and innovative approach to building partnerships and mobilizing resources. Currently serving as Partnerships and Resource Mobilizer at kLab, she brings extensive experience from her previous role as General Manager of kLab, one of Rwanda’s leading innovation hubs
Boubacar Demba Coly
Ecosystem Builder |Business Coach
An ecosystem builder and entrepreneurship coach dedicated to strengthening innovation and startup growth across Africa. With a strong background as a business coach and tech conceptor, he focuses on empowering entrepreneurs to turn creative ideas into scalable ventures.
Read Boubacar’s latest article: Transforming West Africa Through Innovation and Collaboration…
Transforming West Africa Through Innovation and Collaboration
This thought-leadership article, co-created by Boubacar Demba Coly and DEEP Ecosystems, highlights the rising wave of innovation and collaboration across West Africa. Transforming West Africa Through Innovation and Collaborationexplores how new ecosystem leaders are reshaping the region through Boubacar’s work with Gambia Tech Hub and the DEEP Startup Ecosystem Accelerator. The article delves into how mentorship, digital skills training, and global–local knowledge exchange are building stronger pathways for emerging founders and turning community-driven ideas into impactful ventures.
Read more…
Exploring the African Economy Through Data
New projections show a clear shift in the investment landscape. After a slowdown in 2024, total startup funding across the continent is expected to rise sharply in 2025 — reaching 2.65 billion USD, the highest level in three years.
This recovery points to renewed investor confidence and a stronger belief in Africa’s ability to scale solutions in areas like fintech, climate, health, and logistics.
Africa’s Startup Landscape: The Next Continental Growth Story
Nigeria and Egypt lead the continent’s startup activity, while Algeria, Tanzania, and South Africa are showing signs of rapid emergence. These ecosystems are entering a stage where collaboration, capital, and connectivity can drive sustained acceleration.
Nigeria already counts more than 3,000 startups — evidence of strong networks and entrepreneurial drive. Egypt follows with growing density, showing that innovation can scale locally and regionally.
While the numbers were relatively low between 2015 and 2018, we see a clear acceleration from 2021 onwards, with a significant peak in 2023 and 2024. This suggests that African founders are not only increasingly visible, but also more competitive and better positioned to access high-quality international acceleration programs.
Several factors may explain this positive trend:
-Stronger entrepreneurial ecosystems in Africa, producing more investable and scalable startups
-Growing focus on inclusion and diversity, aligned with broader policy and ecosystem shifts
Connecting global innovation for real impact in African Economy
