15 African startups selected for inaugural Renew Venture Lab: EmFi Series

Renew Capital has selected 15 African tech startups from a pool of more than 500 applicants across 48 countries to advance through its inaugural Renew Venture Lab: EmFi Series. The programme, run by the pan‑African investment firm with a presence in 13 countries, first invited applicants to exclusive expert sessions, then narrowed the field to 47 companies that took part in a pitch competition and received a startup package valued at more than US$250,000. From that cohort, 15 companies representing Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and others were chosen for deeper technical training and investment consideration.

"The next generation of Africa's small business banks won't be banks. They'll be startups that already understand how SMEs operate, have their data and have earned their trust. These 15 companies are building from that advantage. That's why we're paying attention," said Matthew Davis, co‑CEO of Renew Capital.

The selected companies span a range of sectors, with fintech, logistics, agri‑tech and enterprise software among the represented verticals. The Renew Venture Lab: EmFi Series is positioned to give founders hands‑on technical support and to place them under consideration for future investment from Renew Capital and its partners. The initial intake process included more than 500 applications from across the continent and funnelled promising teams through mentoring and a pitch stage that produced a substantial startup package estimated at over US$250,000.

Selected startups and founders

• AgroCenta (Ghana) — Francis Obirikorang
• Boost Technology (Ghana) — Mike Quinn
• Dots for Africa (Senegal) — Carlos Oba
• Fanaka (Zambia) — Hillary Sang
• Kutana (Ghana) — Samuel Opoku
• MajibuAfrica (Uganda) — Janis Zicans
• Marakisoft (Ethiopia) — Alemayehu Seifu
• Oze (Ghana) — Meghan McCormick
• Regxta (Nigeria) — Rukayat Bello
• Rigo (Nigeria) — Olukayode Odeyinde
• Shiprazor (South Africa) — Lesego Tladinyane
• Solimi (Togo) — Gael Egbidi
• Tradevu (Nigeria) — Nkiru Amadi‑Emina
• Z Systems (Morocco) — Samer Choumar
• Zendawa (Kenya) — Wilfred Njuguna

Several names on the list are already active in markets supporting small and medium enterprises. AgroCenta, for example, operates in agricultural value‑chain finance; Oze focuses on SME lending infrastructure; and Shiprazor works in logistics. The geographic spread — from North and West Africa to East and Southern Africa — reflects Renew Capital's continental remit and its strategy of backing founders leveraging local data and SME relationships.

The programme's structure — expert sessions, a competitive pitch stage, a sizeable startup package and follow‑on technical training — aims to fast‑track startups that are building financial and operational products for small businesses. The emphasis in Davis's statement on startups that "already understand how SMEs operate" signals Renew's focus on teams with domain experience and client‑level traction rather than purely theoretical propositions.

Outlook: the 15 startups will enter a phase of deeper technical training and be placed under active investment consideration. For founders, participation offers both capacity‑building and visibility to one of Africa's active investors; for Renew Capital, the cohort represents a curated pipeline of potential portfolio companies that align with its thesis of technology‑led solutions for SME finance and operations across the continent.