African startups are making significant progress. In this context, the digital economy platform FollowICT highlights the top startup news across Africa over the past week.
Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator Launches Sixth Cohort with 21 Startups from 9 African Countries
The sixth cohort of the Visa Africa Fintech Accelerator has kicked off in Accra, Ghana, bringing together 21 fintech startups from nine African countries operating across 24 markets on the continent. The new cohort includes first-time representation from Niger, Togo and Seychelles, highlighting the growing geographic diversity of Africa’s fintech ecosystem. The startups are developing solutions across areas including payments, remittances, stablecoins, agentic commerce and sustainable finance.
The cohort’s launch also connected participating founders with major players in Ghana’s financial and fintech ecosystem, including Onafriq, EY Ghana, Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems Limited, GCB Bank PLC, Societe Generale Ghana and MEST Africa. The program is designed to give participating startups access to industry expertise, mentorship, networking opportunities and potential partnerships as they work to develop their products and expand into new markets.
The latest cohort is part of Visa’s broader efforts to support African fintech companies and help them scale across the continent. The accelerator combines training, mentorship and connections with investors and industry experts, with the participating startups expected to take part in a series of virtual and in-person activities throughout the program before culminating in a final showcase.
Satlyt Raises $8 Million to Expand AI Computing on Satellites
Satellite software company Satlyt has raised $8 million in a seed funding round led by non sibi ventures, with participation from TLCOM, Antler, Slauson & Co., Launch Africa Ventures, Enza Capital, Askya Investment Partners, Demos, BAG Collective, Gaingels and Axian Investment, alongside existing backers. The company will use the fresh capital to accelerate product development, expand its engineering team and increase deployment of its software on satellites operated by third parties.
Satlyt is developing software that allows satellites to process data and run artificial intelligence applications directly in orbit rather than sending all the information they collect back to Earth for analysis. The approach is designed to reduce the amount of data that needs to be transmitted through communications networks and enable satellite operators to access useful information more quickly. The technology also allows software developers to deploy applications directly on satellite computing systems.
The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, while its African headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya, where it has a significant engineering presence. Satlyt has already operated software in orbit, including a deployment involving Google Gemma to analyse satellite system logs, software errors and stack traces. Its longer-term ambition is to develop a common software layer capable of coordinating computing resources across satellites operated by different organisations, effectively creating a distributed computing infrastructure in space.
Kredete Acquires Gravv to Strengthen Stablecoin Payment Infrastructure
Financial technology company Kredete has acquired stablecoin infrastructure platform Gravv in a deal aimed at strengthening its international payments capabilities and giving the company greater control over transaction settlement and routing. Gravv provides infrastructure connecting banks, blockchain networks and local payment systems, with services covering multi-currency accounts, foreign exchange, liquidity management, payments, stablecoin settlement and transaction reconciliation.
According to Gravv, its infrastructure has processed more than $3 billion in annualised transaction volume for over 1,000 businesses across more than 100 countries, supported by seven global banking partners. By bringing the infrastructure platform into its business, Kredete expects to gain more direct control over key parts of its payment operations and reduce its reliance on external infrastructure providers. Gravv’s technology will also remain available to banks, fintech companies, digital platforms and developers seeking infrastructure for international and stablecoin-based payments.
Founded in 2022 by Adeola Adedewe, Kredete focuses on financial services for African immigrants and diaspora communities, including cross-border money transfers and financial products powered by stablecoins. The company says it currently serves more than 6.5 million users and processes approximately $18 billion in annualised payment volume. The acquisition comes after Kredete raised a $22 million Series A round in 2025 and reflects the growing role of stablecoin infrastructure in cross-border payments.
EV.Tech Secures Enko Capital Investment to Expand EV Charging Network in Côte d’Ivoire
Côte d’Ivoire-based EV.Tech, a company focused on electric vehicle charging solutions, has secured a strategic investment from Enko Capital to expand its charging network and strengthen its operations across the country. The investment was made through Enko Capital’s Francophone West Africa SME Strategy, structured as a Fonds Commun de Placement à Risques (FCPR) using a hybrid financing package. The value of the investment was not disclosed.
Founded by Florent Thomas and Esther Dagri, EV.Tech describes itself as Côte d’Ivoire’s first locally focused company dedicated exclusively to electric vehicle charging solutions. The startup currently operates a nationwide network of 70 charging stations and provides solutions covering the installation and maintenance of charging infrastructure. Its Neo Charging application also enables users to locate charging stations, check availability and pricing, and monitor charging sessions in real time.
The new investment will support the expansion of EV.Tech’s charging network and operational capabilities as electric mobility develops in Côte d’Ivoire and across Francophone West Africa. The transaction represents the second investment under Enko Capital’s FCPR strategy, following its investment in Burger King Côte d’Ivoire. The deal also highlights the emergence of local infrastructure startups seeking to support the development of electric mobility across African markets.
Walletdoc Launches Visa Payment Passkeys for Faster Online Checkout in South Africa
South African fintech company Walletdoc has launched Visa Payment Passkeys for local merchants, allowing consumers to complete online purchases using biometric authentication on their phones instead of relying on passwords or one-time passwords. The solution is designed to simplify the online checkout experience while providing an additional layer of security for digital card payments.
Walletdoc provides merchants with a range of payment solutions, including online and in-app payments, payment links, QR codes, PayShap Request to Pay, mobile card machines and instant payouts. With Visa Payment Passkeys, South African shoppers can authenticate transactions using biometric features such as fingerprint or facial recognition on supported devices, potentially eliminating the need to leave the merchant’s checkout page and enter an OTP through their bank.
Dan Wagner, Co-CEO of Walletdoc, said the company aims to make payments simpler, safer and more seamless for customers while helping merchants reduce fraud and improve conversion. The launch represents another step in the company’s efforts to introduce new payment technologies to the South African market as digital commerce increasingly moves toward passwordless authentication and biometric verification.