Mobility startups recorded the highest startup funds in Francophone Africa in 2024, raising $20.50M with just two deals

Key takeaways:

  • Mobility led 2024’s startup funding in Francophone Africa with two deals at a value of $20.5M.
  • Fintech had the highest number of deals at 7, but with a lower total value than Mobility.
  • Cloud Services, Communications, and eCommerce each attracted over $3M from just one deal.
  • Agritech recorded the lowest funding at only $0.2M, despite being a vital sector.
  • Logistics, Healthtech, and HR/Payroll sectors saw two deals each, but with moderate funding.
  • Electric Motorcycle and Eyewear startups each secured $2M–$3M in one-off deals, showing niche interest.
  • Digital Health drew limited attention in both deal count and funding, signalling untapped or underdeveloped potential.

Francophone Africa’s startup ecosystem saw a bold shift in 2024, with Mobility startups taking a surprising lead in total deal value. A single deal in the Mobility sector (secured by Ampersand in Rwanda) accounted for $19.5 million — nearly double the total raised by Fintech (7 deals), which came in second at $10.51 million. The other deal in the mobility sector was at a value of $1M (secured by Solarbox in Senegal). This standout figure perhaps signals the mobility sector’s potential to reshape urban mobility across the region. While Fintech still drew the highest number of deals (7), Mobility claimed the crown for value with just two transactions.
What’s even more interesting is how this reveals the uneven landscape of startup funding in Francophone Africa. Sectors like Cloud Services, HR/Payroll, and Communications each recorded only a single or a couple of deals but raised millions, indicating that investors are willing to place big bets on what they consider high-impact solutions. On the flip side, essential sectors such as Agritech and Digital Health pulled in the lowest funding, highlighting potential blind spots or areas still waiting to catch investor attention.

Source:

Intelpoint

Period:

2024
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61.76% of financial sector deal volume in Francophone Africa was recorded between 2020–2024 H1, up from 22.06% in 2012–2015
  • Between 2020–2024 H1, 40.58% and 50.91% of deal volume went to consumer staples and consumer discretionary respectively, showing that everyday goods and lifestyle products are fast becoming investment magnets.
  • The utilities sector deal volume exploded in recent years, jumping from 21.62% in 2016–2019 to 70.27% in 2020–2024 H1, an indication that basic infrastructure services like energy, water, and power are now central to investment strategies.
  • 78.57% of all deal volume in the information technology sector happened in the most recent period, suggesting that digital solutions and tech platforms are increasingly being backed by private capital.
  • The industrials sector also bounced back, with 46% of its deal volume coming in the 2020–2024 period.
  • Energy sector investment dropped from 66.67% to 33.33%, and real estate recorded no new deals after 2015.
  • Health care remained consistent across all three periods, securing exactly 33.33% of the deal volume each time, highlighting its stability, even if not standout growth.
Francophone African companies attracted $1.8 billion in private capital in 2021, the highest amount in the past 12 years
  • Francophone Africa attracted $1.8 billion in private capital in 2021, about 9x the previous year (2020).
  • That same year saw 34 deals, which is quite high when compared to some other years, indicating strong investor confidence.
  • In 2024, deal value amounted to just $0.1 billion, and deal volume to 19, pointing to a significant cooling in activity.
  • Between 2012 and 2015, the region saw low deal values, with both 2014 and 2015 recording just $0.01 billion in investments.
  • A notable spike occurred in 2017 with $0.7 billion invested across 17 deals, marking the first major surge before 2021's breakout.
  • Deal counts haven’t always aligned with capital volume. For instance, 2023 had 42 deals but only $0.4B, suggesting a trend of smaller-sized investments.
Tech-enabled firms drove 71% of deal volume in Francophone Africa in 2021, the highest contribution so far
  • The breakthrough year for tech in Francophone Africa was 2021, with 71% of deal volume going to tech-enabled firms, an all-time high.
  • The growth of tech began slowly, from 0% in 2015 to just 12% in 2017, showing how recent the tech surge is.
  • Between 2018 and 2020, tech’s share gradually rose from 15% to 27%, setting the stage for the explosive growth of 2021.
  • Post-2021, tech dominance slightly softened—holding 52% in 2022, 50% in 2023, and 63% in 2024 H1, suggesting a more balanced diversification.
  • The last year traditional sectors led in deal volume was 2020, accounting for 73%, right before tech flipped the narrative.
Since 2012 up to mid-2024, Francophone Africa has had 76 exits, peaking at 13 in 2019
  • The peak year was 2019 with 13 exits, marking the most successful exit year since tracking began in 2012.
  • Zero exits occurred in 2020, likely reflecting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on exit strategies and deal closures.
  • The years 2021 and 2022 saw a rebound, with 11 and 10 exits respectively, suggesting a recovery in investor confidence post-pandemic.
  • Slower exit activity was recorded in 2023 and early 2024, with 6 and 3 exits, respectively (2024 is as of H1).
  • From 2012 to 2016, annual exits ranged between 3 and 4, except for a spike in 2013 with 10 exits.
  • The overall average exit volume is low, with fewer than 7 exits per year on average across the 12 years.
Consumer staples, financials, consumer discretionary, and industrials dominate private capital in Francophone Africa, capturing 68% of all investment volume since 2012
  • The consumer staples sector attracted the highest private capital volume with 69 deals.
  • The financial sector shows strong traction, especially as digital finance and fintechs continue to open access to banking services in underserved markets.
  • Fifty-five deals in the consumer discretionary category suggest investors are interested in rising middle-class consumption, retail, and lifestyle-driven spending patterns.
  • At 50 deals, industrials, including manufacturing and infrastructure, remain a backbone for private capital.
  • Healthcare (24 deals) and utilities (37 deals) reflect increasing investor focus on sectors with long-term impact and scalable public value.
Five countries account for 52.6% of Francophone Africa's (29 countries) private capital transactions value between 2012 and 2024
  • With $1.2B in deal value (25%), Côte d’Ivoire stands far ahead, signalling strong investor confidence.
  • At $697M (14.5%), Senegal is proving itself as a rising investment star.
  • Despite being a small economy, Rwanda drew $166M (3.5%).
  • DR Congo attracted $143M (3.0%), a modest share relative to its size.
  • Twenty-four Francophone African countries collectively received 47.4% ($2.3B) of the deal value, suggesting huge untapped or underserved markets across Francophone Africa.
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