🔴 54 Collective shut down!

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⟹ 🚀 STARTUPS WATCH 🚀 ⟸

Here are the 3 top startups in the African ecosystem I think you need to know:

Kukua is revolutionizing education in Africa through Sema, the continent’s first edutainment franchise blending world-class storytelling with game-based learning. From animated series to interactive games and music, Kukua uses entertainment as a vehicle to build literacy, confidence, and creativity in children across Africa.

By merging purpose-driven content with engaging digital experiences, Kukua empowers the next generation to dream big and lead change. Their growing media ecosystem is shaping the future of family entertainment, rooted in African stories, and designed to educate, inspire, and uplift millions.

⟹ 💼 💰️ VENTURE CAPITAL WATCH 💼 💰️ ⟸

🚀 This Week in African VC: Studio Collapse, Local Rounds & Savings Reinvented

3️⃣ Strategic Collapse: 54 Collective shuts down amid grant dispute

Once Africa’s most active venture studio, 54 Collective (formerly Founders Factory Africa), has shuttered after a legal battle with Mastercard Foundation.

What started as a rebrand gone wrong spiraled into a forensic audit, asset freezes, and a $100M+ program halted mid-flight.

It’s a cautionary tale for donor-backed VC: governance, transparency, and mission alignment matter a lot.

📉 Signal: As capital gets tighter, expect greater scrutiny of how VC platforms operate—and who they serve.

2️⃣ Local Money, Big Moves: ORA raises $7.5M Series A in Morocco

In a strong win for local funding, Morocco’s ORA Technologies just raised $7.5M from Azur Innovation Fund and strategic Moroccan backers to scale its super app.

From food delivery to mobile wallets, ORA is digitizing last-mile cash logistics and flying the “100% Made in Morocco” flag.

💡 Investor Watch: This is one of North Africa’s largest locally-led rounds; proof that regional capital can go toe-to-toe with foreign VCs.

1️⃣ Fintech With Purpose: PALM raises 7-figure round to reimagine savings

Egyptian fintech PALM raised a 7-figure pre-seed from 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, and angels to help users save better through rewards and goal-based investing.

Combining behavioral science with traditional asset allocation, it’s tackling Egypt’s low savings rate and aiming for millions of users.

🔍 Thesis Angle: Fintech is moving beyond payments into wealth-building. Expect more VC bets on embedded savings and financial wellness in MENA.

👀 Investor Spotlight: GIIG Africa Fund 👀

📍 Port Louis, Mauritius 🇲🇺 | Est. 2020

GIIG Africa Fund is a pan-African accelerator-linked investment vehicle on a mission to find, fund, and grow globally relevant tech innovation from Africa. With roots in the Global Startup Awards (GSA) Africa, GIIG identifies top-tier ventures and supports them through capital, capacity building, and visibility on the global stage.

🧠 Thesis:

They invest in African startups solving the world’s biggest challenges—from climate to healthcare to digital inclusion. GIIG backs founders who are building scalable, impact-driven solutions with global potential, pairing funding with strategic ecosystem support.

🌍 Geographic Focus:

Pan-African 🌍 | With operational presence via GSA hubs across Africa

💸 Check Size & Stage:

• Pre-seed to early stage

• Investment via accelerator-linked pipeline

• Flexible capital aligned to founder needs

🔗 Approach:

• “Find, Fund, Grow” model through GIIG Fund + GIIG Foundation

• Deep integration with Global Startup Awards Africa

• Ecosystem-first capital paired with media exposure, mentorship, and strategic partnerships

💡 Vibe:

Africa-rooted, globally connected. GIIG is building the bridge between local innovators and global capital, elevating African startups to world stages through spotlight, scale, and substance.

⟹ 📺️ MEDIA WATCH 📺️  ⟸

Here are the 5 key things in the news this week that you need to know:

1. 54 Collective shuts down venture studio amid Mastercard Foundation dispute - Techcabal

2. Moroccan superapp ORA Technologies raises $7.5m Series A round - Disrupt Africa

3. M-KOPA lawsuit alleges racial disparity in employee equity  - Techcabal

4. Egypt’s PALM raises 7-figure pre-seed round to revolutionise savings - Disrupt Africa

5. Egypt’s Tactful AI reacquired by founders as it enters new growth phase - Disrupt Africa

And that’s your weekly dosage of the African startup ecosystem; thanks for reading.

Have a lovely rest of the week.

Gitonga, the Stoic Founder at StartupHub.Africa 🚀

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