- The Startups Chronicle
- Posts
- On the Moove to Unicorn status
On the Moove to Unicorn status
Moove eyes $1B+ valuation | KERA raises $10M from IFC | Zero Carbon Charge raises $5.6M | Nile secures $11.3M |
Gitonga Mwaura
June 16, 2025
In partnership with
Good morning and happy Monday!
Welcome to the latest edition of The Startups Chronicle, proudly brought to you by Startup Hub Africa, your trusted briefing from the frontlines of Africa’s startup economy.
It always seems impossible until it's done.
Here’s what’s happened in Africa’s tech scene in the first week of June:
🛞 Moove eyes $1B+ valuation with new $300M raise
Nigeria’s mobility fintech is in talks to raise $300M, riding on $360M in annual revenue and robotaxi fleet ops in the US via Waymo—a true pan-African export story in fleet fintech and autonomous mobility.
🧠 KERA raises $10M from IFC to scale AI-powered healthcare
Senegal’s healthtech startup is bringing affordable, efficient care to women and informal workers using AI + fast payments.
🔋 Zero Carbon Charge raises $5.6M for solar-powered EV stations
DBSA backs this bold move to roll out ultra-fast EV chargers every 150km, fully off-grid and powered by solar.
🪙 Kenya’s crypto tax chaos could stall digital finance growth
$77M collected in 2024, but unclear rules and a blunt 1.5% tax could push major platforms to leave.
🌽 Nile secures $11.3M to digitize fresh produce trade
South Africa’s Nile is helping farmers get better prices, faster payments, and supply chain visibility.
🌍 Vastpoint lands strategic funding to fix land systems
With 800K+ titles already issued, this SA startup is solving one of the continent’s most overlooked problems — land tenure.
Run ads IRL with AdQuick
With AdQuick, you can now easily plan, deploy and measure campaigns just as easily as digital ads, making them a no-brainer to add to your team’s toolbox.
You can learn more at www.AdQuick.com
⟹ 🚀 STARTUPS WATCH 🚀 ⟸
Here are the 3 top startups in the African ecosystem I think you need to know:
 | 🌟 Name ➜ Afrigility 🏭️ Industry ➜ E-Commerce 📆 Founded ➜ 2022 📍 Location ➜ Nairobi, Kenya 🇰🇪 💰️ Funding Raised ➜ $50K 🧑🤝🧑 No. Of Employees ➜ 1-10 👥 Founders
|
Afrigility is a logistics platform streamlining B2B e-commerce fulfillment and on-demand storage across Kenya. Businesses can store anything from a shelf to full pallets, with 24/7 operations, real-time tracking, and fast dispatch—no long-term contracts required.
Headquartered in Nairobi, Afrigility is helping retailers and suppliers scale by cutting warehousing costs and simplifying last-mile delivery. With flexible storage and a growing network of ready-to-use warehouses, it’s building the backbone for smarter logistics in Africa’s digital economy.
 | 🌟 Name ➜ Taxmingo 🏭️ Industry ➜ FinTech 📆 Founded ➜ 2020 📍 Location ➜ Lagos, Nigeria 🇳🇬 💰️ Funding Raised ➜ $0 🧑🤝🧑 No. Of Employees ➜ 11-50 👥 Founders
|
Taxmingo is helping Nigerian SMEs stay compliant by making tax filing simple, fast, and affordable. Through its online platform, businesses can calculate, file, and manage taxes without stress, starting from just ₦9,999 a month.
In minutes, users can complete a free tax health check, get rated, and get matched with a professional tax consultant. With monthly support and real-time oversight, Taxmingo is turning compliance into a growth enabler for small businesses across Nigeria.
 | 🌟 Name ➜ Homzmart 🏭️ Industry ➜ E-Commerce 📆 Founded ➜ 2018 📍 Location ➜ Cairo, Egypt 🇪🇬 💰️ Funding Raised ➜ $39M 🧑🤝🧑 No. Of Employees ➜ 11 - 50 👥 Founders
|
Homzmart is redefining home shopping in Egypt with an all-in-one online platform for furniture, décor, lighting, and more. By combining smart logistics, predictive tech, and a vast product range, it delivers a seamless, customer-first shopping experience.
From flexible payments to doorstep delivery and expert support, Homzmart makes upgrading your home easier than ever. With thousands of items at your fingertips, it’s quickly becoming Egypt’s go-to destination for modern, convenient home improvement.
⟹ 💼 💰️ VENTURE CAPITAL WATCH 💼 💰️ ⟸
🚀 Here’s what happened this past week in the VC space across Africa’s frontier sectors:
3️⃣ Zero Carbon Charge lands $5.6M to build off-grid EV infrastructure
South Africa’s Zero Carbon Charge secured $5.6M from the DBSA to roll out solar-powered, ultra-fast EV charging stations every 150km on national roads.
🔋 Fully off-grid.
🔆 Solar + battery storage.
❌ Zero reliance on Eskom.
Why it matters: It’s a signal that African climate infrastructure, when built for local constraints, is attracting serious institutional capital.
2️⃣ Nile raises $11.3M to digitize fresh produce trade and financing
South African agri-tech startup Nile secured $11.3 million in growth capital from AfricInvest, FMO, and Platform Investment Partners.
The startup’s B2B marketplace helps farmers sell directly to buyers with tools for price discovery, fast payments, and traceability.
Nile will use the funding to expand its inputs marketplace and launch innovative financing products in partnership with banks, deepening its role as a digital rails provider for regional agriculture.
1️⃣ Moove eyes $1B+ valuation with planned $300M raise
Mobility fintech Moove is reportedly raising $300 million in fresh funding, which could push its valuation past the $1 billion mark.
The Uber-backed company now operates in the US, UK, India, Brazil, and Africa—managing fleets for Waymo and clocking $360 million in annualized revenue.
With $750 million already raised to date, Moove’s next chapter will likely see it evolve from vehicle financing to full-scale fleet infrastructure across both traditional and autonomous platforms.
👀 Investor Spotlight: E4E Africa 🇿🇦 👀
“Entrepreneurs for Entrepreneurs” — and they mean it.
Cape Town-based E4E Africa is an operator-led VC fund backing early-stage South African startups solving real-world problems — from township logistics to digital health.
💡 Thesis
Back gritty, impact-driven founders building scalable businesses in:
• Food & supply chain 🍅
• Healthtech & diagnostics 🏥
• Financial inclusion & insurtech 💳
• Digital access & last-mile tools 📶
💸 Stage & Strategy
• Pre-Series A to early growth
• Flexible check sizes with room to follow on
• Invests in team building, both ROI and social capital
🚀 Standout Portfolio
• Yebo Fresh – Last-mile groceries in townships
• Vula Mobile – Remote diagnosis for rural health
• Qwili – Smart devices powering digital commerce
• Pineapple – Peer-powered insurance reimagined
🔍 Vibe: Quiet operators. Founder-first. Impact without the performative noise.
If you’re building something real, they’re not just writing checks. They’re in the trenches with you.
⟹ 📺️ MEDIA WATCH 📺️ ⟸
Here are the 5 key things in the news this week that you need to know:
SA’s Zero Carbon Charge raises $5.6m funding from DBSA - Disrupt Africa
Moove eyes unicorn status with planned $300 million raise - Techcabal
Senegalese e-health startup KERA raises $10m funding from IFC - Disrupt Africa
Kenya wants crypto taxes fast, but offers few answers in return - Techcabal
SA agri-tech startup Nile raises $11.3m to help more farmers trade, transact digitally - Disrupt Africa
And that’s your weekly dosage of the African startup ecosystem; thanks for reading.
Do have yourself a great week ahead!
Gitonga, the Stoic Founder at StartupHub.Africa 🚀
Be a friend, tell a friend something nice, it might change their life