Kenya’s BuuPass, Leta, Oye and WorkPay have been named to Bloomberg News’ 2026 Africa Startups to Watch list, featuring 25 companies in healthcare, fintech, logistics, climate technology and artificial intelligence sectors.
Bloomberg News editors and analysts assessed companies based on the scale of the problem they are addressing, the originality of their approach and their traction with customers and investors.
The startups on the list are largely focused on problems that governments, traditional financial institutions and public infrastructure have struggled to solve, from healthcare financing and clean water access to digital payments and emergency response services.
“Across a diverse range of sectors, the startups present an array of solutions to pressing challenges and problems,” Jennifer Zabasajja, Bloomberg Television’s chief Africa correspondent and anchor, said in a statement.
She added that almost half of the funding raised by companies on this year’s list came from African investors.
Kenya had the largest representation on the list with four startups. South Africa, Nigeria, and Tanzania each had three companies, while the remaining startups came from Botswana, Cameroon, Chad, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mauritius and Somalia.
Bloomberg editors and analysts assessed companies based on the scale of the problem they address, the originality of their approach and their traction with customers and investors.
Here are the startups that made Bloomberg’s 2026 Africa Startups to Watch list:
Healthcare
- 10mg Health (Nigeria)
Founded in 2022 by pharmacist Christian Nwachukwu, 10mg Health helps hospitals and pharmacies access financing in markets where upfront medical costs often delay treatment. The startup combines healthcare and fintech, using medical and behavioural data to assess risk and expand access to care in underserved communities.
- Remedial Health (Nigeria)
Founded in 2021, YC-backed Remedial Health provides software that helps healthcare providers manage inventory, verify suppliers and access financing. It is also backed by Tencent and has financed tens of millions of dollars worth of medicines through its platform.
- Deaftronics (Botswana)
Founded in 2019, Deaftronics develops solar-powered hearing aids designed for regions with unreliable electricity access. Supported by organisations including Johnson & Johnson, the company aims to make hearing care more affordable and accessible across Africa.
- Telemedan (Chad):
Founded in 2021, Telemedan uses solar-powered telemedicine stations to connect patients with doctors remotely in regions with extremely low physician density. The company focuses on low-cost healthcare delivery models that reduce dependence on physical medical infrastructure.
- Waspito (Cameroon)
Founded in 2020, Waspito operates a telemedicine platform that allows patients to connect instantly with doctors online without appointments. Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company was inspired by the founder’s experience navigating a family medical emergency and is focused on expanding healthcare access in underserved communities.
- SafeSip (Tanzania)
Founded in 2023, SafeSip develops AI-monitored, solar-powered water purification systems designed to make contaminated water safe for drinking. The company is tackling clean water access while reducing dependence on single-use plastic bottles.
Fintech
- AzamPay (Mauritius/Tanzania)
Founded in 2018, AzamPay is building payment infrastructure for businesses across Tanzania and East Africa. Inspired by Bangladesh’s bKash model, the company aims to reduce transaction costs and accelerate the adoption of digital payments in largely cash-driven economies.
- Black Swan (Tanzania)
Founded in 2022, Black Swan uses artificial intelligence and alternative data such as utility payments and transaction histories to assess borrowers without formal credit records. The company is backed by Germany’s develoPPP Ventures and focuses on expanding access to credit for underserved consumers and small businesses.
- HUB2 (Ivory Coast)
Founded in 2017, HUB2 is building payment infrastructure that connects mobile money wallets, bank accounts, cards and digital wallets through a single platform. The company focuses on improving transaction reliability across West Africa and has tailored its systems to the regulatory requirements of the CFA franc zone.
- Nkwa (Cameroon):
Founded in 2021, Nkwa operates a savings-focused platform built for informal economies where financial literacy and access to formal banking services remain limited. The company is supported by Cameroon’s Ministry of Finance and local angel investors.
- Omniscient (South Africa)
Founded in 2019, Omniscient uses artificial intelligence and consumer data from retailers, telecom operators and transaction records to help banks and insurers assess creditworthiness. Its backers include TransUnion, Arise and Shoprite Holdings.
- Oye (Kenya)
Founded in 2022, Oye links accident insurance and access to credit to everyday fuel purchases made by motorcycle taxi riders. Backed by Britam, the startup is targeting one million riders as it expands financial protection within the informal transport sector.
- Sycamore (Nigeria)
Founded in 2019, Sycamore offers digital lending and investment products to individuals and businesses. The company is expanding beyond Nigeria, including into the UK, as it builds financial products for Africans at home and abroad. In 2026, it obtained an MFB licence by acquiring an undisclosed microfinance bank in Nigeria.
- PawaPay (Pan-African)
Founded in 2020, PawaPay helps businesses process payments across fragmented mobile money networks by connecting banks, telecom operators and merchants through a single platform. The company processes millions of transactions daily across about 20 countries and has reported profitability since 2023.
Transport and logistics
- BuuPass (Kenya)
Founded in 2016 by Sonia Kabra and Wyclife Omondi, BuuPass digitises ticket bookings across buses, trains and flights through a single platform. Backed by Founders Factory Africa and Google’s Black Founders Fund, the company is building transport data infrastructure around Africa’s largely informal travel sector.
- Leta (Kenya)
Founded in 2021, Leta helps businesses plan, assign and track deliveries in real time to reduce transport and logistics costs. Backed by Google’s Africa Investment Fund, the company is developing software to improve supply chain efficiency across African markets. It entered the Ghanaian market after completing a $5 million seed round in July 2025.
- Complete Farmer (Ghana)
Founded in 2017, Complete Farmer uses supply chain technology to connect farmers with buyers and vendors while improving quality assurance and traceability. The company has attracted Series A funding, including support from Alitheia Capital, as it expands access to export markets for African growers.
Climate and sustainability
- Amesect (South Africa)
Founded in 2023, Amesect converts organic waste into fertiliser and animal feed, tackling waste management and food production challenges at the same time. The company is backed by Dean Wetton Advisory and is focused on turning waste into commercially valuable agricultural products.
- Bôndy (Madagascar)
Founded in 2019, Bôndy works on forest restoration and regenerative agriculture to address climate-driven food insecurity in Madagascar. The company stands out for growing without external equity funding while pursuing long-term environmental and agricultural projects.
- Ecosom (Somalia)
Founded in 2019, Ecosom converts agricultural waste and invasive mesquite trees into biochar, briquettes and alternative fuels. The company is focused on improving soil health, supporting food security and providing cleaner energy options in drought-prone regions.
Workplace technology
- WorkPay (Kenya)
Founded in 2019, WorkPay started as a payroll software provider before expanding into HR, compliance and financial services tools. Backed by Visa, Norrsken22 and Y Combinator, the company has raised more than $10 million and now serves businesses operating across more than 30 African countries.
- Jem (South Africa)
Founded in 2020, Jem uses WhatsApp-based software to help workers access payslips, employment records and workplace services. The platform serves about 200,000 employees across 200 companies and also offers salary-linked deductions designed to lower borrowing costs for workers.
Security
- Aura (South Africa)
Founded in 2017, Aura operates an app-based platform that connects users to private emergency response and security services. The company raised a $14.5 million Series B round backed by investors including Cathay AfricInvest Innovation Fund as it expands its emergency response network.
- Terra Industries (Nigeria)
Founded in 2024, Terra Industries develops unmanned aerial systems and defence technologies to address growing security threats across the Sahel. The company is expanding manufacturing with a second facility in Ghana and has attracted backing from 8VC and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, alongside reported $34 million in funding across two rounds.
Artificial intelligence
- Widebot (Egypt)
Founded in 2016, Widebot develops Arabic-language conversational AI tools for businesses across the Middle East and North Africa. The company focuses on improving AI performance across Arabic dialects and aims to handle hundreds of millions of automated interactions each month.
