Ugandan Startup, FutureLink Tech Selected to Pitch at the Africa Tech Summit Investment Showcase

FutureLink Technologies representative (right) collects HiPipo Digital Impact Award from the State Minister of ICT, Hon. Joyce Ssebugwawo. COURTESY PHOTO FutureLink Technologies representative (right) collects HiPipo Digital Impact Award from the State Minister of ICT, Hon. Joyce Ssebugwawo. COURTESY PHOTO
<center>FutureLink Technologies representative (right) collects HiPipo Digital Impact Award from the State Minister of ICT, Hon. Joyce Ssebugwawo. COURTESY PHOTO</center>

Ugandan startup, FutureLink Technologies is among the ten (10) startups across Africa that have been selected to showcase its innovative solution to a diverse audience of industry experts, investors, fellow innovators, and the media at the forthcoming Africa Tech Summit Investment Showcase in Nairobi, Kenya from February 14th and 15th.

While African startup funding declined in 2023, the investment showcase continues to foster collaborations and stimulate investment opportunities to bridge the funding gap in the ecosystem. According to data from Africa: The Big Deal, African startup funding experienced a 39 percent decline, falling to USD$2.9 billion in 2023 from USD$4.6 billion recorded in the previous year.

Over 250+ applications to showcase at the summit were received from various countries across Africa, including Kenya, Egypt, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, South Sudan, Malawi, Angola, Morocco, Botswana, Benin, Congo, Uganda, South Africa, and Sierra Leone — highlight the immense potential for innovation and partnerships in Africa.

The ten selected startups span from fintech, agritech, e-commerce, Web3, and climate-tech sectors. The startups are looking to raise funding ranging from USD$500,000 to USD$15 million. The 10 startups selected to showcase at the summit include:

Node Bio (Kenya) is utilizing cutting-edge plant science to develop crop treatments that effectively combat the adverse effects of climate change. Their innovative solution, Farmchef, enables plants to withstand drought, extreme heat, and other water-related stressors.

Valu (Egypt) is MENA’s leading Buy Now Pay Later lifestyle-enabling fintech platform, offering customers and businesses convenient and comprehensive financial solutions.

Bingtellar (Nigeria) is building a payment infrastructure for global citizens including freelancers, remote workers, contractors, and businesses. Their ramp product simplifies the process of buying and selling crypto and facilitates swift money transfer across Africa.

Dukka (Nigeria) is digitizing payments and bookkeeping solutions to assist small businesses across Africa to accept all digital payment methods.

FutureLink Technologies (Uganda) is a digital marketplace that simplifies financial access for individuals and facilitates payments for financial cooperatives. FutureLink Technologies is the first African company to win the Global SME Finance Platinum Award for Product Innovation of the Year 2022.

Tausi App (Kenya) is a beauty tech company that is leveraging technology to link beauticians to potential customers. Tausi has registered over 6000 beauticians so far.

Feegor (Nigeria) is a B2B e-commerce company that is connecting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to manufacturers and major wholesalers.

Peercarbon (Kenya) is a climate fintech startup leveraging granular emissions data and cutting-edge sustainable finance technology to empower African SMEs. Peercarbon’s Software as a Service (SaaS) platform provides real-time insights, making it easy for businesses to track their carbon footprint.

Regxta (Nigeria) is making financial services accessible to underserved communities and micro-businesses in rural and peri-urban areas across Africa, including internally displaced persons and refugees.

URBANET (Kenya) promotes international dialogue on development activities worldwide, providing insights on municipal and local governance, sustainable urban development, and decentralization.

In a press statement, Mr. Heny Umunnakwe, Ecosystems & Sales Manager of Africa Tech Summit said, “Amidst the challenging backdrop of decreased funding for African startups in 2023, the resilient spirit of entrepreneurship continues to thrive across the continent, and we are delighted to introduce these 10 pioneering ventures for this edition of the Investment Showcase.”

Umunnakwe noted that the main objective of the Africa Tech Summit Investment Showcase is to spotlight and foster connections for startups with both local and global investors.

The summit will welcome over 1,000 delegates from across the world to the summit to catalyze collaborative efforts and propel investments to further fuel innovation and growth throughout Africa.