#startup

At the UNDP's pan-African edtech accelerator, Data Entry Academy from Nigeria won the top prize among twenty finalists. The competition saw ten startups recognized for their innovations, with startups from Egypt and Senegal securing the second and third places, respectively.

FoodCourt halted operations due to a kitchen strike in March over unpaid wages, which led to the suspension of orders. By April, the startup's last branch also paused as it sought funding to address its financial issues, including unpaid salaries and vendor debts.

FasterCapital has included Agro-Food And Technology, an agro-food startup based in Matadi, Democratic Republic of Congo, in its EquityPilot program. This program provides execution support to startups for an initial period of 30 to 60 days. Founded by Mechack Malu, the company aims to enhance local processing capacity and improve supply operations to better serve markets.

Lilia Stoyanov has spent over eleven years building a successful startup without relying on venture capital, challenging the common belief that significant funding is necessary for success. In an era where startups are often evaluated based on their capital raises and artificial intelligence is seen as a threat to jobs, Stoyanov's approach represents a different vision for the future of entrepreneurship.

Dubai-based surplus food marketplace Peekabox has raised $1.5 million in an oversubscribed seed round to enhance its operations in the United Arab Emirates and expand throughout the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Founded in 2025 by brothers Hasan and Omair Sarwar, the startup connects consumers with restaurants, cafés, and grocery retailers to offer surplus food at discounted prices.

Adebanji Oluwatoni discusses his transition from studying political science to experiencing two startup shutdowns, ultimately leading him to create a social intelligence platform aimed at supporting the creative economy. This journey highlights the challenges and lessons learned in the startup world.