Top 25 Retail Startup Investors in South Africa (June 2026)

Portfolio highlights

• Spade — Providing AI merchant extraction, brand logos, merchant locations, and categorization as a service to fin-techs.
• Spry — Simplify your physical therapy practice with SPRY. Our all-in-one software streamlines billing, EMR, documentation, and insurance verification. Experience the SPRY difference today.
• Hummingbird — Hummingbird is a platform for managing anti-money laundering (AML) operations. Compliance professionals use Hummingbird to collect case information, conduct investigations, and report on unusual or suspicious behaviors. The platform dramatically reduces paperwork and improves efficiency, enabling AML investigators to refocus on fighting financialcrime.Hummingbird’s founding team brings together product and regulatory experience from organizations like Square, IDEO, the Department of the Treasury, and the OCC. Hummingbird is using data and design to modernize regulatory compliance in finance.

Portfolio highlights

• Hub2.Io — Welcome to HUB2, the leading FINTECH startup in interoperability and payment infrastructure in Francophone Africa. We are proud to work with all financial industry players in Africa who need stable and high-performing infrastructure, and contribute to their success.
• Talstack — Talstack is an all-in-one platform for employee growth and development
• LittleFish — Full stack enterprise platform that extends your infrastructure, instead of replacing it.

Portfolio highlights

• Glif — Interoperable tools for the Filecoin network
• Decent Labs — We are rebuilding trust in technology. Decent Labs is developing a more transparent and equitable society by creating startups at the cross-section of financial technology and digital rights.
• Spexi — An intuitive and collaborative platform for drone-based data

Portfolio highlights

• Oze — OZÉ brings African small businesses into the digital era. It is an app that makes it easy for businesses to track sales, expenses, and customer information. The data is analyzed to provide tailored recommendations, reports, and business education. If the entrepreneur needs a little extra support, an OZÉ Coach is just a click away. As they are usingOZÉ to manage their business and learn how to run it better, we are learning about them. Using this data and machine learning, we can predict their credit risk and provide them with affordable capital from our banking partners. With over 20,000 registered users, OZÉ is the largest online community of SMEs in Ghana. The most exciting thing is that OZÉ works; 97% of businesses that have used OZE for at least 9 months are growing or profitable or both!
• Root — Launch digital and embedded insurance solutions with omni-channel distribution.
• Afropolitan — Afropolitan is building a Network State to unleash the maximum potential of Africans around the world. Are you interested? Join us with your email.

Portfolio highlights

• Bamba — Bamba is an android application allowing micro-merchants across Africa to run their entire business utilizing their phones. It focuses on simple tools for merchants to manage their customers, get paid, payout as well as takeout cash advances against their future cash flow.
• Paystack — Over 60,000 businesses of all sizes use Paystack to collect payments with a modern, secure payment gateway.
• Bamba — Today, organizations spend a lot of money on physical data gathering exercises using old-fashioned paper-based methods. These methods result in expensive, severely delayed and incomplete data . With Bamba, a client can launch a data collection exercise anywhere in the world simply from the comfort of their web browser and the client can ensureindividuals respond with complete answers by paying those individuals for that data with mobile airtime in 122 different countries thus far.

Portfolio highlights

• Swype — Swype creates text input technology for screens. The patented interface enables users to create words with one continuous finger motion across an on-screen keyboard. This approach provides a faster and easier way to write. Swype delivers single-tap, multi-tap, predictive and "swype" motions for both stylus and finger based input.In addition, the application is designed to work across a variety of devices such as phones, tablets, game consoles, kiosks, televisions, virtual screens and more.Seattle based Swype Inc. was founded by Cliff Kushler and Randy Marsden in 2003. Cliff is the co-inventor of T9, the standard predictive text-entry solution used on almost 3 billion mobile phones worldwide. Randy is the developer of the onscreen keyboard included in Windows, with an installed base of over 500 million units
• SnapLogic — SnapLogic's iPaaS platform empowers enterprises by automating application, data and cloud integration. Reach digital business transformation with SnapLogic.
• Integris Software — A new EU law, the General Data Protection Regulation, will fine companies up to 4% of WW revenue for violations of people’s privacy. This will have the same impact on all industries as SOX compliance had on the financial sector. Integris Software helps organizations meet rigid compliance mandates with the ability to visualize where all personalinformation is located across the enterprise, prove adherence to regulatory standards, and empower strategic decision making by bridging the gap between legal, business, and technology.

Portfolio highlights

• Thanx — Drive revenue with personalized guest engagement, loyalty programs, and data-driven marketing. The #1 software for restaurants.
• TuneIn — From live sports & local radio to news, music & podcasts, TuneIn has the perfect thing to “hear” wherever “here” might be.With 75 million monthly active users, TuneIn is one of the most widely used streaming audio platforms in the world. TuneIn broadcasts over 100,000 owned & operated and partner radio stations, in addition toboasting more than 5.7 million podcasts. TuneIn Premium subscribers unlock exclusive access to live commercial-free news from top networks like CNBC, CNN, FOX News Radio and MSNBC, commercial-free music channels for every mood and activity, and less ads throughout the platform. TuneIn can be accessed in 197 countries and on more than 200 different major platforms and connected devices, including voice assistants like Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung Bixby and Cortana, and key integrations with Sonos, Bose and Tesla. With venture funding from Sequoia Capital, Comcast Ventures, IVP, Innovation Endeavors, Causeway, General Catalyst Partners, Icon Ventures and Marker LLC, TuneIn is headquartered in San Francisco, California. We are currently working and hiring remotely across the United States, as well as in parts of Europe and South America. Come join us in reinventing radio for a connected world!
• Zephyr Health — Zephyr Health operates as an insights-as-a-service solution built specifically for life sciences companies addressing critical business and patient needs. Zephyr Illuminate™ helps pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies make confident decisions faster across the entire lifecycle with precise and predictive data insights.

Portfolio highlights

• MDaaS Global — At MDaaS Global, we build and operate modern, tech-enabled diagnostic centres in clinically-underserved communities, starting in Nigeria. Our big goal is to create affordable healthcare solutions for Africa's next billion.
• Chefaa — Chefaa is a GPS-enabled pharmacy benefits platform connecting patients & pharmacies nation-wide to help patients manage all their pharmacy needs. Chefaa uses big data, data ming & machine learning
• SweepSouth — Book a home cleaning online from your mobile, tablet or computer. SweepSouth connects you with a cleaner in minutes. Cleaners are experienced, reliable, efficient and insured.

Portfolio highlights

• Karla — karla gives you the absolute superpower over the delivery of your online orders, It develop the delivery options for your online orders that you have never dared to dream of!
• Faro — Every garment deserves to be worn. Leveraging technology and a specialised supply chain, FARO enables brands to offload obsolete inventory through stores in non-core markets, ensuring complete traceability throughout the process.
• Heat — Discover the new, immersive way to shop designer fashion and high end streetwear for both men and women on HEAT. Off-White, Palm Angels and more may be included in the HEAT mystery box.

Portfolio highlights

• Adumo — We are your expert partner in payments, enabling you to seamlessly and securely accept payments in-store and online with our true omni-channel experience. Never miss a sale with South Africa's largest independent payments processor.
• VantagePay — VantagePay provides white-label payment and technology solutions to the Banking, Telco, Financial Services, and Consumer Product Industries.
• Momint — Momint is the Web3 investment platform of the future. The safest and easiest to use NFT marketplace in the world. Discover the real-world potential of NFTs.

Portfolio highlights

• CoRecruit (formerly Quil) — Quil is the AI assistant helping recruiting agencies eliminate hours of busywork. Automate interview notes, ATS updates, candidate submittals & more.
• Uvaro — Remix your favorite resources and hacks with your best company content in a personalized hub that moves as fast as your team does
• tofu — tofu is an online marketplace for founders, hiring managers, and talent team leaders to find talent.

Portfolio highlights

• NUMOS — NUMOS is an insurance tech platform.
• Opontia — Opontia was founded by e-commerce experts, to provide a fast and fair way for small e-commerce business owners to sell their companies.
• Valoreo — Valoreo acquires, operates, and scales outstanding e-commerce brands with superstar products. We focus on brands with excellent customer reviews and merchants that have proven success by being top-seller in niche categories with high-growth potential.

Portfolio highlights

• Andela — Unlock the power of global tech talent with Andela. Hire experienced professionals quickly and cost-effectively. Build your team from our robust network of skilled specialists spanning 175 countries. Our AI-powered platform ensures a 96% talent match success rate. Get started now and hire with confidence.
• Matta — Matta is a B2B platform offering a comprehensive, detailed marketplace for sourcing chemicals and materials efficiently and reliably
• Cutstruct — Cutstruct is your one source for bulk construction materials purchase. Get the best prices for cement, steel, granite, sharp sand wood, and more.

Portfolio highlights

• Tern Group — Tern Group is an AI Platform to hire and relocate top healthcare talents globally, faster and cheaper. TERN is a full-stack solution to source and relocate top-tier medical and engineering talent from India, North Africa, South Africa, and Central Asia and the approach ensures a seamless, ethical, and transparent migration process, drasticallycutting complexity and shaving costs for healthcare systems.
• General Fusion — General Fusion is developing fusion energy: a clean, safe, abundant and on-demand approach to generating electricity.
• Alloy Therapeutics — Alloy Therapeutics empowers scientists with access to pre-competitive biologics drug discovery technologies and services across 6 modalities

Portfolio highlights

• MDaaS Global — At MDaaS Global, we build and operate modern, tech-enabled diagnostic centres in clinically-underserved communities, starting in Nigeria. Our big goal is to create affordable healthcare solutions for Africa's next billion.
• Chefaa — Chefaa is a GPS-enabled pharmacy benefits platform connecting patients & pharmacies nation-wide to help patients manage all their pharmacy needs. Chefaa uses big data, data ming & machine learning
• Waspito — We are the platform that engages Africa into the conversation and action to drive affordable and accessible quality healthcare across the continent.

Portfolio highlights

• VALR — Buy and sell bitcoin, ethereum & more | Pay anyone for free with VALR Pay
• Snapplify — Snapplify is at the forefront of edtech solutions in Africa, and specialises in enabling digital learning for individuals and institutions via the largest digital educational marketplace in Africa. As a global edtech company, Snapplify strives for radical inclusion to level the playing field and equip individuals across emerging markets with theworld-class tools they need to collaborate, innovate and thrive. Snapplify’s technology is used in other educational products to facilitate collaboration throughout the educational community.Snapplify for Education’s award-winning platform is already a top choice for institutions integrating digital education into their classrooms. From software to support, Snapplify provides institutions with everything they need to create a secure, collaborative e-learning environment for students. Snapplify’s robust 24-hour-access digital-library solution offers thousands of free ebooks and widely applicable, curriculum-approved educational content supplied by partner publishers from across the globe. Snapplify’s diversity of device integration allows schools to use its products on the devices that they already have access to, without having to invest in costly digital infrastructure upgrades. Snapplify’s solutions are industry celebrated and globally recognised for their innovation in technology.In order to achieve its educational goals, Snapplify has built strong relationships with diverse partners around the growth of its ebook, e-textbook, and device catalogue, and partnered with international publishers and other key stakeholders to meet the demand for widely relevant, curriculum-compliant digital educational content. As a socially minded company, Snapplify is committed to supporting others and creating sustainable change through collaboration and innovation. Snapplify empowers, inspires, and uplifts teachers via Teacha! (a media hub, resource marketplace, and careers portal for educators); is the digital content partner on a project that delivers technology and e-learning to public schools in South Africa’s Gauteng province, and runs impact programmes through the Snapplify Foundation.Snapplify originated in South Africa, focusing initially on the South African education and digital content industries. Since its establishment in 2012, the company has grown and expanded into new markets in Africa and the United States, with offices across South Africa, as well as in Nairobi, London, Amsterdam and New Jersey. Snapplify is backed by AngelHub Ventures, a venture capital company backed by former First National Bank CEO Michael Jordaan and the Harris family, as well as international investors. In 2019, Snapplify secured $2 million expansion capital from venture capital firm Knife Capital, and empowered African investment manager Hlayisani Capital’s Hlayisani Growth Fund.Snapplify for Education’s award-winning platform is already a top choice for institutions integrating digital education into their classrooms. From software to support, Snapplify provides institutions with everything they need to create a secure, collaborative e-learning environment for students. Through Snapplify’s e-learning and digital library solution, Engage, educators can share teacher-created, multimedia resource materials with students; administrators can manage the access and permissions for multiple student and staff accounts; schools can host their own 24-hour access digital content library (which comes with over 50 000 free resources including study guides, e-textbooks, past exam papers for multiple curricula, children’s books in African languages and more); and students and parents can purchase prescribed e-textbooks. Snapplify’s diversity of device integration allows schools to use its products on the devices that they already have access to, without having to invest in costly digital infrastructure upgrades. Snapplify’s solutions are industry celebrated and globally recognised for their innovation in technology.
• Real Time Wine — Share your wine moments. Real Time Wine is the social wine discovery app for everyone who enjoys wine, not just those who understand it. [In App Stores NOW!]

Portfolio highlights

• Lupiya — Lupiya is an online marketplace for microloans. It is a branch-less, innovative digital microfinance platform that leverages technology to make the process of borrowing simpler and easier so that people and businesses located across the country even in rural, remote areas can access financial services.
• SweepSouth — Book a home cleaning online from your mobile, tablet or computer. SweepSouth connects you with a cleaner in minutes. Cleaners are experienced, reliable, efficient and insured.
• Alma Clinics —

Portfolio highlights

• Rentoza — We champion giving you access, affordability and flexibility to explore tech on your own terms
• Mia Healthcare —
• ProfitShare Partners — Business funding solutions with ProfitShare Partners. We specialise in Short Term Asset Finance to help empower SMEs.

Portfolio highlights

• PVML — PVML enables CIOs and IT teams to securely operationalize GenAI on existing infrastructure - without moving or duplicating data - through unlimited virtual databases with built-in security and AI readiness.
• Fresha — Find the best salons and spa in your area with Fresha salon booking software. Book now!
• POC Pharma — POC Pharma is a SaaS company helping the stakeholders in the Pharmacy Channel to digitally manage their go to market strategy.

Portfolio highlights

• Cautio — Cautio is a Visual Telematics company that provides safety and security to drivers and passengers.
• Ninecamp — Ninecamp is a food and beverage company. They anticipate creating new and unique brands with a strong emphasis on high-quality offerings in product, service, and design.
• Faro — Every garment deserves to be worn. Leveraging technology and a specialised supply chain, FARO enables brands to offload obsolete inventory through stores in non-core markets, ensuring complete traceability throughout the process.

Portfolio highlights

• Faro — Every garment deserves to be worn. Leveraging technology and a specialised supply chain, FARO enables brands to offload obsolete inventory through stores in non-core markets, ensuring complete traceability throughout the process.
• Tern Group — Tern Group is an AI Platform to hire and relocate top healthcare talents globally, faster and cheaper. TERN is a full-stack solution to source and relocate top-tier medical and engineering talent from India, North Africa, South Africa, and Central Asia and the approach ensures a seamless, ethical, and transparent migration process, drasticallycutting complexity and shaving costs for healthcare systems.
• Bamba — Today, organizations spend a lot of money on physical data gathering exercises using old-fashioned paper-based methods. These methods result in expensive, severely delayed and incomplete data . With Bamba, a client can launch a data collection exercise anywhere in the world simply from the comfort of their web browser and the client can ensureindividuals respond with complete answers by paying those individuals for that data with mobile airtime in 122 different countries thus far.

Portfolio highlights

• Faro — Every garment deserves to be worn. Leveraging technology and a specialised supply chain, FARO enables brands to offload obsolete inventory through stores in non-core markets, ensuring complete traceability throughout the process.

Portfolio highlights

• Faro — Every garment deserves to be worn. Leveraging technology and a specialised supply chain, FARO enables brands to offload obsolete inventory through stores in non-core markets, ensuring complete traceability throughout the process.

Portfolio highlights

• Nuru — Nuru is a solar hybrid site. Nuru (Swahili for "light") is a company dedicated to enhancing connectivity in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nuru deployed Congo's first solar-based mini-grid in 2017 and is currently constructing a 1.3MW solar hybrid site in Goma, the largest off-grid mini-grid in sub-Saharan Africa.Nuru is arenewable and environment company that specializes in the fields of storage micro-grids and solar energy. The company deployed Congo's first solar-based mini-grid in 2017 and is currently constructing a 1.3MW solar hybrid site in Goma.Nuru was founded in 2015 and headquartered in Goma, Nord-Kivu, Congo.
• Ecoener —
• IPT PowerTech — IPT PowerTech coverage, coupled with our extensive expertise in supply chain management, field implementation, and power systems, has made us one of the most capable companies in handling the most complicated and versatile projects in the MEA region and its neighboring countries.

Portfolio highlights

• Yampa — Discover yampa's autonomous AI agents and revolutionize your customer experience. Elevate your service with the most advanced AI technology.
• Shohoz — Shohoz.com, owned and operated by Shohoj Limited, is a premium online travel service provider which aims to make long distance travel in Bangladesh easy and convenient. Driven by the passion to serve you better, Shohoz.com went on to pioneer the online travel industry by offering bus tickets and launch tickets. In entertainment sector, movietickets, event tickets as well as cricket match tickets are also available on Shohoz.com. Their team of energetic and young professionals with deep expertise in eCommerce and travel domains, leave no stone unturned to provide you the best of services at minimal costs through their user friendly website, Android App, Partner network all over Bangladesh and a multi-lingual call center.
• AURA — A South African cloud-based security and safety startup .