Afreximbank boost Africa’s digital trade ecosystem – The Nation Newspaper

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has launched the first cohort of its Afreximbank Accelerator Programme, convening eight high-potential startups from across Africa and the diaspora for an intensive kick-off week in Cairo. Selected from more than 1,600 applications, these ventures are building the digital infrastructure needed to power intra-African trade.

The inaugural cohort spans critical sectors including cross-border payments, digital logistics, agri-export platforms, AI-driven enterprise solutions, supply chain finance, and diaspora investment mobilisation. Together, they represent a new wave of companies focused on creating the “digital rails” for trade across the continent.

Who’s in the inaugural cohort

The eight participating startups are:

• Fincart.io (Egypt)
• OnePort 365 (operating in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya)
• Timon (pan-African, active in 15 countries)
• Zowasel (active in Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania)
• Gebeya (Ethiopian and pan-African)
• Fluna (pan-African, active in 10 countries)
• Capsa Technologies (Nigeria)
• Daba Finance (with a strong presence in Francophone Africa)

Capital, mentorship, and market access

Under the Afreximbank-designed and operated programme, qualifying startups will be eligible for up to US$250,000 in investment, subject to standard criteria and due diligence. Beyond capital, the cohort benefits from mentorship, market access opportunities, and strategic partnerships to accelerate expansion across African markets.

The Cairo kick-off began at Afreximbank’s headquarters and featured high-level engagements with the Bank’s leadership, industry experts, mentors, and ecosystem partners. The week closed with a social mixer at the Grand Egyptian Museum—an emblematic nod to the continent’s heritage aligning with its innovation-driven future.

Driving execution and scale

Addressing the cohort, Haytham Elmaayergi, Executive Vice President, Global Trade Bank at Afreximbank, underscored that the programme is about moving from policy intent to practical outcomes by empowering the entrepreneurs who make trade happen. He emphasized that these companies are laying the foundation for how Africa will trade in the 21st century. Elmaayergi added that the Accelerator is part of a broader ambition: enabling startups to scale across Africa as a norm, facilitating seamless cross-border commerce, and strengthening the continent as an integrated economic bloc—with Afreximbank acting as partner and enabler.

In addition to the core sessions, the startups met with Afreximbank’s senior leadership, including Dr. George Elombi, for expert-led briefings spanning strategy, risk, operations, and market expansion.

A differentiated platform for continental growth

The programme provides a powerful combination of benefits that few accelerators can match:

• Direct access to Afreximbank’s pan-African network of governments, financial institutions, corporates, and trade partners
• Market access and deal facilitation along key African trade corridors
• Regulatory and policy guidance, supported by the Bank’s relationships with central banks and regulators
• Integration pathways into Afreximbank’s digital trade infrastructure, including the Africa Trade Gateway (ATG) and the Pan-African Payments and Settlement System (PAPSS)

This support positions Afreximbank as a strategic catalyst for cross-border trade and scale, helping startups navigate licensing, compliance, and entry into multiple jurisdictions. It reflects the Bank’s central role in shaping Africa’s digital trade ecosystem by combining market access, partnerships, and infrastructure to help founders build continent-wide solutions.

Accelerating AfCFTA implementation

The Accelerator underscores Afreximbank’s expanding role in Africa’s trade and innovation landscape. By identifying, investing in, and amplifying high-impact ventures, the Bank is helping to build the digital backbone required for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The initiative advances intra-African trade, integration, and economic transformation by enabling scalable, interoperable solutions across markets.

Pan-African reach and tangible traction

Collectively, the eight startups operate in more than 15 countries across West, East, North, and Southern Africa. Their traction illustrates the scope and momentum of African innovation:

• Fluna has facilitated over US$50 million in trade across 10 countries.
• Capsa Technologies has processed more than NGN 70 billion in supply chain finance.
• OnePort 365 links the Nigeria–Ghana–Kenya trade corridors with digital logistics solutions.
• Timon supports payments in 15 countries and plans to expand to 40.
• Zowasel connects 4,000+ verified cooperatives and agribusinesses, driving efficient agri-export value chains.

With Fincart.io, Gebeya, and Daba Finance also deepening regional capabilities—from Egypt to Francophone Africa—the cohort highlights both the breadth and depth of the continent’s entrepreneurial capacity.

Together, these ventures are building the technology and networks that underpin seamless, secure, and scalable intra-African trade. Their progress points to faster AfCFTA execution and new pathways for integration across the continent and its global diaspora.