Africa Venture Pulse – Current State of Investment 2026

During the first six months of 2026, African ventures raised $3.3 billion in funding, marking the strongest mid-year performance in a decade. But this record-breaking headline figure hides a highly concentrated funding landscape.

Built on Briter data, this presentation highlights Africa’s funding activity for the first six months of 2026 (Jan–Jun), looking at the dynamics of the startup market and the flow of investment in Africa, offering actionable insights for investors, founders, corporates, and policymakers.

Here’s what we’ve learned:

• African ventures raised $3.3B in H1 2026, a 73% YoY increase, across 205 disclosed deals.
• H1 2026 recorded the highest mid-year funding total of the past decade, nearly matching the total capital raised during the entire 12 months of 2025.
• Median deal size increased by 235% YoY, climbing from $500K in H1 2025 to $1.7M in H1 2026, linked to a bigger number of large deals.
• Capital reached over 40 sectors, but the number of deals remained concentrated in core areas led by fintech and agriculture, alongside health, education and cleantech & renewables.
• Capital concentration intensified, with the top 10 ventures capturing 65% of total H1 funding value through a series of megadeals compared to 48% in H1 2025.
• Four sectors dominated overall funding value, with health, fintech, mobility and cleantech collectively capturing 83% of total funding value, reflecting the outsized value of megadeals. 
• Funding remains concentrated in established innovation hubs, as the Big 4 captured 69% of the number of deals.
• 50% of all H1 2026 funding value was raised by entities mainly incorporated outside of Africa.
• Equity remains the dominant instrument, capturing over 58% of funding value and 37% of the number of deals.
• The gender financing gap persists, with women-founded and mixed-gender teams securing 22% of deals but absorbing just 1.9% of total funding value.
• Accelerators and hubs drive 21% of deal participation despite representing only 8% of total active funders.

Whether you’re an investor, policymaker, or entrepreneur, this presentation provides a clear, data-backed understanding of how Africa’s startup market is evolving and where the next opportunities lie.