Africa & MENA Startups Set to Convene at ASVLP 2026 Amid Rising Funding and New Growth Frontiers
As the startup ecosystems across Africa and MENA transition from a period of correction and resilience into a new phase characterised by disciplined growth, the Africa Startup & VC Landscape Preview (ASVLP 2026) will convene leading founders, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem builders on 29 January 2026 for its second annual, agenda-setting virtual forum.
Following a challenging global venture cycle, 2025 saw a significant recovery within the African startup scene, with startups raising an estimated US$3.2–$3.3 billion over the course of the year. This rebound was accompanied by notable structural shifts: Kenya emerged as the top destination among Africa’s “Big Four” markets for the first time, while Nigeria experienced a year-on-year decline in funding — reflecting changing investor preferences, macroeconomic pressures, and a broader recalibration towards capital efficiency and sustainability.
Sector-wise, fintech remained the most heavily funded vertical, while climate and energy, AI-enabled solutions, healthtech, and infrastructure-related businesses gained increasing attention. Across Africa and MENA, development finance institutions (DFIs) and family offices played a more prominent role in anchoring funds, deploying catalytic capital, and supporting blended-finance structures — reshaping how early-stage and growth capital are mobilised.
ASVLP 2026 aims to translate these data points into forward-looking strategies. The forum will gather venture capitalists, angel investors, limited partners (LPs), DFIs, family offices, founders, corporate leaders, and regulators from Africa, MENA, Europe, and North America to review 2025 outcomes and set priorities for 2026.
The programme will include keynotes, fireside chats, panels, and in-depth roundtables, featuring discussions on:
– The 2026 Africa & MENA FinTech Landscape, focusing on security, profitability, regulation, and growth frontiers
– Emerging fund managers, capital formation, and LP alignment
– Talent, operational expertise, and institutional capacity as constraints to scaling
– Regulatory developments and cross-border market integration
A major highlight of ASVLP 2026 will be the Final DealRoom Pitch Session, where a curated group of high-potential startups will present to an experienced panel of investors.
– Founders interested in pitching can apply via: bit.ly/ASVLP-DR-Founders
– Investors seeking DealRoom access can request entry via: bit.ly/ASVLP-DR-Investors
Confirmed speakers include Khaled Ismail (HIMangel), Idris Ayodeji Bello (LoftyInc Capital), Zachariah George (Launch Africa), Tosin Faniro-Dada (Breega), Selma Ribica (FirstCircle Capital), Maha Mandour (COREangels MEA), Joe Kinvi (Borderless), Remi Prunier (Orange Ventures MEA), Karima El Hakim (Plug and Play Tech Center), Souheil Guessoum (President, The Confederation of Citizen Employers – Algeria (CAPC)), Ali Hussein (President, Kenyan FinTech Association), Patrick Okebu (CIO, Interswitch Group), and other leading voices shaping investment, policy, and innovation across the region.
“The conversation has shifted,” said Uche Aniche, Convener of ASVLP. “It’s no longer about whether capital will return to Africa and MENA, but what kind of capital, deployed with what discipline, and in service of which long-term outcomes. ASVLP exists to help the ecosystem make sense of that transition.”
Participation in ASVLP 2026 is free but strictly by invitation.
Interested participants are encouraged to repost the official announcement on LinkedIn and comment #ASVLP2026 to receive a private registration link. They could also email asvlp@ucheaniche.com and request invite.