Since 2020, through my association with the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPR), I have sat close to the negotiations, debates, and quiet diplomatic struggles that have defined the new era of global health security. I have watched governments clash in Geneva, diplomats posture at the UN General Assembly, and delegations from every continent argue over sovereignty, surveillance, pathogens, laboratories, and the rules that should govern the world when the next outbreak strikes.

African startups crossed the $3 billion mark for fundraising in 2025, the highest total since 2023, signaling a rebound in investor activity.

Investments into African startups totaled $2.2 billion last year, a 25% decrease from 2023 amid a slowdown in venture capital bets on the continent.

But this year has produced a 33% increase in receipts, according to Africa: The Big Deal, a platform that tracks the data.

Some of the biggest funding deals this year have come in the last two months, notably electric vehicle provider Spiro’s $100 million and the $90 million banked by Nigerian fintech Moniepoint.

Relatively smaller amounts, like the $17 million raised by Ivorian fintech firm Djamo in April, have also figured in the continent’s fundraising rebound. The eventual total for 2025 will remain short of Africa’s 2022 peak, but positive double-digit growth can also be read as “a real breath of fresh air,” The Big Deal said.

— Alexander Onukwue