Nigerian-led startups were prominently represented among the eight finalists announced by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) for its inaugural Flagship Accelerator Programme, a three-month initiative designed to scale innovations that strengthen intra-African trade.
The programme, which begins in March 2026, was launched to support African entrepreneurs whose technologies address barriers to cross-border payments, trade finance, logistics and digital commerce under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Finalists were selected from more than 1,600 applications across Africa, the African diaspora and CARICOM.
Startups will receive tailored mentorship, market access and may be eligible for equity financing of up to US$250,000 through Afreximbank’s Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), subject to meeting investment criteria.
Among the cohort are several Nigerian-led companies tackling critical trade infrastructure challenges:
accelerator-programme.afreximbank.com
- Timon, a travel and payments startup co-founded by Chizaram Ucheaga and Oluwatomi Ayorinde, is developing a global wallet designed to eliminate “payment anxiety” for African travellers and businesses by enabling seamless cross-border transactions. The platform offers USD travel cards and integrates local payment methods such as mobile money, bank transfers and QR codes, helping users pay and get paid in multiple African markets.
- Zowasel, founded by Nigerian agritech entrepreneur Jerry Oche, connects thousands of verified cooperatives, merchants and agribusinesses to buyers within and beyond Africa, supported by alternative finance solutions and data-driven market tools.
- Fluna, with Nigerian executive Olumide Bolumole as chief technology officer alongside co-founder Miguel Sousa Dias, operates a pan-African B2B platform that links vetted agricultural suppliers to verified regional and international buyers. It also embeds working-capital financing into trade flows and introduces standardized quality and compliance checks.
- Capsa Technology, co-founded and led by Nigerian Mustapha Suberu as CEO and Segun Dada as Chief Commercial Office, provides an alternative finance marketplace that allows businesses to convert unpaid invoices into cash quickly through invoice factoring and supply-chain finance. The company has facilitated billions in working-capital support for SMEs since its founding in 2019.
The other finalists include Fincart.io, OnePort 365, Gebeya and Daba Finance, representing a range of sectors from ecommerce infrastructure to unified investment platforms.
Afreximbank said the selected startups reflect the bank’s mission to harness innovation to unlock Africa’s trade potential and drive industrialisation under the AfCFTA framework.
