Fintech and Logistics Dominate African Start-up Funding in H1 2026
African startups raised $1.35 billion in the first half of 2026 (excluding exits), but the headline figure masks an
VCs tend to apply a broader lens when assessing founders. In reality, early-stage investments are largely about people, not just ideas.
When it comes to pitching to investors, founders typically focus on their pitch decks, business models and financial projections. While these elements are crucial, venture capitalists (VCs) are increasingly placing equal, if not greater, emphasis on something else: the founders themselves.
This is where the ‘Founder’s Test’ comes in. An informal but critical framework investors use to assess whether a founder is worth backing, not just financially, but as a long-term business partner.
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