Tech Safari Hits the Road 🧭

Welcome to Tech Safari!

Your tour guide on African Tech 🧭

Hello to the 136 new folks who have joined the Safari since Tuesday!

If you haven't subscribed, join 7,290 smart folks curious about Tech in Africa.

Happy Easter weekend to those who celebrate 👋🏾

A little announcement in Tech Safari world today!

For the last few months I’ve been living in Canberra, Australia.

I've loved the quality time with family and the (forced?) focus that comes with only having only three friends in the city.

I've been itching to move back to the continent - and will be, soon (more on this later).

But before that I’m pumped to be doing a Tech Safari Tour - starting in the US of A! 🇺🇸

In three weeks I'm touching down in San Francisco and will be travelling the country across the month of May.

Here is the itinerary so far:

• San Francisco

• Austin

• Washington DC

• New York

• ?? I could be convinced to pop by another city 😏

While I'm in town, I'll be hosting Tech Safari events to bring the community together!

If you’ve been to any of my events you know it’s a good time. I’ve even picked up the name ‘the speed dating guy’ from my legendary community events.

This pic from an event I hosted in Nairobi captures the experience perfectly.

To come along, RSVP here so I can get a sense of numbers and where everyone is. I’ll share more details once dates firm up.

If you want to partner on an event, shoot me a message! I'd love to work with companies on the ground to bring these to life.

And if you're in any of these cities and want to grab a coffee, get in touch l! I’d love to catch up, jam about African tech and absorb all your local tips.

Okay, onto today’s edition!

Today's edition is brought to you by.. Careplans Africa

African Diaspora! If you have loved ones back home, this is for you: The Diaspora Caregiver Checklist.

Accessing quality care for your loved ones back home is tricky, and health emergencies can be devastating and expensive.

That’s why Careplans Africa has created a free Diaspora Caregiver Checklist for your family back home.

Careplans Africa is a digital marketplace that lets you access health insurance, medication delivery and other caregiving services for your loved ones back home - wherever you are in the world.

The Diaspora Caregiver Checklist has:

• A seven-step guide to help you through the caregiving journey

• An aging parents checklist, which covers the living arrangements, caregiving and legalities to think about with aging parents.

• Two activities to help you capture all the key information you need on your caregiving journey.

If you have family back on the continent, this is for you.

Tech Roundup

• Camel Ventures, an Egypt-based VC, has launched an EGP500 million ($16 million) fund focused on Egypt's fintech startup ecosystem. The fund has already made 10 investments in various sectors, and wants to partner with startups (rather than solely being a capital provider).

• Equator, a clean tech venture capital firm focused on sub-Saharan Africa, has raised $40 million in commitments for funding for African climate tech startups. Equator will invest around $1-2 million for seed stage, $2-$4 million for Series A and up to $10 million for Series B companies.

• The latest edition of the annual Africa Tech Startups Fund Report, released by Disrupt Africa, found that African tech startups raised a combined $649 million in Q1 2023 - down 57.2% from Q1 2022. It seems like the sector is starting to feel the effects of the global economic climate.

• Interesting data point, given the number of new funds that have launched on the continent this year alone. I wonder if we will see funding grow or if new funds will sit on their hands with their newly raised cash.

Deal Roundup

• Shuttlers, a tech-enabled mass-transit company, has raised a US$4 million in Series A to build infrastructure to power mass transit in Nigeria, build on its dominance in Lagos, and expand to other cities within Nigeria. The round was led by Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures.

• South African wage access platform, Paymenow has raised a ZAR250 million ($14 million) debt facility, through Rand Merchant Bank, to fund its growth and provide early wage access.

• Peach Payments, a South African fintech startup, has raised US$31 million in Series A funding from Apis Partners to grow its product offering and grow across the continent. Investors include UW Ventures, Launch Africa and AG Ventures.

Events and Opportunities

• The Green Changemakers Challenge, run by Ashoka and HSBC, invites African startups with solutions that contribute to building a sustainable and equitable world. The challenge will award up to 12 winners with up to $25,000 in grant funding and the chance to learn with HSBC and Ashoka. Apply here by April 26.

• The Tech Safari Tour will begin in the US next month! A set of meetups across San Francisco, Austin, DC and New York. Register here to get event details.

And that's a wrap! We will be back with a feature story next week.

Did we miss anything? Or just want to say hey? I'd love to hear from you! You can

• 🐦 Find me on Twitter

• 💬 Holler on Linkedin

• 💌 Reply to this email

• 🚀 Partner with Tech Safari

And if you don't already, make sure to sign up to get this in your inbox next week

And remember - it just takes just three referrals to join our WhatsApp community 👇🏾

Catch you soon!

👋🏾 Caleb