Afreximbank Accelerator backs African startups driving trade under the AfCFTA

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has announced the selection of the top eight finalists for the inaugural cohort of its Afreximbank Accelerator Program, a new initiative aimed at supporting startups that are advancing intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The three-month programme, which kicks off in March 2026, is designed to nurture high-potential African startups whose innovations address structural barriers to trade across the continent. The announcement comes as African policymakers and financial institutions intensify efforts to translate the AfCFTA from a policy framework into tangible trade flows, industrial growth and cross-border investment.

The finalists were selected from a highly competitive pool of more than 1,600 applications, highlighting both the depth of entrepreneurial talent across Africa and the growing demand for solutions that facilitate trade integration. The selection process involved detailed business assessments, interviews and pitch sessions, overseen by Afreximbank trade specialists alongside external experts from the venture capital and innovation ecosystem.

Innovation as a catalyst for Intra-African trade

The selected startups operate across sectors critical to the success of the AfCFTA, including agriculture, e-commerce, market access, financial technology, supply chain optimisation and manufacturing. These areas are widely recognised as essential enablers of cross-border trade, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to scale beyond domestic markets.

By supporting solutions that reduce friction in logistics, payments, market access and production, the Accelerator Programme aims to address practical constraints that continue to limit intra-African trade, which remains low relative to other regions despite the AfCFTA’s entry into force.

The geographic diversity of applications — spanning Africa, the African diaspora and CARICOM — underscores Afreximbank’s ambition to promote a broader concept of “Global Africa”, linking continental trade with diaspora markets while reinforcing integration under the AfCFTA.

Supporting scale, market access and integration

Finalists in the Accelerator Programme will receive a comprehensive support package designed to move them from early-stage innovation to scalable trade solutions. This includes potential equity investment of up to US$250,000, subject to selection criteria, through Afreximbank’s impact investment arm, the Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA).

Beyond funding, participants will gain access to mentorship from trade specialists, investors and industry leaders, as well as direct connections into Afreximbank’s pan-African trade ecosystem. This includes exposure to trade facilitation programmes, regulatory pathways and opportunities to engage with government stakeholders, private sector partners and multilateral institutions — all critical components for scaling solutions across multiple African markets.

The programme will combine virtual learning, hands-on workshops and in-person sessions hosted in regional hubs such as Abuja, Nairobi and Cairo, culminating in a high-profile Demo Day where startups will present their solutions to global investors, policymakers and industry leaders.

The 8 finalists of the inaugural cohort

The following are the finalists selected to participate in this exciting accelerator project: 

• Fincart.io
  • Fincart is the operating system for e-commerce SMEs in emerging markets. The company unifies order management, multi-courier shipping, delivery experience management, cash reconciliation, and embedded working capital into one platform built for the realities of growing direct-to-consumer brands.
    
• OnePort 365
  • A digital freight management company that integrates air, ocean, and trucking services into a single digital ecosystem, addressing Africa’s persistent logistics challenges, including delays, high costs, and limited visibility. 
    
• Timon
  • Timon is a global travel and payments wallet designed to eliminate payment anxiety for African travelers and businesses, while enabling seamless cross-border transactions across the continent.
    
• Zowasel
  • An African agritech and finance company transforming agribusiness trade across the continent through technology, data-driven insights, and alternative finance solutions.
    
• Gebeya
  • The company gives Africa’s service and creative economy its own AI Agent – a reliable, always-on digital assistant built for every business owner in the African market.
    
• Fluna
  • Fluna is building the digital trade infrastructure to unlock Africa’s agricultural export opportunity. They are a pan-African B2B platform enabling seamless intra- and inter-African trade by solving the core market failures that keep producers disconnected from global demand.

• Capsa
  • Capsa Technology is Africa’s leading alternative finance marketplace, transforming how businesses across the continent access working capital. Founded in 2019, Capsa has built an operating system for working capital that empowers SMEs, corporates, and investors alike.
    

• Daba Finance
  • Is Africa’s first unified investment and capital-mobilization platform built to power cross-border investing and support African trade. Daba connects local, diaspora and global capital to African capital markets and businesses by turning savings and remittances into productive investment that fuels the African economy.

Unlocking the promise of the AfCFTA

Commenting on the initiative, Haytham Elmaayergi, Executive Vice President, Global Trade Bank at Afreximbank, said the Accelerator Programme reflects the Bank’s conviction that innovation will play a decisive role in realising the AfCFTA’s potential.

“The Afreximbank Accelerator Programme reflects our belief in the power of innovation to transform intra-African trade and underscores the important role that Global Africa’s innovation plays in realising the promise of the AfCFTA,” Elmaayergi said. “This inaugural cohort represents the future of African enterprise, and we are proud to invest in them from vision to scale to unlock trade across Africa, the diaspora and the Caribbean.”

As African economies look to deepen regional value chains, diversify exports and reduce dependence on external markets, initiatives such as the Afreximbank Accelerator Programme highlight the growing role of homegrown innovation in driving trade-led development under the AfCFTA framework.