DEG, Launch Africa and CcHUB Named Most Active of 334 African Startup Investors in 2026
DEG, Launch Africa and CcHUB have emerged as the three most active investors across a tracked universe of 334 African startup investors in 2026, according to new pan-African investor activity rankings. The data provides deal-flow intelligence for ecosystem participants tracking capital concentration across the continent.
Investor Retreat: getting a first cheque is now harder than at any point since 2021
The headline names the busiest investors. The number underneath it is the one that matters: 171 startups raised between $100,000 and $1 million in the first nine months of 2026, down from 220 in the same period last year — the lowest count since 2021.
That early tier is where most founders live. And it is drying up.
As Max Cuvellier of Africa: The Big Deal puts it plainly — getting a first cheque is getting harder, while those already in larger rounds find it easier. The ecosystem isn't contracting evenly. It's thinning at the base and consolidating at the top.
Fewer entry points means fewer companies that survive long enough to become the next raise worth celebrating.