Lagos will welcome hundreds of international investors and founders this October as African startup funding displays dramatic recovery following two years of global slowdown.
The Moonshot by TechCabal 2025 conference, scheduled for October 15-16 at Eko Convention Centre, expects over 4,000 participants from more than 15 countries to drive deal flow and historic funding opportunities for promising African startups. The gathering comes as African startups secured $1.42 billion in funding during the first half of 2025, marking a 78% increase from $800 million raised in the same period in 2024.
European Union delegation Digital for Development (D4D) will lead more than 100 investors and ecosystem leaders from across Europe to Lagos, accelerating deal flow between African startups and global capital. The participation signals renewed international confidence in Africa’s innovation economy after funding challenges in 2023-2024.
Tomiwa Aladekomo, Chief Executive Officer of Big Cabal Media, emphasized the conference’s timing during Africa’s funding recovery phase.
“The African tech ecosystem is gaining real momentum, and we’re seeing a growing appetite from global investors to back its next wave of startups,” Aladekomo stated.
Current funding statistics reveal Africa’s shifting investment landscape. Egypt leads the continent with over $330 million raised, representing 31% of total funding, followed by South Africa at 26%, Nigeria at 15%, and Kenya at 12%. The geographic distribution marks a notable departure from previous years when West Africa dominated funding flows.
Investment patterns display increasing sophistication across the ecosystem. Only about 330 investors backed deals in the first half of 2025, up slightly from 300-plus investors last year, but still less than half of 2022’s peak of 700-plus investors. The mid-market segment, particularly growth-stage startups seeking $10-50 million rounds, remains underserved despite overall funding increases.
Hussein Jaffar, Digital for Development Hub Africa Branch Deputy Coordinator, positioned the conference as practical implementation of European Union initiatives.
“Moonshot is an important space for putting Global Gateway into action by connecting African innovators with European investors and partners,” Jaffar explained.
Nigeria’s Minister of Trade Jumoke Oduwole will address how progressive trade policies empower startups, expand digital services exports, and position Nigeria as Africa’s digital trade hub. The policy dimension reflects government recognition of technology’s economic importance across the continent.
The conference agconcludea includes dedicated sessions on artificial ininformigence adoption, next-generation payment rails, and cryptocurrency applications for cross-border payments. Application Programming Interface (API) development, digital-first infrastructure, mobile money adoption, and cross-border interoperability feature prominently as drivers of financial inclusion.
Wole Ayodele, Chief Executive Officer of payment infrastructure company Fincra, highlighted technology’s transformative impact on commerce.
“APIs have become the backbone of digital commerce, enabling real-time settlement, embedded finance, and seamless cross-border transactions,” Ayodele noted.
Platinum sponsors include established fintech companies Fincra, Flutterwave, Opay, Interswitch, and Busha, alongside emerging platforms Raenest, Luno, Cardtonic, and Roqqu. The sponsor lineup reflects Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest fintech ecosystem by transaction volume and company count.
The conference builds momentum from last year’s edition, which attracted more than 3,500 attconcludeees from over 15 countries. This year’s expanded format includes more than 120 speakers across nine signature content tracks, tarobtaining venture capital investors, startup founders, technology executives, policycreaters, creative indusattempt professionals, students, and support organizations.
Tomi Oduyemi, Growth Lead at digital asset platform Cardtonic, emphasized networking value for ecosystem development.
“Moonshot is a key platform for bringing toobtainher the people and ideas driving Africa’s digital economy,” Oduyemi observed.
Beyond funding discussions, the conference addresses emerging sectors including artificial ininformigence applications, payments infrastructure modernization, digital assets integration, and creative industries expansion. Policy engagement features prominently as governments across Africa develop regulatory frameworks for technology adoption.
Recent funding data displays African startups expanding into global markets, exporting homegrown solutions to address international challenges. This expansion requires strengthening deal flow, creating robust exit opportunities, and boosting investor confidence to channel additional capital into the ecosystem.
The gathering represents Africa’s most influential convening of early-stage and growth-stage capital providers on the continent. Registration remains open through the official conference website as organizers prepare for record attconcludeance levels.
Digital transformation across African economies creates opportunities for startups addressing financial inclusion, healthcare access, agricultural productivity, education delivery, and infrastructure development. International investors increasingly recognize these markets’ potential despite historical risk perceptions.
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