Despite the difficult operating business environment in Nigeria and several startups exiting the landscape due to their inability to access single-digit financing amid rising operational costs, the country is still a leading hub for entrepreneurship in Africa.
The country has earned this position due to a growing number of engaging international investors, its large population, and the increasing number of start-ups and supporting organisations active in the ecosystem.
Based on reports from multiple data trackers, including Africa: The Big Deal, Nigerian startups collectively raised $176 million in the first half of 2025.
The figure, while representing a slowdown compared to previous peak years, is a substantial multi-million-dollar haul as it placed Nigeria fourth among Africa’s ‘Big Four’ funding destinations (South Africa, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria).
Yearly, we are seeing more innovative entrepreneurs’ start-ups providing solutions to societal problems, disrupting the sector in which they operate and creating jobs.
On this note, Start-Up-Digest takes a look at some of these start-ups that will make some serious waves in the country’s entrepreneurship space in 26.206
The criteria used in our assessment include, but are not limited to, growth, social and economic impact, international recognition, expansion, structure of business, and growth potential. The entrepreneurs are not in any particular order.
As a result, here are five startups worth watching in 2026:
Chowdeck
Chowdeck has rapidly emerged as a key player in Nigeria’s on-demand delivery space. Primarily focused on food delivery, the platform connects users with a wide variety of restaurants through a user-friendly app and an efficient network of riders.
Founded in 2021 by ex-Paystack engineers, it offers a seamless platform for ordering and fast delivery, aiming to become Africa’s leading e-commerce app by focusing on growth, profitability, and better livelihoods for riders, backed by Y Combinator.
Chowdeck’s robust, tech-enabled network currently leverages over 20,000 riders across 11 cities, serving an existing user base of 1.5 million people.
Beyond simple delivery, the company has emerged as a crucial partner for food businesses and retailers, offering a suite of solutions from logistics and inventory management to payment.
In November 2025, the delivery platform hit a new milestone by achieving a million customer orders per month in Nigeria and Ghana.
Chowdeck’s aggressive growth trajectory is being fuelled by a recent $9 million Series A funding round and an ambitious strategic shift toward quick commerce.
This shift is necessary to meet the rising demand for ultra-fast delivery across a wider range of products.
The delivery business has demonstrated impressive growth and unit economics, succeeding in a market where competitors struggled by prioritising a robust logistics infrastructure and offering attractive terms for its delivery riders, fostering a loyal workforce.
The company is now moving beyond logistics to become a full-stack partner for vendors. This shift was underscored by its recent acquisition of Mira, a point-of-sale and restaurant management system.
Spiro
Spiro is Africa’s largest electric vehicle (EV) company that provides sustainable transport solutions, primarily through electric motorbikes and an expansive network of battery-swapping stations.
In Nigeria, it is a key player in the transition to clean energy transportation. Spiro launched its Nigerian operations in July 2024, starting in Ogun State and has expanded to Lagos, Abuja, Delta, Kwara, and Kano with plans for further expansion.
It has established a robust network of battery swap stations across the country, aiming for 2,000 stations in Nigeria by 2026.
The company works with local financial institutions to offer asset financing, making electric bikes more accessible and affordable for moto-taxi operators and delivery companies.
Spiro is positioning itself as a leader in Africa’s clean transport revolution, addressing environmental challenges and offering economic opportunities for small business owners and local communities.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a digital investment platform that offers Nigerians and other Africans access to global investment opportunities.
Co-founded in 2019 by Bassey and Yanmo Omoregbe, Bamboo makes investing in all types of asset classes easy. It offers Nigerians the necessary resources for selecting stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to reach their investment goals.
In September 2022, the startup launched in Ghana and partnered with 10th Capital Investments, an investment company in the country. Also, it revealed plans to work closely with Ghana’s Securities and Exchange Commission, having received a No Objection Letter from the regulator.
In May 2024, the online stock platform announced the launch of Nigerian stocks on its platform, which will make it offer stocks of Nigerian companies, including blue-chip firms like Access Holdings, MTN Nigeria Communications, Dangote Cement, and Nestle Nigeria.
This came after it received a digital sub-broker licence from the country’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to operate in its capital market and list securities on its platform.
The startup’s account was among those frozen by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 2021 for allegedly engaging in illicit forex transactions. It was unfrozen in 2023.
The company has shown significant growth and raised substantial funding, including a $15 million Series A in January 2022.
Moove
Moove is a Lagos-based mobility fintech startup founded in 2019, tackling vehicle financing and helping more people in Africa to afford their dream vehicles since it commenced operations in June 2020.
Its model is a game-changer in the transportation sector, offering innovative vehicle financing and management solutions.
Its expansion plans and strategic approach position it as a key player in Nigeria and the broader global mobility landscape.
Backed by British International Investment, Future Africa, and AfricInvest, Moove provides car financing solutions for ride-hailing drivers under a ride-to-own scheme.
It embeds its alternative credit-scoring technology onto ride-hailing and e-logistics platforms, which allows access to proprietary performance and revenue analytics of mobility entrepreneurs to underwrite loans.
Moove’s model is to provide loans to its customers by selling them new vehicles and financing up to 95 percent of the purchase within five days of sign-up.
Its customers can choose to pay back their loans over 24, 36, or 48 months, using a percentage of their weekly revenue. All Moove customers sign up for its app to manage all transactions and access other financial products on the platform.
The startup sees a vast market opportunity in Africa, which is home to 1.3 billion people, with 43 percent in urban areas and growing, and in 2019 had fewer than 900,000 total new vehicle sales compared to 17 million in the US.
Moove is Uber’s exclusive vehicle financing and vehicle supply partner in sub-Saharan Africa, with Moove-financed cars having completed more than 850,000 Uber trips covering over 13 million kilometers across the continent to date.
As Uber’s largest vehicle supply partner in the EMEA region, Moove secured $76 million in funding, underscoring its influence and potential for growth.
Moove’s transformative approach to mobility fintech is a defining example of African ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit.
