Africa in Brief: February 20, 2026 – VC Share at 0.5%, Venture Debt Gap Widens
Quidah is an online platform that connects investors with curated opportunities and expert insights on Africa’s emerging markets, while offering businesses promotional services, partnership facilitation, and market intelligence to attract capital and grow their operations.
Industries
Global VC rose 30% YoY but deal volume fell 13%; AI doubled to $210B, five firms $84B (20%). North America 66% ($280B), Europe $58B (+9%), Asia $67.2B low, LatAm $4.1B (1%). Africa only region double-digit value decline, minimal AI/megadeals.
Equity dominates African startup finance; early-stage debt ($1-5M tickets) underserved for revenue firms avoiding dilution. Constraints: local currency scarcity, high diligence costs, regulations, thin debt-ready pipelines. Blended finance/guarantees urged.
Exits hit 60+ (+43% YoY), mostly strategic/acqui-hires/secondaries; foundational rails (Paystack/Flutterwave commerce, Mono identity, InstaDeep AI) mature into larger systems. Screenshot charts show acqui-hires primary exit 2015-2025, Nigeria/Egypt top equity/debt rounds 2025, Africa VC value -21%/volume flat vs global +30%.
