Startups On Our Radar spotlights African startups solving African challenges with innovation. In our previous edition, we featured seven game-changing startups pioneering payments, artificial intelligence, commerce, and mobility. Expect the next dispatch on October 10, 2025.
In this week’s edition, we’re spotlighting the trailblazing startups that competed in the final round of Battlefield at Moonshot 2025. Let’s dive into what made them stand out.
Ulé Homes wants to loan you your rent (PropertyTech, Nigeria)
In some parts of Nigeria, the dream of securing a home is often blocked by the demand for one or two years’ rent in advance. This practice may force people to deplete their savings or take on high-interest debt just to find a place to live. Founded by Omolade Akinwumi, Azeez Abdulyekeen, and Chisom Okorie, Ulé Homes is a financing company designed to make housing more affordable and flexible by breaking lump-sum rent payments into manageable monthly installments.
Initially operating with a Google Form and an MVP website, the company is now developing a full-feature web app to automate and scale its processes. Applicants undergo a rigorous KYC (Know Your Customer) process where Ulé Homes assesses their financial viability by analysing bank statements and checking credit scores from Nigeria’s three main credit bureaus (CRC Credit Bureau, FirstCentral Credit Bureau, and CreditRegistry Nigeria) to get a complete picture of a person’s credit worthiness. Once approved, Ulé Homes pays the full rent amount directly to the landlord, a deliberate step to ensure the funds are used solely for housing.
Before the funds are disbursed, the user authorises a direct debit mandate on their salary account, facilitated through integrations with fintech partners like Mono and Paystack. This system automatically deducts monthly repayments on a pre-agreed date, which is typically aligned with when the user receives their salary. These monthly payments are capped at no more than 30% of the borrower’s income. Ulé Homes generates revenue through a one-time 2.5% facilitation fee and a monthly interest rate. Ulé Homes has seven financial partners, including traditional banks and neobanks, and this has enabled the company to successfully lower its initial interest rates from 2.9% to as low as 1.7% per month.
Why we’re watching: Ulé Homes differentiates itself by looking beyond the immediate problem of rent. Its most ambitious offering is a mortgage product, launched in August 2025, which allows customers to purchase homes with a payment plan at an annual interest rate of 9.75%. This product turns their monthly payments into an investment in their own property. Recognising that many Nigerians lack a formal credit history, Ulé Homes is developing a system where consistent and early repayments of rent financing through its platform will contribute positively to a user’s credit score. The startup is also pursuing a unique B2B2C strategy by partnering with corporations to offer its services as an employee benefit, tackling housing affordability at an organisational level. Since launching disbursements in August of last year, Ulé Homes has provided over ₦700 million ($479,455) in rent financing to more than 150 customers. The ultimate validation of its model came recently when Ulé Homes emerged as the winner of the highly competitive Battlefield competition at Moonshot 2025.
ResQ-X wants to be the all-in-one solution for drivers in Nigeria (Mobility, Nigeria)
Founded by Nosa Okoroji, ResQ-X is a platform that combines on-demand fuel delivery, 24/7 roadside assistance, and fleet management into a single service. The startup aims to reduce downtime and safety concerns that drivers face when their cars break down. . Users can request help through a mobile app or hotline, select the service they are in need of, input their location, receive an instant and transparent price quote before help arrives, and track the live location of the dispatched responder.
ResQ-X claims to have an average rescue time of 25 minutes from request to service completion. The startup operates on a diversified business model, generating revenue through margins on fuel delivery (₦80-₦120 [$0.055-$0.082] per litre), subscription plans ranging from $58 to $150 annually, pay-per-use services for non-subscribers who require rescue services, business to business (B2B) fleet management services, including API integration, and a 20% commission from towing partners. The company is currently operating exclusively in Lagos, with a network of 175 verified responders, and has rescued 752 people since its launch. ResQ-X says it has a monthly recurring revenue of $5,200.
Why we’re watching: ResQ-X is carving out a unique space in the market by bundling services that are typically fragmented. While its direct competitors include traditional filling stations for fuel and a scattered network of independent mechanics for repairs, it stands out with its integrated, tech-enabled approach. ResQ-X offers a layer of trust and safety through features like live tracking and OTP verification. The startup plans to create a full-fledged auto marketplace, forge insurance partnerships for accident response, and build out EV charging infrastructure. It has forged partnerships with Dangote Refinery, Porsche Nigeria, Kia Nigeria, Fez Delivery, and Qoray Mobility. ResQ-X is currently raising a $1.5 million funding round to scale across Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt by 2026.
Sporous Energy wants to refine how Africa consumes energy (Energy, Nigeria)
Sporous Energy delivers reliable and affordable power through AI-enabled solar-powered community mini-grids. Co-founded by Oluwasomidotun Amujo and Omozue Gregory, the startup operates shared solar systems for residential estates and commercial clusters to solve the challenge of unreliable electricity. Customers pay for the electricity they consume on a pay-as-you-go basis (₦220 [$0.15] per unit) using smart meters integrated with Sporous’s AI-driven platform.
This platform intelligently manages power by predicting usage, tracking consumption patterns, collecting community data to optimise distribution and demand, and predicting when energy credit will run out. Its AI-powered management platform has features that standalone solar installers cannot match. This allows the startup to compete head-on with the most common backup for energy in Nigeria: generators. Sporous Energy eliminates the hassle of getting fuel and maintaining generators.
Why we’re watching: Sporous Energy stands out because it is offering a full-stack solution that directly addresses the failures of existing power distribution. In 2024 alone, Nigeria’s national grid collapsed 12 times, and over 100 times in 10 years. Sporous Energy guarantees 24/7 power. The startup has already demonstrated traction, with over ₦34 million (~$22,000) generated from a previous model and a signed Memorandum Of Understanding to deploy its first full mini-grid in a major Lagos estate. Sporous Energy is raising $100,000 in equity and $500,000 in project finance to expand to 3 new community clusters in Lagos.
Trippa Africa wants to power logistics for African businesses (Logistics, Nigeria)
Trippa Africa, co-founded by Femi Kehinde, Ralitsa Nampijja, and Dipo Ojo, is building an automated platform to streamline delivery operations for African businesses navigating a fragmented logistics landscape. Trippa Africa’s solution allows businesses to compare prices from a network of logistics providers, select the most affordable option, and manage the entire delivery process, including booking, tracking, payment, and support, from a single dashboard. Businesses can sign up for a free account, enter pickup and delivery details, and instantly access multiple shipping price quotes.
The startup generates revenue by charging a flat-rate service fee of $1 on every delivery completed by its partners. The startup has over 45 logistics partners, some of which include DHL, Glovo, GIG, and faramove. The company claims to have generated over $20,000 in revenue and is currently raising $500,000 pre-seed capital.
Why we’re watching: Trippa is tackling one of the most significant barriers to SME growth in Africa. Studies reveal that cart abandonment rate in the Middle East and Africa is about 93% largely due to high costs of shipping. Trippa Africa’s model presents flexible pricing options for delivery. This model of aggregating demand gives it a competitive edge over fulfillment startups like Renda, and the logistics arm of services like Bolt and Uber, which offer limited pricing flexibility and are often more expensive for scheduled or long-distance deliveries. Trippa Africa’s platform’s central dashboard, which handles everything from booking and real-time tracking to payments, is a powerful tool for businesses that would otherwise be manually coordinating with multiple riders and vendors.
Chao wants to do what Chowdeck, others are not doing for African university students (Food delivery, Nigeria)
Founded by Akobundu Gift and Senne Aya-Melvin, Chao’s platform enables university students to order food for delivery directly to their campuses. The startup was born from the observation that there was no efficient way for students to order from nearby stores. Chao’s mobile app connects users to partner restaurants, grocery stores, and pharmacies. The bootstrapped startup generates revenue through delivery charges that range from ₦500-₦1000 ($0.34-$0.68), restaurant commissions, and service fees that range from 5%-10% of the cart and currently operates in communities like Babcock University and the University of Port Harcourt.
Why we’re watching: While Chao has similar features to competitors like Chowdeck and Glovo, the platform distinguishes itself by focusing on servicing campus communities. This hyperlocal strategy allows for faster, more reliable service and helps build strong brand loyalty among students. Since its beta launch, Chao says it has processed over 25,000 orders and claims to have generated over ₦17 million ($11.643) in total revenue.
BuyScrap wants to digitise Nigeria’s electronic waste market (Cleantech, Nigeria)
Founded by Ndaman Joshua Olayinka, BuyScrap is building the digital infrastructure to formalise Nigeria’s informal e-waste industry. BuyScrap manages the entire e-waste lifecycle in Nigeria, ensuring electronics are safely recovered, refurbished, and put back to use. Its platform connects individuals and businesses that want to dispose of used electronics with a network of certified recyclers, therefore creating a transparent and environmentally sound value chain. Through its mobile app, users can schedule pickups for their electronic waste. A collection agent is then dispatched to retrieve the items, which are transported to partner facilities for secure data wiping, sorting, and processing.
BuyScrap’s circular model ensures that functional items (items that can be recycled) are refurbished and sold, while non-functional ones are dismantled for raw material recovery. The platform also pays an amount of money to the businesses or individuals who want to dispose of their e-waste, based on the type of waste and their quantity. The company operates on a B2B2C model, engaging directly with consumers and offering subscription services to businesses for consistent e-waste management and data wiping.
The startup generates revenue through a 20% commission on the value of materials sold to recyclers, subscription fees (usually ₦20,000 [$13.70]) from business clients, selling refurbished electronics directly on its platform, and export revenue of sorted e-waste to international recycling partners.
Why we’re watching: E-Waste management in Nigeria remains predominantly informal. A 2019 report revealed that Nigeria generated 461.3-kilo tonnes (KT) in e-waste and ranked the highest e-waste generator in West Africa and second after Egypt on the continent. The 461.3kt amounted to $166 million (₦64.2 billion). BuyScrap is a tech-driven platform built to solve this problem by simplifying the collection and recycling of e-waste. BuyScrap has over 800 household users and over 16 businesses. It has diverted approximately 20 tons of waste and partnered with SOSOCARE, a health insurance company in Abuja, to give users micro health insurance in exchange for their electronic waste (e-waste).
Expense AI wants to automate expense management with AI-powered receipt scanning (AI, Nigeria)
Manual expense management is a time-consuming endeavour and an error-prone process for both individuals and small businesses. tedious data entry leads to errors, lost receipts, and unclaimed tax deductions, which can result in substantial revenue loss. Expense AI, founded by Precious Arikeri and Wahab Balogun, tackles this problem with an AI-powered platform designed to automate the entire expense management workflow. The system uses AI-powered receipt scanning to capture and categorise expenses efficiently, supports multiple languages and currencies, and can automatically process receipts from users’ emails.
It allows users to generate customisable reports, track income, manage budgets, and provides an AI chat assistant, offering a complete solution to help businesses and individuals make data-informed financial decisions. Expense AI operates on a subscription model, with weekly plans starting from $2.99, $8.99 monthly, and $65 annual plans. It also offers an API solution, Flora, for businesses that want to integrate its technology. The platform has gained traction with over 5,000 users across more than 20 countries and has processed over 25,000 expenses across 91 currencies, generating more than $10,000 in revenue as of March 2025.
Why we’re watching: Expense AI sets itself apart from competitors like Expensify and QuickBooks with a more comprehensive AI-native feature set. Its key advantages include a personalised AI assistant that offers insights and recommendations, the ability to capture expenses from multiple sources (PDF, email, and image uploads), ability to capture expenses across multiple currencies, and multi-language support, features its rivals lack. By offering both a direct-to-consumer app and a B2B API solution, Expense AI is pursuing a dual strategy that may position it as a versatile player in the financial management space.
Braudit wants to fix Africa’s broken performance management systems (HRTech, Nigeria)
Founded by Emmanuel Kehinde and Kànmí Òshó, Braudit is a performance intelligence platform that captures work actions and turns them into data-driven insights for organisations. The platform integrates directly into a company’s workflow, allowing employees to manage tasks and projects while it automatically logs performance data. It addresses the problem of lack of real-time performance visibility for employees in Africa by providing a system that connects tasks, key performance indicators (KPIs), and goals, and allows users to manage tasks and projects while providing real-time analytics and AI-powered reviews. Braudit operates on a B2B software-as-a-service (SaaS) model with a pay-per-output system, charging between ₦150 ($0.098) – ₦350 ($0.23) for each completed task or generated review, alongside an annual workspace fee of ₦100,000 ($65.28).
Why we’re watching: Braudit is positioning itself as a critical infrastructure for African businesses. It carves out a unique space in the market by competing with traditional HR software, project management tools, and even informal systems like spreadsheets. Project management tools mostly focus only on tasks, while Braudit connects those tasks directly to performance metrics and strategic goals. Compared to traditional HR systems, Braudit’s key differentiator is its ability to automatically capture work actions and translate them into performance data. Its value proposition is backed by results from its private beta, where a single company saw an 82% reduction in missed deadlines and a 66% increase in productivity after the platform captured over 8,000 performance data points.
Àlááfía wants to build the trust-based credit system for Africa’s informal economy (Fintech, Nigeria)
Àlááfía, founded by Samson Oladapo, is a growth-oriented microcredit platform designed to solve the problem of high interest rate charges by informal lenders to SMEs. It does this by providing accessible and affordable loans built on a system of trust rather than conventional credit checks. The platform uses a Triple-Layer Trust (TLT) model that bypasses the need for credit scores or collateral. The process begins with the first layer, the group, where nano-businesses are onboarded in clusters, leveraging their pre-existing community relationships. The goal of this cluster is to create a sense of mutual accountability.
This stage is reinforced by the second layer, the Market Leader, who is a respected figure within their community who acts as a trusted intermediary, vouching for the character and reliability of the group members.. The final layer of security is the guarantor, where each borrower provides a trusted individual, such as a friend or family member, who personally accepts responsibility for the loan, adding a crucial element of individual accountability to the collective trust established by the group and its leader.
Onboarding is done through clusters who are then verified with automated voice calls in the user’s preferred language, with an option to escalate to a human agent for assistance. Àlááfía’s model is built around a daily repayment structure into a virtual wallet. The startup generates revenue by charging a flat 3.5% monthly interest rate on loans.
Why we’re watching: About 80% of MSMEs in Nigeria are excluded from formal credit access because of collateral requirements and lenders’ aversion to risk. This forces them to rely on informal lenders who often charge high interest rates. Àlááfía’s core innovation is its rejection of traditional credit infrastructure in favour of a community-centered trust model. By leveraging trust-based referrals for its target market strategy, it’s building a system that is culturally resonant and can be scalable within the informal sector.
Another of Àlááfía’s key differentiators is its simplicity and affordability. While other digital lenders offer interest rates that can fluctuate significantly based on user data and amount loaned (usually 2.5%-30%), Àlááfía’s flat rate of 3.5% per month removes uncertainty and builds trust. A 6-month pilot across five zones in Oyo State saw over $6,000 disbursed to 59 businesses. The startup was able to achieve a 97% on-time daily repayment rate with zero defaults. The startup currently has a waitlist of over 2,000 nano-businesses.
That’s all for today. Expect our next dispatch on October 30th. Know a startup we should feature next? Please nominate here.
