Just a few years ago, Africa’s tech ecosystem was booming. In 2021, startups across the continent raised over $4 billion across 355 funding deals, buoyed by a global investment wave and the promise of leapfrog innovation. But the wave has since receded.
By 2023, funding had dropped by over 40%. The funding winter began as global VC pullback, economic headwinds, and local currency instability created a tougher, leaner environment. The fallout was swift and painful — startup shutdowns, brain drain, layoffs, and widespread uncertainty.
In 2024, it became evident that the world was moving fast, and Africa must move with it. To find the growth and total addressable markets that make for viable and VC-pleasing exits, African startups could no longer afford to think only locally. They had to think bigger and go further afield to truly thrive. That urgency informed the theme of Moonshot 2024 — Building for the World.
And yet, despite the headwinds, the ecosystem didn’t collapse. Slowly, it began building momentum. The funding frenzy cooled, but in its place came a stronger focus on business fundamentals. Resilient startups adapted, restructured, and survived the downturn. Many emerged with leaner operations, sharper product-market fit, and clearer growth paths.
By early 2025, green shoots began to appear. The market seemed to have corrected itself and turned a corner. Investor sentiment started shifting. Most notably, the emergence of two new unicorns in Q4 2024 and the strong funding kickoff in Q1 2025 signaled that the tide was rising again, albeit more cautiously and deliberately. The ecosystem is moving again, and this time, it’s moving smarter.
That’s what Moonshot 2025 is all about. We aim to create a platform that examines the past, learns from it, and boldly co-creates the future together. Moonshot will be an experiential event that reflects a maturing ecosystem capitalising on existing gains to leap into the future, and unveiling Africa’s next great stories.
A theme rooted in reality
“Building Momentum” isn’t just a catchy phrase. It’s a pattern we observed across dozens of conversations with founders, investors, and policymakers on the continent and the globe, as we prepared for this year’s conference.
“The ecosystem is bullish, as it is standing with little reliance on foreign capital,” said Wiza Jalakasi, Director of Africa Market Expansion at EBANX, capturing the prevailing sentiment during a pre-Moonshot conversation.
The theme acknowledges the hard-won gains of the ecosystem while emphasising the urgent need to shift from survival to structured, scalable growth. It seeks to answer the question: What does scale look like for African startups?
All through our research, expert insights, and conversations, it became clear that while the ecosystem is regaining steam, it is also important to learn from past cycles and prepare for its next leap forward.
At Moonshot 2025, we’re assembling the operators and leaders moving the continent forward to address the key question of what scale looks like for African startups.
What momentum looks like in Africa’s tech ecosystem
Let’s be clear, the numbers aren’t yet explosive, but they are telling:
- Over $800 million in equity funding was raised in Q1 2025 alone, signaling cautious investor confidence returning.
- Sectors like climate tech and AI saw double-digit growth in startup creation and partnerships.
- More local capital is being mobilised through angel networks and sovereign funds, slowly replacing foreign VC dominance.
- And hubs within and beyond the “big four” continue to deepen their startup ecosystems with policy reforms, accelerators, and infrastructure investments.
There’s no single breakout moment, but there is clear forward motion, and there needs to be sustained momentum as a collective.
That’s why we’re centering Moonshot 2025 on the builders, believers, and institutions laying down the rails for Africa’s next leap.
What to expect at Moonshot 2025
This year, Moonshot expands beyond a conference; it becomes a curated, living museum of Africa’s innovation journey. We get to tell the stories of what got us here and spotlight the people and ideas that will carry us forward.
9 Bold Content Tracks from the Creative Economy to the Future of Commerce, this year’s programming is laser-focused on sectors and ideas with real potential to shape Africa’s digital future. Each track is designed to answer with honest reflections and hopeful forecasts: What is the next concrete step forward for this sector?
100+ speakers from within and outside Africa, including policymakers, big tech leaders, early-stage founders, innovators, and investors making the boldest bet on Africa.
Action-focused Conversations. Think less talk, more traction. We’re crafting deep-dive workshops, policy roundtables & pledges, and live showcases designed to move conversations into outcomes.
TC Battlefield, Africa’s leading early-stage pitch competition, returns with stronger value and matchmaking sessions designed to connect the most promising startups with top African and international investors. Apply here
Workshops & Roundtables, practical deep dives, live use-case walkthroughs, and policymaker-operator roundtables focused on solutions, not soundbites.
Join the momentum
Whether you’re a founder looking for your next investor, a policymaker charting digital growth strategy, or an operator building the next category-defining product, Moonshot 2025 is where momentum builds.
We’ve just launched Early Bird Tickets, which are available now for a limited time. Secure your spot for Moonshot 2025 at a discounted rate and be part of Africa’s most purposeful tech gathering.
Get your ticket here
