Christine Kagendo 
Three Kenyan startups have been announced among the top 20 finalists advancing to the next stage of the MEST Africa Challenge 2025, a pan-African competition launched by Absa in collaboration with the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST Africa).
This year, the Challenge took place across eight of Absa’s nine Regional Operations (ARO) markets: Botswana, Uganda, Mauritius, Seychelles, Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia, and Ghana. All eight markets are represented in the top 20, highlighting the continent-wide reach of entrepreneurial talent.
“Our partnership with MEST Africa and participation in the MEST Africa Challenge 2025 reflects Absa’s commitment to empowering the next generation of innovators and building more accessible, relevant financial solutions. We’re proud to mark this milestone, and congratulations to the top 20 finalists and to all applicants,” said Tawanda Chatikobo, Head of Digital for Absa Regional Operations (ARO), Retail and Business Banking.
“The quality of submissions has been exceptional, showcasing the depth of innovation and entrepreneurial drive across Africa. These ventures are tackling real challenges and creating pathways for more inclusive economic growth.”
The shortlisted finalists are addressing a wide range of themes. These include Digital Financial Inclusion and Alternative Lending, Seamless Digital Experiences, AI, Data and Fraud Prevention, Digital Payments, and InsureTech.
“Each of these founders represents a unique path toward reimagining how finance works for Africans,” said Ashwin Ravichandran, Portfolio Advisor at MEST Africa and MAC Lead.
“Their ideas pair technology with empathy, proving that lasting change comes from solving real problems within their own communities.
We’re proud to provide a platform that connects them with investors, mentors, and global opportunities.”
The top 20 startups selected to advance in the MEST Africa Challenge 2025 are as follows:
- mystock.africa – A retail investing platform giving Africans access to stocks, ETFs, and alternative assets.
- Brydge – A supply chain platform simplifying cross-border trade for African businesses.
- Kutana Technologies Limited – A multi-currency payment platform powering B2B cross-border trade using stablecoins and AI-driven credit.
- Logistify AI – An AI platform helping SMEs and cooperatives optimize procurement and supply chains.
- Farmsky Ventures – A digital lending and crop insurance platform boosting productivity for smallholder farmers.
- Investa Farm – An Agri-FinTech platform offering voucher-backed loans for climate-resilient farm inputs.
- Black Swan – Uses AI and alternative data to build credit scores for Africa’s unbanked population.
Mozambique
- Simulador Bancário – A digital platform simplifying financial planning and loan simulations.
- Paytota – A unified payment gateway simplifying Africa’s fragmented digital payments ecosystem.
- Xzerra – A biometric payment system enabling cashless, fingerprint-based transactions in schools.
- Kanzu Finance Limited – A digital banking solution for Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations, Village Savings and Loan Associations, and microfinance institutions.
- Axiom Zorn – A data innovation company enabling access to finance and markets for smallholder farmers.
- Credify Africa, Inc – A trade finance and logistics platform bridging Africa’s SME finance gap.
- eMaisha Pay – A digital payments platform for agro-traders and small businesses, driving financial inclusion.
- Ebusaka Green Technology Limited – A FinTech-powered waste-to-value platform digitizing payments and recycling incentives.
- KreativBox Technology – digital lending company offering salary-backed loans to civil servants.
- Mighty Finance Solution Inc – Provides embedded digital loans to SMEs and women entrepreneurs.
- Devdraft Ai – A cross-border payments platform for freelancers and businesses using stablecoin wallets.
- Homer Price Agency Solutions Limited – A digital banking provider operating 550+ agents nationwide.
- Fusepay– A licensed Payment Service Provider creating a digital finance hub for frontier markets.
The top 20 finalists will be further shortlisted to 10, who will compete at the Grand Finale in November. One winning startup will secure a USD $50,000 seed equity investment to scale their business and gain the opportunity to collaborate with Absa on solving real-world innovation challenges.
“Through this challenge, we’re seeing solutions that are not only innovative but strategically aligned with Africa’s evolving technology landscape.
Some of these ideas have the potential to accelerate digital transformation and unlock new value for our customers,” says Tamu Dutuma, Head of Strategy and Transformation for ARO Technology.
By supporting bold ideas and unlocking new opportunities, Absa is investing in the continent’s most promising small and medium enterprises, the backbone of Africa’s economy.
“Africa’s startup community is no longer on the sidelines. It’s stepping forward with ideas, leadership, and global potential,” Dutuma added.
“We look forward to supporting the winning venture and creating opportunities for greater impact.”
