The recently concluded AfricArena Johannesburg 2025 Summit was yet another great showcase of African startups.
AfricArena is an African tech accelerator that runs Corporate Open Innovation challenges throughout the African continent. It seeks the boldest African startups to showcase, raise funding, and scale internationally, and interested parties can apply here.
Held in partnership with AWS Startups and 22 On Sloane, the event brought together global investors, industry experts, and high-growth startups for a day filled with pitching sessions, networking opportunities, and collaborative exchanges.
Five African startups were named as winners at the AfricArena Johannesburg 2025 event — a two-day Founder’s Summit designed to equip selected startups with practical training, knowledge, and tools to help them become investor-ready.
Below we take a look at the winners:
AfricArena Best SaaS Startup Award
South Africa’s Funti3r won the AfricArena Best SaaS Startup Award for its innovative blockchain- and AI-powered workforce platform.
The startup connects businesses with verified global talent through features like smart contract-based payments, verifiable credentials, and AI-driven talent matching.
By automating and securing the hiring process, Funti3r is helping reshape the future of work across Africa and beyond – making recruitment faster, more transparent, and cost-effective.
Best Fintech Award
The Best Fintech Startup Award was claimed by eQub, a company revolutionizing Ethiopia’s traditional ‘equb’ savings model.
By digitizing this communal saving and lending system, eQub provides a secure, mobile-based platform that boosts financial inclusion and expands credit access.
The startup bridges the gap between conventional banking and underserved populations, modernizing a trusted cultural practice for the digital age.
Best Deep Tech and AI Startup Award
South Africa’s CureRoot took home the AfricArena Best Deep Tech and AI Startup Award.
The drug discovery startup is tackling global health challenges by blending traditional plant-based knowledge with cutting-edge AI and lab automation.
By harnessing the medicinal potential of African flora, Cureroot is building a drug pipeline aimed at combating superbugs and emerging viruses – offering innovative solutions for the global health sector.
Best Agnostic Startup Award
Loop Taxi of South Africa took home the AfricArena Best Agnostic Startup Award for its AI-powered ride-hailing platform that combines smart routing with electric and hybrid vehicles.
Focused on sustainability and efficiency, Loop Taxi provides affordable and reliable transport solutions while lowering carbon emissions. The service caters to daily commuters, corporate travel, and last-mile connectivity – offering a green alternative for urban mobility.
AfricArena Most Promising Entrepreneur Award
Rounding out the awards was SB Card Pty Ltd, the creators of Smart Business Card also from South Africa. This solution reinvents traditional networking by replacing paper business cards with NFC-enabled digital cards.
With just a tap on any NFC-compatible device, users can instantly share their contact information, websites, and social media profiles—offering a sleek, eco-friendly, and tech-savvy approach to making connections.
Follow us on X for the latest posts and updates
Join and interact with our Telegram community
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
