Despite a cautious investment climate across Africa’s startup ecosystem, some startup founders are still attracting funding.
In Nigeria, founders continue to convince investors why their innovations are worth their backing.
Although the month, just like several months in recent times, did not record any big big ticket, six Nigerian founders still managed to get investors to sign cheques for them in April.
The founders behind these startups are not just building companies. They are also shaping solutions around financial inclusion, food access, healthcare innovation, debt recovery, and environmental sustainability in one of Africa’s toughest operating environments.
The six founders raised a total of $4 million in the month, but only one of them accounted for 77% of the total, leaving the remaining five just with 23% of the total raise.
Here are the six Nigerian startup founders who successfully closed funding rounds or strategic deals in April 2026.
Chinenye Nlemchi is co-founder and Executive Director at Trashcoin, a sustainability-focused startup that raised $100,000 in a venture round in April as investors increasingly turned attention toward climate and environmental innovation.
The startup was founded alongside Nnodim Eliot Wogu and Damilola Daramola, who are building solutions aimed at improving waste management and recycling systems through technology.
Nlemchi graduated from the University of Ghana, where she bagged Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2019.
The founders identified growing environmental and waste management challenges across urban communities and saw an opportunity to create a business that combines sustainability with practical impact. Their work reflects increasing interest in climate-focused startups emerging from Africa.
Tunde Elegba, founder of fintech startup Surgepay, secured a $100,000 grant in April, adding fresh momentum to the company’s growth plans.
Elegba founded Surgepay with a focus on building digital financial solutions aimed at improving payment experiences and expanding access to financial services. His startup operates within Nigeria’s vibrant fintech ecosystem, which continues to attract innovators seeking to solve payment and inclusion challenges.
A graduate of the University of Missouri St. Louis College of Business Administration, Elegbe previously worked at SSM Health, where he honed the skills that now empower SurgePay to deliver robust software solutions.
Elegba has focused on building solutions within a highly competitive environment where access to funding remains difficult for many startups.
The grant funding represents an important milestone for Surgepay, particularly at a stage where many startups rely heavily on ecosystem support and early backing to refine products and scale operations.
Felix Daniel co-founded NectarFi with Stephanie Okeke. The founders secured $200,000 in preseed funding in April, providing an early boost for the startup.
NectarFi is a fintech startup powering Payments and Savings in Emerging Markets with Stablecoins.
Daniel, a 2020 graduate of University of Nsukka, leads NectarFi as the CEO. Before co-found the startup, Daniel had a stint at two companies, including being a Developer Advocate at Solana Foundation, and later Community Manager at Cube Group Inc.
Although still at an early stage, NectarFi’s successful pre seed raise highlights growing investor interest in fintech startups addressing practical financial challenges in emerging markets.
Healthcare startup Biovana raised $200,000 in a venture round in April, giving founders Estelle Dogbo and Jumi Popoola additional resources to scale their operations within Africa’s growing healthtech sector.
Estelle Dogbo, co-founder and CEO, is a business leader and data infrastructure strategist focused on enabling responsible access to high-quality underrepresented datasets and biospecimens for global research.
Former Roche and Sanofi executive, she holds an MSc in Cell Biology (Université Paris Sorbonne Nord) and an MBA in Biotech Management (IONIS STM), and previously served as Head of Africa at 54gene where she supported the development of B2G initiatives and the deployment of large-scale genomic research infrastructure.
As CEO of BioVana, Estelle leads the company’s strategy and partnerships, working at the intersection of biotech, hospitals, biobanks, and regulators to structure research-ready data ecosystems across Africa.
Both founders have been part of efforts to build solutions that respond to gaps in healthcare delivery, particularly in markets where access, affordability, and efficiency remain major concerns. Their work reflects the broader rise of female-led innovation within Africa’s startup ecosystem.
Daniel Afolayan, founder of food commerce startup Baskett, secured $300,000 in venture funding in April as investors continued to show confidence in technology-driven food distribution businesses.
