Innovation Village Weekly Roundup: Issue 37/25

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Innovation Village
September 13, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Multiple stories unfolded in African tech this week. On the surface, companies drove headlines with major acquisitions and new product launches, while regulators made waves by seizing billions of naira. 

Underneath, a more significant shift confirmed Africa's permanent place in the global tech landscape. Investors are pouring billions into critical sectors like energy, AI, and infrastructure. Regulators are asserting their authority on consumer protection. Big Tech is no longer testing the waters but is instead establishing deep roots from Lagos to Nairobi. 

This week's message was unmistakable: the era of cautious observation is over.

🌍The Movers

1) NAFDAC seizes ₦1.2B fake malaria drugs (Nigeria) 

A Lagos raid stopped counterfeit drugs worth over a billion naira from hitting pharmacies. Beyond the headlines, it’s a reminder that Africa’s health-tech and pharma logistics space isn’t just about innovation but survival. Regulators are drawing real blood in the fight against fakes.

2) Airtel Kenya Expands into Home Internet

Airtel is expanding beyond mobile services to become a key provider of digital infrastructure in East Africa. By launching home fibre and 5G, the company is making a strategic move to control the region's future data infrastructure and secure long-term market share.

3) Nigeria and China to Build Local Insulin Plant

To address the scarcity and high cost of insulin, Nigeria and China have formed a joint venture to build a local production facility. This partnership is a crucial public health initiative for millions of Nigerians with diabetes and a significant step toward achieving "health sovereignty", gaining local control over essential medical supplies.

💰 Recently Funded Companies

It was an active week for investors funding Africa-focused ventures, with major deals announced from Casablanca to Silicon Valley:

  • Nucleon Security (Morocco, AI/Cybersecurity) raised €3M to expand its operations throughout Africa.

  • Jobzyn (Morocco, AI recruitment) secured backing from Janngo Capital to rewrite talent matching in North Africa.

  • Float (South Africa, fintech) raised $2.6M in a deal with potentially big ripple effects on the credit landscape.

  • Vision Invest (Saudi Arabia/Africa) committed $700M to Arise IIP, its first major African infrastructure play.

  • Accion (Global/Africa focus) closed $61.6M to keep funding early-stage fintechs aimed at inclusion.

This week's theme was a powerful combination of AI, finance, and infrastructure—the three pillars that will define the coming decade.

🍿 Weekend Binge

Something to stretch beyond headlines:

🌱Opportunities

Bottom Line

If last week was about rules and rails, this week was about stakes and signals. Fake drugs pulled from circulation. Fibre rolled out to homes. A new insulin plant is promised. Hundreds of millions funnelled into AI, fintech, and hard infrastructure.

Africa isn’t waiting on permission slips anymore. The bets are bigger, the risks are higher, but the consequences are real.

See you next Saturday. 😉