When Gozem, a Lomé-based super app, closed a $30m Series B round in February 2025, it briefly placed Togo among Africa’s top five startup funding destinations, alongside Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and Egypt. For a country of just eight million people, the moment was significant. It was not an anomaly, but rather the most visible sign of an ecosystem that has been quietly developing over the past...
The article highlights Togo's emerging startup ecosystem, which has been attracting attention due to business-friendly reforms, a bilingual innovation environment, and increasing government focus on the digital economy. The ecosystem is structured, with over 300 registered startups and more than $2bn in funding, but the investment landscape remains shallow, dominated by development finance institutions. The most pressing challenge is the shortage of early-stage capital.
The article's strengths l...