Nigeria to Host Global Investors, Founders at Moonshot 2025 to Shape Africa’s Next Tech Wave

Lagos is set to welcome hundreds of investors, venture capitalists, and founders this October for Moonshot by TechCabal 2025, Africa’s flagship innovation conference. The gathering will spotlight fresh deal opportunities, cross-border partnerships, and exit strategies that could define Africa’s next phase of growth in the global innovation economy.

The convening comes as African tech begins to rebound from a two-year funding slowdown. Startups across the continent raised $1.42 billion in 243 deals in the first half of 2025 – a 78% jump from the same period last year. With more African startups now expanding globally and exporting homegrown solutions, Moonshot 2025 will focus on strengthening deal flow, unlocking exit opportunities, and boosting investor confidence to sustain this momentum.

Among those leading conversations are Maxime Bayen, Operating Partner at FundCatalyst; Lexi Novitske, General Partner at Norrsken 22; Tito Cookey-Gam, Principal at Partech Africa; and Eloho Omame, Partner at TLcom Capital. The Digital for Development (D4D) Hub, representing the European Union, will also bring a delegation of more than 100 investors and ecosystem leaders from Europe to Lagos, in a move expected to accelerate cross-continental investment and collaboration.

Tomiwa Aladekomo, CEO of Big Cabal Media, described the conference as a defining moment for the ecosystem.

“The African tech ecosystem is gaining real momentum, and we’re seeing a growing appetite from global investors to back its next wave of startups. This is the moment to connect ambitious founders with capital, explore exit opportunities that sustain growth, and build partnerships that truly scale.”

He added that beyond funding, the conference will spotlight emerging sectors such as AI, payments infrastructure, digital assets, and the creative industries, while also engaging policymakers and corporates.

Echoing this, Hussein Jaffar, Deputy Coordinator of the D4D Hub Africa Branch, said: “Moonshot is an important platform for putting the EU’s Global Gateway into action – connecting African innovators with European partners and unlocking investment that strengthens Africa’s digital ecosystems.”

This year’s edition, headlined by Sabi, will highlight Nigeria’s role as Africa’s digital trade hub. Minister of Trade, Jumoke Oduwole, will speak on progressive policies that are enabling startups, scaling digital service exports, and positioning Nigeria for global leadership in tech trade.

The agenda also features a deep-dive on Africa’s Next-Gen Payment Rails, exploring how APIs, mobile money, and digital-first infrastructure are transforming commerce and financial access. Another session will examine the role of cryptocurrencies and digital assets in powering cross-border transactions.

“APIs are now the backbone of digital commerce, enabling real-time settlement and seamless cross-border transactions,” said Wole Ayodele, CEO of Fincra. “At Moonshot 2025, we’ll explore how these technologies can unlock efficiency and growth across Africa.”

For Tomi Oduyemi, Growth Lead at Cardtonic, the conference provides unmatched scale:  “Moonshot creates the connections and insights that allow innovation to grow and deliver impact across the continent.”

Supported by platinum sponsors Fincra, Raenest, Flutterwave, Luno, Cardtonic, Roqqu, Opay, Interswitch and Busha, Moonshot 2025 is open to global and African VC investors, startup founders, top tech CEOs, policymakers, creatives, students, and support organisations driving Africa’s digital economy.