CV VC, the global venture firm focused on identifying, investing in, and accelerating frontier technology startups, has announced that it has backed 13 African startups across five countries and six industries, including recent investments in OkHi and Turnstay.
These moves , it said in a press statement, reinforce its role as a long-term partner in Africa’s technology transformation and highlight blockchain’s strong technology-market fit on the continent.
With a focus on blockchain-enabled infrastructure, the applications built on that infrastructure, and the service providers supporting this ecosystem, CV VC’s expanding African portfolio underscores its belief in the continent as one of the world’s most compelling growth frontiers.
With 77 investments worldwide, CV VC’s venture model demonstrates hands-on engagement in nurturing purpose-driven ventures built on blockchain technology infrastructure. Through a strategy combining direct investments and a proprietary blockchain accelerator program, CV VC supports founders developing B2B and B2C platforms that generate financial inclusion, data transparency, decentralized infrastructure, and sustainability.
The firm also maintains deep connections across global blockchain hubs in Crypto Valley Switzerland, Dubai, London, Berlin, Lisbon, and Cape Town. “At CV VC, we see technology investment in Africa as one of the most gripping long-term growth opportunities of our time,” says Olaf Hannemann, Co-founder at CV VC. “Our conviction is rooted in structural tailwinds that position the continent for transformative technology expansion over the coming decades. The innovation happening across Africa today will define tomorrow’s global digital economy.”
Africa presents a secular growth opportunity but faces structural challenges that have slowed its potential. Fragmented value exchange, inconsistent data, and infrastructure deficits remain widespread. CV VC sees blockchain as a tool to address these challenges. In fintech, blockchain drives ubiquitous value exchange.
In big data and AI, it ensures verifiable, immutable information for the age of machine learning. Blockchain also enables decentralized coordination for the next generation of infrastructure.
Beyond commercial returns, Africa’s technology startups are driving social and economic transformation. They are fostering sustainable economic growth, creating jobs, and expanding financial inclusion by reshaping market infrastructure.
By harnessing decentralized data and sustaining innovation, these ventures are generating high-impact outcomes across organizations, communities, and economies. CV VC believes investing in blockchain infrastructure supports this long-term value creation, improving access to essential services and expanding opportunity for millions.
Africa is increasingly central to global sustainability efforts. The continent is spearheading energy and food transitions and holds vast reserves of critical minerals essential for decarbonization, alongside expansive arable land that can support global food security. CV VC believes that blockchain infrastructure across these sectors will enhance Africa’s contribution to global sustainability.
Africa’s young and rapidly urbanizing population further amplifies the opportunity for technology-led transformation. With a median age of nineteen and a projected population of 2.5 billion by 2050, the continent will account for seventy percent of global population growth this century.
A recent Boston Consulting Group report highlights that within five years, half of all Africans will belong to Generation Alpha, representing thirty percent of the world’s youth population. This digital-first generation is driving innovation in finance, big data and AI, connectivity, logistics, agriculture, and energy. CV VC sees these sectors as areas where blockchain technologies can accelerate inclusion and efficiency.
Economic growth across Africa is also gaining momentum. Growth is forecast to rise to 3.8 percent in 2025, up from 3.5 percent in 2024, and is expected to average 4.4 percent through 2026 and 2027. Lower inflation and stronger trade flows are fueling renewed confidence, even as high debt levels remain a challenge.
CV VC’s dedicated African team witnesses firsthand the energy and complexity driving this momentum. Africa is not a single economy but a mosaic of opportunity, each market shaped by its own dynamics, culture, and regulation. CV VC’s local presence, trusted partnerships, and patient capital position it to unlock the next wave of value creation across the continent.
The CV VC African portfolio is already serving 2.5 million users, generating significant revenue, and employing over 100 people. Investments illustrate how blockchain entrepreneurs are solving local challenges while building scalable platforms with continental and global relevance.
OkHi in Nigeria provides AI-powered digital address verification and has created addresses for 4 million people across 88 countries, with a goal of putting one billion people on the map.
Turnstay in South Africa enables stablecoin-powered cross-border payments for African travel companies.
Shamba Records in Kenya uses farm-to-table data traceability to increase smallholder farmer incomes by 30 percent.
House Africa in Nigeria provides digital property validation to prevent fraud in real estate transactions and has been approved by the Lagos State Government to deploy blockchain property records.
Kasi in South Africa is a neobank for gig workers enabling banking and blockchain-powered remittances.
CV VC’s African investment strategy, led by Jarryd Kennedy and Brenton Naicker, prioritizes impact-focused investing that advances sustainability, job creation, and sound governance. The firm emphasizes alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in digital inclusion and financial access.
“We’re backing African founders who are building companies that will ensure a better future for all,” said Hannemann. “These ventures represent a new wave of technology that combines financial performance with lasting socioeconomic impact.”