African startups raised close to $1.4 billion in the first half of 2026, almost flat on last year. Maxime Bayen says the headline hides the real story: mega rounds are back, but pre-seed cheques are at their lowest in years, and the companies not funded today are the large rounds missing in five years. Maxime co-founded Africa: The Big Deal, the reference database of African startup funding, and is General Partner at Catalyst Fund, which backs climate adaptation startups at pre-seed. He walks through where the money goes (fintech 41%, climate tech 39%, 94% to all-male teams), why the Big Four will not become the Big Five, how exits work in an ecosystem not yet 15 years old, why his founders refuse dollar debt in Nigeria and Egypt, and what he asks before writing a cheque. Listen and share.
Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör
Samuele Tini. Innehållet i podden är skapat av Samuele Tini och inte av,
eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.
