Breet launches $10K equity-free grant for African fintech startups
What's the deal? Cryptocurrency payment platform BreetDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → partnered with the Africa Technology Expo to launch a $10,000 equity-free grant programme for fintech, cryptocurrency, stablecoin, and digital payment startups across Africa. Two founders, Great Igbokwe and Faith Daunimigha, won $5,000 each after pitching in Lagos.
Why now? Africa's tech ecosystem drew about $4.1 billion in funding in 2025, but the Partech Africa Tech Venture Capital Report found the growth was driven by debt. Debt financing rose 63%, while equity funding grew just 8%.
The winners: Igbokwe, founder of TIDE FoundationDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and RaisED, is building a platform that connects students with private-sector and donor funding, channelling money directly to university bursary accounts. Daunimigha's OWEIBOT lets small businesses build websites and automate customer orders through WhatsApp, skipping complex e-commerce infrastructure.
What's the endgame? Beyond cash, the programme gives startups access to Breet's payment infrastructure, including its application programming interface (API), technical support, and integration tools. The API lets businesses add cryptocurrency payments, wallet creation, stablecoin conversion, and settlement into local currencies.
Breet evaluated applicants on their products, proposed integrations, and use cases. They needed a live or near-live product and had to meet registration, compliance, and customer verification requirements before gaining access.
What they said: "Founders today need more than funding. They need infrastructure that works, faster routes to market and access to the right commercial networks," said Breet chief operating officer Vivian Mbene.
The signal: The grant reflects a wider shift toward non-dilutive funding as African founders seek capital without surrendering ownership. As equity investment slows, models that pair modest cash with infrastructure and partnerships are gaining ground.
Read more: Arise News
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
