Johannesburg-based startup campus 22 On Sloane has launched KUMii.Africa, an artificial intelligence platform that matches entrepreneurs with funders, markets and support services, while opening a $63 million fundraise through its investment arm.Both initiatives were announced at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress Africa, held on September 16 and 17 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre under the theme “Connecting Africa.”The congress brought together representatives from 59 countries, including 26 African nations, following more than a year of engagement with ecosystem organisations across more than a dozen countries.KUMii.Africa is built around matching businesses with opportunities. For entrepreneurs, the platform generates business plans, pitch decks and financial models in about three minutes. It also drafts tender applications, connects businesses with services and resources, and identifies market opportunities aligned with their profiles.For investors, it facilitates connections with entrepreneurs. For ecosystem support organisations, it delivers enterprise development, market readiness and investor readiness programmes, with dashboards providing real-time visibility into entrepreneurs’ progress.For policymakers, the platform provides a channel for connecting with peers across the continent.More than 4,000 startups and micro, small and medium enterprises have registered on the platform. KUMii is led by Noma Ngubane, its chief executive officer.Sloane Capital, led by chief executive officer Priyansh Dhawan, is raising $63 million to invest in startups and MSMEs across the continent.The firm has secured a Category II licence and a licence from the National Credit Regulator.“Sloane Capital has been established to help bridge this gap by facilitating access to capital for high-potential startups and MSMEs,” said Kizito Okechukwu, executive head of 22 On Sloane.“Through Sloane Capital, we aim to support businesses across critical stages of growth, connecting entrepreneurs with appropriate sources of capital,” Dhawan said.Only 190 African startups raised $100,000 or more in the first half of 2026, the lowest figure since 2021. Globally, nine in every 10 late-stage venture capital dollars now flow into artificial intelligence.Okechukwu described Africa’s structural opportunity as being constrained by fragmentation within and beyond the continent.“Africa’s future will not be built in isolation; it will be built through connection. The question is no longer whether Africa should integrate, but how quickly and deliberately we can make it happen. On a fragmented continent, connection is power. And in a connected Africa, opportunity becomes exponential.”Jonathan Ortmans, president of the Global Entrepreneurship Network, cautioned against measuring entrepreneurship ecosystem interventions solely by participation figures.He argued that their effectiveness should be assessed through measurable outcomes, including funding secured, tenders won and customers acquired.By that standard, the platform’s 4,000 registrations demonstrate adoption rather than measurable business impact.Strategic partners for the congress included African Bank, Microsoft, Amazon, the Western Cape Government, the Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency, the City of Cape Town, the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation and the Global Entrepreneurship Network.Additional partners included Telkom, the United Nations Development Programme, the Masisizane Fund, the Wholesale and Retail SETA, the National Empowerment Fund and the FirstRand Empowerment Foundation.
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