Agriculture and agritech startups emerged as the leading area of interest for Africa’s angel investment networks in 2025, according to a new report released by the African Business Angel Network in partnership with Briter Intelligence and the United Nations Development Programme. The report, which surveyed more than 60 angel investors and network managers across the continent, highlighted growing confidence in agriculture despite a broader slowdown in sector funding.
The findings revealed that agritech funding declined to $168.1 million in 2025 from $206.9 million recorded in 2024, as sectors such as fintech, logistics and energy attracted larger volumes of institutional capital. However, angel investors continued to show strong confidence in agriculture, reflecting a belief in the sector’s long term growth potential and its critical role in Africa’s economic future. The report noted that while agriculture ranked first among angel networks, individual angel investors still placed fintech slightly ahead in their investment priorities.
According to the report, Africa currently hosts more than 75 active angel networks and over 5,000 individual angel investors spread across 37 countries. The study also showed increasing caution among investors, with over 35 per cent of respondents preferring startups already generating revenue before committing funds. More than 90 per cent of individual angel investors reportedly invested less than $25,000 per startup in 2025, while only a small fraction of angel networks disclosed investments exceeding $100,000.
The report further identified limited exit opportunities, liquidity constraints, weak deal flow and regulatory challenges as major obstacles slowing the growth of angel investing across Africa. Nearly 29 per cent of respondents said they had either reduced or paused investments due to prevailing economic conditions. Chief Executive Officer of African Business Angel Network, Fadilah Tchoumba, stated that angel investing must be recognised as a vital part of Africa’s growth infrastructure if the continent hopes to strengthen innovation ecosystems and support entrepreneurial development amid declining venture capital inflows from global investors and development finance institutions.