Moove, a trailblazing player in Nigeria’s mobility and logistics sector, has successfully raised $76 million in a financing round that promises to reshape the landscape of transportation and mobility services in the country.

This substantial investment further solidifies Moove’s position as a driving force behind innovative transportation solutions.

The company’s unique approach to automobile financing, which utilizes a hire-purchase model, has garnered attention from both investors and industry experts.

Under this model, Moove rents cars to drivers, allowing them to ultimately become car owners once they complete payments based on a predetermined value set by the company.

This infusion of funds will enable Moove to accelerate its efforts in bringing affordable and flexible mobility solutions to Nigerian drivers, fostering economic opportunities and contributing to the growth of the local transportation ecosystem.

The financing round boasts support from 31 investors, including prominent names such as BlackRock and Mubadala.

It said in a statement that, “Moove is different from typical mobility companies like Uber or Taxify; instead, it operates as an automobile financing startup that employs a hire purchase model. Under this approach, Moove rents cars to drivers, who eventually become car owners after paying the predetermined value set by Moove.”

According to the statement, the collective efforts of Nigerian mobility and logistics startups were making a substantial impact, employing 1,374 individuals in total, averaging around 49 employees per company, as highlighted by Disrupt Africa’s research.

With this successful funding round, Moove has now raised $550 million across 15 rounds as it eyes unicorn status. “Unicorn” status—a term used to describe privately held startup companies valued at over $1 billion—represents a significant milestone in the realm of entrepreneurship and innovation.

Nigerian startup Zuvy has secured $4.5 million in funding to revolutionize SME financing in Africa by addressing the challenges faced by businesses in accessing capital for their operations.

Zuvy, founded in 2021 and operating out of Nigeria, specializes in providing innovative invoice financing and management tools for SMEs.

The co-founders, Angel Onuoha and Ahmad Shehu, share a passion for digitizing and providing financing solutions tailored to the unique needs of small businesses in Africa.

“When I first came to Lagos, I was helping one of my aunties run her food catering business, and I saw just how much of an impact that invoice financing could have had on her business,” shares Angel Onuoha, reflecting on his personal motivation for establishing Zuvy.

“This was primarily because most of her work is determined by large contracts that she would get from large oil and gas companies. They wouldn’t pay her for 30 or 45 days at a time, and I found that a lot of these payment delays are very common for vendors.”

Payment delays are a prevalent challenge faced by SMEs in Nigeria, where large corporations often take as long as 90 days to settle invoices for services rendered. This creates significant cash flow constraints for smaller businesses, adversely affecting their operations and growth prospects.

Zuvy aims to bridge this financing gap by providing invoice financing to SMEs, particularly in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), healthcare, and supply chain sectors where payment delays are rampant.

By offering cash advances based on invoices issued by businesses, Zuvy enables SMEs to access the funds they are owed, reducing their dependence on delayed payments.

To ensure the legitimacy of each application, Zuvy collaborates closely with the businesses receiving the services. This approach not only verifies the authenticity of the invoice but also streamlines the repayment process.

Repayment terms, ranging from 30 to 90 days, are determined based on the specific needs of each business, allowing for flexibility and tailored financing solutions.

Zuvy’s innovative approach to SME financing has garnered support from investors, with TLG Capital leading the recent funding round. The funding, split between debt ($4 million) and equity ($580k), will enable Zuvy to expand its loan book and meet the increasing demand from vendors in Nigeria.

“TLG’s innovative approach to lending in Naira, a critical aspect of our operations, has demonstrated their deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within our market,” says Angel Onuoha, expressing his enthusiasm for TLG Capital’s investment.

“Most importantly, their deal execution speed is unparalleled, and we are highly aligned with their mission in fostering the growth of SMEs on the continent.”

Nigerian health tech startup Helium Health has secured $30 million in series B funding to expand its offering across Africa.

The funding round was led by AXA IM Alts, with participation from Capria Ventures, Angaza Capital, Anne Wojcicki, and Flatworld partners. Other existing investors that participated in the round include Tencent, Ohara Pharmaceuticals, LCY Group, WTI, and AAIC.

With the recent funds raised, Helium Health seeks to expand the reach of its fintech product Helium Credit, which is one of the leading digital finance products for Africa’s healthcare sector.

Speaking on the recent funds raised, Helium Health CEO and Co-founder Adegoke Olubusi said, “We believe in a future where good healthcare is a reality for Africans, not just a few. We are deeply committed to supporting both private healthcare providers and public health stakeholders with finance, technology, and data to achieve that vision. We are delighted to have such seasoned healthcare investors accompany us on our journey”.

Also commenting on the funding round, Helium Health lead investor AXA IM Alts through the head of impact investing Jonathan Dean said, “We are delighted to invest, through AXA IM Alts’ impact investing strategies, in ‘Helium Health’s mission of providing digital solutions to improve the quality and efficacy of health services in resource-constrained environments, whilst also directly equipping health sector enterprises with affordable financial services. This investment directly contributes to AXA IM Alts’ broader impact goals of improving financial inclusion and reducing inequalities globally.”

Launched in 2020, Helium Health has extended more than $3.5 million in credit to over 200 healthcare facilities in Nigeria, including pharmacies, diagnostics centers, Hospitals, and Clinics, which have used the loans to purchase medical equipment and medications in bulk and also expand their locations.

The health tech startup works with leading global health organizations and governments, supporting them to execute their strategies, informing policy and decision-making, and improving outcomes for us all. The YC-backed HealthTech startup claims to be the widest-reaching EMR platform in West Africa, used by over 10,000 health workers across 1,000 facilities to care for over 1 million African patients, Investors King understands.

Since Helium’s health series A investment, it has grown its credit from $250,000 to a handful of healthcare facilities to more than $3.5 million across 200+ healthcare facilities in Nigeria.