At Baobab, we frequently discuss the ideas and areas where we’d love to see more entrepreneurs focusing their efforts. This year, we've decided to consolidate our thoughts into what we're calling a "Call for Startups (CFS)." We're eager to connect with founders working on projects in these focus areas, and if you know anyone who is, we strongly encourage them to apply!

We recognize that the ideas listed here will likely represent only a small portion of the companies we invest in, as we believe that entrepreneurs are the true sources of innovative ideas and creative solutions.

However, if any of the concepts on this list resonate with you, or align with what you're already working on, we hope our interest gives you an extra push to dive in and apply.

To give you some practical examples, in 2021, we identified opportunities in international shipping for African SMEs and invested in Terminal to explore that space. In 2022, we partnered with Shemach to create a distribution and fulfillment marketplace for small retailers in Addis Ababa. More recently, in 2023, we developed a thesis around the Fintech infrastructure in Francophone Africa and partnered with Alal to build card issuance infrastructure in Senegal.

For the second half of 2024, we're calling on innovators building solutions in areas such as:

- Data and analytics infrastructure in health and health services
- CleanTech/Sustainability infrastructure and enabling technologies
- Mobile payments and remittance solutions, especially in North Africa
- Platforms and marketplaces to drive pan-African and international trade
- Fintech infrastructure, particularly in open banking and credit/lending
- Precision agriculture to boost yields for smallholder farmers
- Supply chain optimization for seamless goods transition and storage
- Cross-border payment solutions to enhance trade and financing
- AI and ML technologies to reduce inefficiencies and drive customer engagement
- Financial services targeting low-income and informal workers, particularly around microinsurance and micropensions

With Africa's population expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, and internet and smartphone penetration soaring, the continent presents a massive growth opportunity. This CFS is an open invitation to submit your application and potentially partner with us in unlocking the value within African economies.

The application deadline is on a rolling basis.