Botswana Tech Fund Selects Seven Startups for £100,000 Regional Investment Programme

The Botswana Tech Fund has selected seven technology startups from five Southern African countries for its first accelerator investment cohort, committing up to £100,000 per company to support product development and regional expansion.

Announced on 7 October 2026, the cohort comprises three Botswana businesses and one each from Namibia, Zambia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The companies are developing products in digital payments, healthcare, education, retail, transport and financial services.

The fund will invest an initial £25,000 in each selected startup when it enters the three-month programme. A further £75,000 will become available after participants complete the programme and meet agreed performance targets. The fund is targeting approximately 10% equity ownership in each accelerator-stage investment.

Seven Companies Target Regional Markets

The selected businesses include Areye Technologies, Botsogo Jwame, Ipachi Capital and Slash from Botswana; Koloso from Zambia; Moovha from Zimbabwe; and PatientCare from Namibia.

Their products address different business and consumer needs.

Areye combines ride-hailing, parcel delivery and merchant services through one platform. The company reports more than 10,000 app downloads, 6,000 registered users and 800 drivers.

Botsogo Jwame provides digital patient records and healthcare management tools to medical facilities. It reports operating across more than 20 healthcare facilities, with over 25,000 registered patients.

Ipachi Capital develops financial record-keeping tools for informal traders and small businesses, while Slash connects shoppers with retail discounts and helps distributors sell surplus and near-expiry stock.

Koloso provides digital teaching, lesson-planning and assessment tools for schools. The Zambian company reports approximately 6,000 active users and sales in markets outside Zambia.

Zimbabwean fintech Moovha offers a WhatsApp-based digital wallet supporting US dollars and South African rand. Namibian healthtech company PatientCare operates a prepaid healthcare platform connecting patients, employers and medical providers.

Fund Targets Early-Stage Technology Businesses

The accelerator will operate as a hybrid programme, beginning with three days of in-person sessions in Gaborone, followed by remote mentorship and a final in-person phase that includes a demonstration day.

The Botswana Tech Fund is led by managing partner Martin Davis and general partner Florence Bavanandan, with Launch Africa Ventures serving as its investment adviser.

Its wider investment strategy covers early-stage and revenue-generating technology businesses across Southern Africa, with a focus on digital infrastructure and software that can support business operations.

The first cohort brings together seven companies already developing products for customers in their respective markets, including businesses from Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia.