Iran conflict dents African start-up funding - The EastAfrican

Venture capital funding in Africa declined by 26 percent in the first half of 2026, reaching its lowest level since 2020 due to tightening global liquidity and increasing uncertainty over the Middle East crisis. Deals fell by about 20 percent across most segments—seed, early, and late stage—endangering the growth of start-ups, which are key drivers of job creation and technological innovation on the continent.