Article
How big is a seed round in Africa now? About $2.5 million
The typical African seed round is now about $2.5 million and the typical Series A about $11 million, more than three times what it was in 2018 and 2019.
By Propel Africa · 2026-10-12
The typical seed round for an African startup is now about $2.5 million, up from about $1.5 million in 2018 and 2019, according to Propel Africa's records of funding rounds with an announced amount.
The change is bigger further up. The typical Series A has more than tripled, from $3.3 million to $11.2 million. Pre-seed rounds have grown more modestly, from about $620,000 to $800,000.
Series B has not moved
The typical Series B was about $20 million in 2018 and 2019, and it is about $20 million now. More money is going into the early stages, and companies are expected to have achieved more by the time they raise a Series A.
Recent rounds sit across the range. Verascient in South Africa raised a $1.2 million pre-seed in August, ChipMango in Nigeria a $1.9 million seed in September, and Synapse Analytics in Egypt a $13 million Series A, also in September.
Learn more
What does each stage actually mean, and who invests at each one? Our guide to the funding ladder walks through every stage from pre-seed to Series C, with typical round sizes and recent examples. If a term is unfamiliar, the glossary explains more than 90 of them in plain English.