[Guest blog] Grégoire de Padirac of Digital Africa - the most active investor in Africa in number of deals in 2025 - advocates for a renewed focus on pre-seed on the continent...
The grant dependency trend from 20% to 42% is alarming becuase it erodes market discipline exactly when startups need it most. The withdrawal of YC/Techstars combined with the 60% capacity reduction creates a dangerous structural gap. Digital Africa's 35% deal share beyond Big 4 at just 2% of capital deployed shows how efficiently targeted micro-tickets can work when managed with private-sector rigor.
The grant dependency trend from 20% to 42% is alarming becuase it erodes market discipline exactly when startups need it most. The withdrawal of YC/Techstars combined with the 60% capacity reduction creates a dangerous structural gap. Digital Africa's 35% deal share beyond Big 4 at just 2% of capital deployed shows how efficiently targeted micro-tickets can work when managed with private-sector rigor.