Maasai Launches M&A Platform to Help African Startups

Beulah Godfrey

May 6, 2025
3 min read

Maasai Technologies has launched a new mergers and acquisitions (M&A) platform to help African startups find buyers and plan smart exits. This tool supports founders who want to sell their companies or merge with others when growth slows or funding dries up.

This launch comes at a key moment for Africa’s tech space. According to the African Tech Startups Funding Report, total M&A deals dropped by 20% in 2024. However, strategic acquisitions rose sharply, making up 50% of all deals, compared to just 6.7% in 2023. This shift shows that more African startups now see strategic exits as important to business growth and survival.

Segun Cole, co-founder of Maasai Technologies, said most African founders only focus on raising money and growing fast, without considering exits. “Many don’t know how or when to exit,” he said during a product demo. “But having a clear exit plan is just good business.”

Maasai’s M&A Platform Offers Clear Exit Strategy for African Startups

Maasai’s all-in-one M&A platform helps founders and investors manage the exit process from start to finish. The platform offers tools for proper valuation, due diligence, and buyer connections. Founders can list their startups confidentially, while verified buyers get support with background checks and deal evaluations.

Co-founder Izin Akioya added that Maasai’s system gives investors a complete M&A deal flow, along with risk management and exit planning tools. “By bringing all M&A activity together, we’re helping to grow the market and allow secondary trades to happen across Africa,” she said.

This push for planned exits comes as investor interest in African startups is shrinking. In 2024, the number of active investors dropped by 34.3% to just 346, compared to 527 in 2023. At the same time, data from Startup Graveyard shows that 45% of African startups that shut down in 2024 did so because they couldn’t raise money. This shows why having an easy way to sell or exit is now more important than ever.

Cole emphasized that founders should not wait until they are desperate to sell. “You lose power when you wait too long,” he said. “Maasai helps founders plan early and take control of their future.”

With its wide range of tools for both buyers and sellers, Maasai hopes to make the M&A process easier and faster. By making exits smoother, the platform aims to build a stronger African startup ecosystem—one where businesses, talent, and money can move freely and help each other grow.