To be eligible for funding, applicants must be registered as limited companies based in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, or Nigeria
NAIROBI, Kenya, July 21, 2022/APO Group/ —
Uncap (www.Unconventional.Capital), an award-winning platform aimed at providing access to early-stage funding for entrepreneurs in Africa is putting out the call for start-up businesses to apply for the chance to receive early-stage capital ranging between 10,000 EUR and 50,000 EUR.
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be registered as limited companies based in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, or Nigeria, have at least 12 months of revenue traction, have well-kept records of business operations, and a scalable business model.
Applications are open to founders in any sector – not just tech. Uncap has a ‘do-no-harm’ policy: it does not invest in businesses or individuals that hurt people or the environment.
Uncap’s application process is fully remote and focuses on quantifiably assessing the founder’s ability to grow and scale a great business. Applications are made online through the Uncap portal (https://bit.ly/3Oi8Zsw) where founders complete a series of questions and assessments. There is no need for pitch decks, and no collateral is required. Uncap then chooses which businesses to invest in using a data-based selection process.
Uncap invests through redeemable equity-revenue-based financing ‘RBF’ that is designed to meet the needs of early-stage businesses. RBF is a form of capital raising where investors agree to provide capital to a company in exchange for a certain percentage of the company’s ongoing total gross revenues. Uncap purchases shares that can be redeemed by the company at a pre-agreed multiple using a percentage of their monthly revenues.
Empowering African Entrepreneurs
Our aim is to enable female founders to get an equitable experience by re-defining their fundraising journey through Uncap’s automated, inclusive and data-driven process
Founded in 2019, Uncap’s goal is to make early-stage funding accessible to every good founder in sub-Saharan Africa. One of the barriers to equal opportunity in growing a business is access to early-stage funding, which is unfairly distributed and highly biased in regard to gender, education, and location.
Uncap was founded to create a unique and innovative new approach to funding early-stage entrepreneurs using a remote, data-driven, and mainly automated process. Its vision is to provide talented entrepreneurs access to capital critical to their success, regardless of their gender, education, social background, or location. One of Uncap’s main goals is to empower female entrepreneurs who are underrepresented in many sectors.
“Our aim is to enable female founders to get an equitable experience by re-defining their fundraising journey through Uncap’s automated, inclusive and data-driven process,” says Esther Ndeti, Investment Principal at Uncap.
In 2020, Uncap invested in 27 businesses and in 2021 70 offers were made from over 800 complete applications. This year it plans to more than double last year’s figure. Uncap already made its first exit in 2022 from Ava Juliet Productions.
“Uncap supported my media production company expansion during the pandemic. I required the funds for operations, salaries, equipment, and insurance, says Nathan Magoola Ava Juliet Productions founder & content producer. “Uncap’s flexible repayment method stood out to me as they were dependent on my revenue performance.”
How to Join Uncap’s Revolution
Businesses can apply for Uncap’s funding on the online portal. Applicants simply create an account and provide their business details. Once the application process (a mix of cognitive & and personality assessments about the applicants, their business skills, and financial insights) is completed, they will be notified if shortlisted. Once the investment contract is signed, they gain access to automated KPI analysis and access to resources. The selected founders will also become a part of, and have access to, Uncap’s growing network of entrepreneurs.
“We are currently working on complementing our support to entrepreneurs with tools to diagnose your current gaps, access to the right resources and support providers as well as hopefully soon, automated connections with follow-on funding,” says Franziska Reh Uncap’s CEO and founder.
Applications open on 18th July and will run till 16th September. Join Uncap’s funding revolution by registering now to get access to funding for an early-stage business.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Unconventional Capital.
Africa50 invests in projects at their earliest stage, with power and midstream gas among its priority sectors
DAKAR, Senegal, October 22, 2026/APO Group/ –Nabil Saimi, Senior Investment Director for the Project Development Fund at Africa50, will speak at MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2026 in December. His confirmation brings one of the continent’s leading infrastructure investors to the Dakar conference, with a focus on the earliest and most decisive phase of the project cycle: when concepts become bankable assets. Africa50’s model is built around carrying projects from development through to financing, an approach well matched to the basin’s expanding pipeline of gas, power and infrastructure projects.
Africa50 was set up by the African Development Bank (AfDB) alongside African governments and now has 33 shareholder states, with Senegal, Mauritania and The Gambia among them. The platform has mobilized close to $9 billion in investment across the continent, according to Senegal’s Presidency. Its Project Development business invests equity at the preparation stage to ready projects for financiers, generally targeting developments worth more than $100 million, with power, transport, midstream gas and information and communications technology as priority sectors.
Senegal has been central to Africa50’s power portfolio. At its 2017 shareholders meeting in Dakar, Africa50 partnered with national utility Senelec under a joint agreement to develop the 120 MW Malicounda combined cycle power plant and select its strategic sponsor. The €154 million plant entered commercial operation in August 2022, adding 8% to Senegal’s generation capacity, and was built with the ability to run on the country’s own gas once supply is available. In April 2026, an Africa50 delegation met President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in Dakar and reaffirmed its support for Senegal’s development priorities.
Project development is gathering momentum across the organization. In September 2026, Africa50 appointed former International Finance Corporation (IFC) regional director Cheick-Oumar Sylla as CEO of its Project Development Fund, a key appointment under its 2030 roadmap. Separately, the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa Project Development Fund (AGIA-PD), managed by Africa50, secured $50 million from Italy’s Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and France’s Proparco in 2026, adding to the $118 million raised at its first close in August 2025 as the fund targets $400 million.
Africa50’s reach now extends deeper into gas and grid infrastructure across the continent. In 2026, the platform unveiled partnerships in Tanzania covering LNG and electricity transmission, while a $20 million commitment from British International Investment took its Infrastructure Acceleration Fund to roughly $330 million in total commitments. Both areas carry weight in the MSGBC basin, where LNG exports and gas-to-power plans are shaping the region’s next phase of development.
Plants such as Malicounda were built with domestic gas in mind, and the basin’s next generation of power and gas infrastructure will depend on capital committed early in development. Saimi’s participation strengthens MSGBC 2026’s focus on connecting the region’s project pipeline with the investors able to advance it.
Organized by Energy Capital & Power (ECP) and held under the High Patronage of Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2026 takes place December 1-3 in Dakar and will convene heads of state, ministers, investors, operators and development partners from Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry. Explore opportunities and secure your participation at www.MSGBCOilGasAndPower.com.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
Minister Mourad Adjal joins Algeria’s Hydrocarbon Minister Mohamed Arkab at the Dakar conference, bringing new perspectives on power and renewable energy development
DAKAR, Senegal, October 22, 2026/APO Group/ –Algeria’s Minister of Energy and Renewable Energies Mourad Adjal will participate as a speaker at MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2026, bringing senior government expertise on gas, power infrastructure, renewable energy and regional energy integration to the event’s investment and policy discussions. Minister Adjal joins Algeria’s Hydrocarbons Minister Mohamed Arkab at the event, taking place December 1–3 in Dakar.
His participation comes as Algeria advances major renewable energy and hydrogen programs while strengthening its position as a regional energy partner. The country is implementing a 15,000 MW renewable energy program through 2035, with a first phase comprising 3,200 MW of solar capacity currently underway. The program offers relevant experience for MSGBC countries seeking to expand generation capacity while integrating larger shares of renewable power into their energy systems.
Hydrogen is also becoming a major component of Algeria’s energy strategy. The country is participating in the SoutH2 Corridor, which aims to establish infrastructure linking North African hydrogen production with European markets, while the Algeria-Europe Alliance for Hydrogen is progressing toward the publication of its feasibility study results in 2027.
These developments have direct relevance to the MSGBC region, where Mauritania and Senegal are positioning themselves for large-scale green hydrogen development alongside expanding oil and gas production. The combination of new generation capacity, transmission infrastructure and export-oriented energy projects is creating growing demand for integrated regional energy systems.
Minister Adjal also brings extensive experience from Algeria’s electricity and gas sector at a time when MSGBC countries are developing gas-to-power infrastructure and cross-border energy connections. Senegal is advancing domestic gas utilisation and new power capacity, while Mauritania is combining LNG development with emerging hydrogen projects and wider plans for energy-intensive industrial development.
Before becoming minister in September 2025, Adjal served as Chairman and CEO of Sonelgaz, Algeria’s state-owned electricity and gas utility, from December 2021. He previously led the Electricity and Gas Distribution Company and held senior regional roles including President of the Mediterranean Transmission System Operators Association and Chairman of the Maghreb Electricity Committee.
His participation adds senior North African perspective to an MSGBC market increasingly focused on converting resource discoveries into producing assets, reliable power and integrated infrastructure. As Senegal, Mauritania and neighbouring markets develop gas, electricity and renewable projects, Adjal’s experience across utility-scale energy systems will contribute to discussions on building the infrastructure required for the region’s next phase of growth.
MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power will convene international operators, service companies and investors in Dakar to explore opportunities across the region’s energy sector. To secure a delegate pass or learn more, visit www.MSGBCOilGasandPower.comor email sales@energycapitalpower.com.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.
Dangote Refinery Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Joins South Sudan Oil & Power (SSOP) 2026 as $1.8B Kenya Expansion Opens Regional Distribution Opportunities
David Bird’s participation comes as Dangote advances its East African refining and distribution strategy, anchored by a 700,000-bpd Lamu Refinery and 25% stake in KPC
JUBA, South Sudan, October 22, 2026/APO Group/ –Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals is expanding its footprint across East Africa, with a $16 billion refinery planned in Kenya and a $335 million investment in Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC). As these developments open new opportunities for regional petroleum trade, the company’s CEO and Managing Director David Bird has joined the South Sudan Oil & Power (SSOP) 2026 conference as a speaker.
Taking place in Juba on November 24-25, SSOP returns for its seventh edition as the nation’s premier platform for investment, dealmaking and policy. Bird’s participation comes as South Sudan looks to translate its resource potential into renewed exploration, higher production and greater participation in regional petroleum value chains. With major downstream investment reshaping East Africa’s energy market, SSOP 2026 offers an opportunity for producers, refiners and investors to establish the partnerships needed to advance regional energy trade and unlock new commercial opportunities.
The event arrives at a strategic time for Dangote. On September 30, the company officially broke ground on a 700,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) refinery in Lamu, Kenya. Set to come online in 2029, the facility is designed to supply gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to East African markets, with regional governments offered a combined 30% stake in the project. The project aims to replicate Dangote’s 650,000-bpd Nigerian facility, which is currently operating at full capacity and is set to expand to 1.2 million bpd. A delegation from South Sudan attended the Lamu groundbreaking ceremony, underscoring the country’s commitment to strengthening regional petroleum ties.
Beyond the Lamu facility, Dangote is strengthening its footprint across East Africa’s distribution networks. Just this month, the company acquired a 25% stake in KPC, securing access to established infrastructure transporting petroleum products from Kenya’s coast to regional markets, including Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Following the $335 million transaction, Dangote plans to invest an additional $1.5 billion to expand KPC’s approximately 1,300-km pipeline network, bringing its total planned investment to $1.8 billion.
For South Sudan, East Africa’s only established commercial crude oil producer, Dangote’s expansion introduces new opportunities for regional petroleum integration. The country holds approximately 3.5 billion barrels of proven oil reserves and is seeking to increase production through new exploration, redevelopment of mature fields and investment in supporting infrastructure. While no crude supply agreement between South Sudan and Dangote has been announced, the development of additional regional refining capacity could create opportunities for future feedstock supply arrangements, subject to commercial viability, infrastructure and crude compatibility.
Bird brings extensive experience across refining, petrochemicals and integrated energy infrastructure to SSOP 2026. Before joining Dangote in 2025, he served as CEO of OQ8, the $9.5 billion Duqm refinery joint venture in Oman, overseeing the development and commissioning of major refining, pipeline and terminal infrastructure. He also held senior leadership positions at Shell, spanning upstream production, downstream operations and global energy supply chains. His participation at SSOP 2026 will bring expertise in large-scale refining investment, project delivery and regional petroleum market development to discussions on South Sudan’s next phase of growth.
As the country’s official energy event, held in partnership with the Ministry of Petroleum, SSOP 2026 provides a platform for advancing discussions around regional trade, refining and infrastructure investment. The conference brings together international and national oil companies, refiners, trading companies, infrastructure developers, financiers and technology providers to negotiate partnerships, mobilize investment and connect South Sudan’s petroleum resources with regional and international markets.
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