In a landmark moment for Angola’s technology ecosystem, Anda, a mobility startup pioneering vehicle ownership solutions across Africa, has raised €3 million in Seed funding co-led by Breega and Speedinvest. This investment marks a historic milestone as Anda becomes the first venture capital-backed operational startup in Angola with international investors, officially putting the country on Africa’s venture capital map.
The successful funding round represents more than just capital for a single company—it signals growing investor confidence in Angola’s tech ecosystem and demonstrates that world-class startups can emerge from markets previously overlooked by international venture capital.
Breaking New Ground for Angolan Tech
Angola, despite being Africa’s second-largest oil producer and one of the continent’s largest economies, has historically received minimal venture capital attention compared to more established African tech hubs like Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt. The country’s startup ecosystem has operated largely without significant international investment, creating challenges for local entrepreneurs seeking to scale innovative solutions.
Anda’s €3 million Seed round fundamentally changes this narrative. By attracting investment from prominent European venture capital firms Breega and Speedinvest, the startup has demonstrated that Angola can produce investment-grade technology companies capable of competing on the continental and global stage.
This achievement opens pathways for other Angolan entrepreneurs, proving that innovative business models addressing real market needs can attract sophisticated international capital regardless of geographic location.
Understanding Anda’s Drive-to-Own Model
At the heart of Anda’s appeal to investors is its innovative Drive-to-Own model, which reimagines vehicle ownership and mobility access across African markets. Rather than following traditional vehicle financing or ride-hailing models, Anda has created a unique approach that addresses multiple challenges simultaneously.
How Drive-to-Own Works
The Drive-to-Own model provides drivers—many of whom would be excluded from traditional vehicle financing due to credit history, collateral requirements, or income documentation challenges—with a pathway to vehicle ownership through:
Accessible Entry: Drivers can begin working with vehicles provided by Anda without requiring substantial upfront capital or meeting stringent traditional financing requirements that often exclude informal economy workers.
Earn While You Own: As drivers generate income using Anda’s vehicles for ride-hailing, delivery services, or other commercial purposes, a portion of their earnings goes toward eventual vehicle ownership rather than being lost to rental fees or remaining in perpetual debt cycles.
Financial Stability: The structured payment system creates predictable financial obligations aligned with income-generating activities, providing drivers with clear visibility into their progress toward ownership and helping build financial discipline and credit history.
Long-term Economic Opportunities: Upon completing the ownership pathway, drivers own their vehicles outright, transforming from gig workers dependent on platforms into independent business owners with valuable assets they can leverage for further economic advancement.
This model directly addresses one of Africa’s most pressing economic challenges: the limited access to productive assets that traps millions in cycles of informal, precarious employment without wealth-building opportunities.
From Luanda to Kinshasa: Pan-African Ambition
While Anda is proudly “Feito em Angola” (Made in Angola), the company’s vision extends far beyond its home market. The startup is explicitly “Built for Africa”, with ambitions to scale its mobility solutions across the continent.
The company has already set its sights on expansion to Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo and one of Africa’s largest and fastest-growing cities. Kinshasa, with a population exceeding 15 million in its metropolitan area, represents an enormous market opportunity for mobility solutions and shares many characteristics with Luanda that make Anda’s model particularly relevant.
Why These Markets Matter
Both Luanda and Kinshasa exemplify the challenges and opportunities present across African urban centers:
Rapid Urbanization: Both cities are experiencing significant population growth as people migrate from rural areas seeking economic opportunities, creating massive demand for transportation services.
Infrastructure Gaps: Limited public transportation infrastructure creates reliance on informal transport solutions, presenting opportunities for organized, technology-enabled alternatives.
Young Demographics: Large youth populations seeking employment and economic advancement represent both the target customer base and potential driver workforce for mobility solutions.
Financial Exclusion: Traditional banking and credit systems serve only small percentages of the population, creating demand for alternative financing models like Drive-to-Own.
Growing Middle Class: Expanding consumer spending power creates sustainable demand for mobility services while improving drivers’ ability to progress through ownership pathways.
By proving the model in these challenging but high-potential markets, Anda positions itself to expand throughout Francophone and Lusophone Africa, where similar conditions exist across dozens of rapidly growing cities.
Mission: Clean, Inclusive Mobility for All
Anda’s mission extends beyond simply providing transportation services or vehicle financing. The company is committed to making “clean, inclusive mobility accessible to all”, addressing three critical dimensions simultaneously:
Clean Mobility
While specific vehicle technology details aren’t provided, the emphasis on “clean mobility” suggests Anda’s commitment to environmental sustainability. This could involve:
- Transitioning fleets toward electric or hybrid vehicles as technology and infrastructure mature
- Optimizing routes and operations to minimize fuel consumption and emissions
- Partnering with clean energy providers for vehicle charging or fueling
- Setting industry standards for environmental responsibility in African mobility
As African cities grapple with air quality challenges and the global imperative to reduce carbon emissions, mobility solutions that prioritize environmental sustainability while remaining economically accessible represent critical innovations.
Inclusive Access
The “inclusive” dimension of Anda’s mission addresses the reality that traditional vehicle ownership and even many ride-hailing opportunities remain inaccessible to large segments of African populations due to:
- Credit history requirements that exclude informal economy workers
- High upfront capital requirements
- Documentation barriers
- Geographic concentration of services in wealthy neighborhoods
- Language and digital literacy barriers
Anda’s Drive-to-Own model specifically targets inclusion by creating pathways to participation and eventual ownership for drivers who would otherwise remain excluded from formal mobility opportunities.
Universal Accessibility
The commitment to making mobility “accessible to all” speaks to both supply and demand sides of the market:
- For drivers: Creating opportunities to participate in and eventually own mobility businesses regardless of initial economic circumstances
- For passengers: Providing reliable, affordable transportation services across urban areas, including underserved neighborhoods
The Founding Team: Sergio Tati and Joerg Nuehrmann
Anda’s success in raising this historic round reflects not just the strength of its business model but the caliber of its founding team. Sergio Tati and Joerg Nuehrmann have earned recognition for “proving that world-class startups can rise from anywhere.”
Local Knowledge Meets Global Experience
While specific background details aren’t provided, the partnership between Tati and Nuehrmann likely represents a powerful combination of local market understanding and international business experience—a pattern common among successful African startups that achieve international investment.
This combination enables the team to:
- Navigate local regulatory environments and cultural contexts
- Build relationships with local stakeholders including government, drivers, and customers
- Apply global best practices and learnings from successful mobility companies worldwide
- Communicate effectively with international investors and partners
- Adapt proven business models to African market realities
Putting Angola on the Venture Map
Perhaps the founders’ most significant achievement is “putting Angola on the venture map”—opening doors for the next generation of Angolan entrepreneurs by demonstrating that the country can produce investment-grade startups. This pioneering role carries responsibilities beyond Anda’s commercial success, as the company’s trajectory will influence investor perceptions of Angola and potentially other overlooked African markets.
Breega and Speedinvest: Strategic Investor Partners
The €3 million Seed round was co-led by Breega and Speedinvest, two prominent European venture capital firms with strong track records in mobility, fintech, and African technology investments.
Breega’s African Commitment
Breega is a Paris and London-based venture capital firm that has demonstrated sustained commitment to African innovation. The firm has previously invested in African startups across multiple sectors and brings valuable expertise in scaling technology companies across diverse markets.
Breega’s decision to co-lead Anda’s round signals confidence not just in the specific company but in Angola’s potential as a source of innovative, scalable startups. The firm’s statement celebrating this as “a milestone for Angola, and for African Venture” underscores the broader significance they attach to this investment beyond financial returns.
Speedinvest’s Mobility Expertise
Speedinvest is one of Europe’s most active early-stage investors, with particular strength in mobility and transportation technology. The Vienna-based firm has backed numerous successful mobility startups and brings deep operational expertise in building and scaling transportation platforms.
Speedinvest’s participation provides Anda with access to:
- Technical expertise in mobility platform development
- Operational playbooks from successful portfolio companies
- Networks across European and global mobility ecosystems
- Additional capital for follow-on funding rounds
Value Beyond Capital
While the €3 million provides crucial financial resources for Anda’s expansion, the strategic value of these investors extends far beyond their capital contribution:
Network Access: Both firms provide introductions to potential partners, customers, additional investors, and talent across their extensive networks.
Operational Guidance: Portfolio support teams offer expertise in areas like technology development, regulatory navigation, team building, and scaling operations.
Market Credibility: Association with respected international VCs provides validation that helps with customer acquisition, partnership development, and future fundraising.
Follow-on Capital: Successful Seed investors typically participate in subsequent funding rounds, providing pathway to Series A and beyond.
What the €3M Enables
The Seed funding will support several critical initiatives as Anda scales its operations:
Fleet Expansion
Capital will enable Anda to significantly expand its vehicle fleet in Luanda while establishing operations in Kinshasa and potentially other markets. More vehicles mean:
- More drivers progressing through the ownership pathway
- Greater service availability for passengers
- Stronger unit economics through operational scale
- Valuable data on driver performance and customer demand
Technology Development
Investment in platform technology will improve:
- Driver and passenger mobile applications
- Route optimization and fleet management systems
- Payment processing and financial tracking
- Data analytics for operational efficiency
- Customer service and support systems
Market Expansion
Resources will support entry into new geographic markets, including:
- Regulatory approvals and licensing
- Local partnerships and stakeholder relationships
- Marketing and customer acquisition
- Hiring local teams
- Adapting the model to local market conditions
Team Building
Anda will recruit talent across functions including:
- Technology and engineering
- Operations and fleet management
- Finance and driver support
- Marketing and growth
- Legal and regulatory affairs
Angola’s Emerging Tech Ecosystem
Anda’s funding success shines a spotlight on Angola’s developing technology ecosystem, which has historically operated under the radar of international tech media and investors.
Economic Context
Angola is undergoing significant economic transformation following the end of its civil war in 2002 and more recent efforts to diversify beyond oil dependence. The government has prioritized economic diversification, private sector development, and digital transformation as key strategic objectives.
With a population of over 35 million, growing urbanization, increasing mobile penetration, and a young demographic profile, Angola possesses many characteristics of markets that have produced successful tech ecosystems elsewhere in Africa.
Challenges and Opportunities
The ecosystem faces several challenges including:
- Limited local venture capital availability
- Regulatory complexity and bureaucratic processes
- Infrastructure gaps in internet connectivity and payments
- Limited technical talent pipeline
- Brain drain as skilled workers seek opportunities abroad
However, these challenges create opportunities for entrepreneurs who can develop solutions adapted to local conditions while potentially exporting successful models to similar markets across Lusophone and Francophone Africa.
Catalytic Effect
Anda’s success as the first VC-backed startup with international investors should have catalytic effects:
Investor Attention: Success attracts more investor attention to Angola, with VCs actively seeking the “next Anda” and conducting more systematic market exploration.
Entrepreneur Inspiration: Local entrepreneurs gain confidence that international-standard startups can be built from Angola, encouraging more ambitious venture building.
Talent Retention: Success stories create local opportunities that help retain talent who might otherwise leave for more established ecosystems.
Government Support: Demonstrable startup success often catalyzes more supportive government policies around entrepreneurship, foreign investment, and digital economy development.
Ecosystem Development: Success creates experienced operators who cycle back into the ecosystem as mentors, angel investors, and founders of subsequent ventures.
The Broader African Mobility Opportunity
Anda’s Drive-to-Own model addresses challenges that extend far beyond Angola, positioning the company within a massive pan-African opportunity.
Transportation Challenges Across Africa
African cities face acute transportation challenges:
- Inadequate public transport: Most cities lack comprehensive public transportation systems, creating heavy reliance on informal alternatives
- Traffic congestion: Rapid urbanization without corresponding infrastructure investment creates severe congestion
- Air quality: Vehicle emissions contribute to poor air quality in major cities
- Economic exclusion: Limited access to vehicles restricts economic opportunities for millions
Existing Solutions and Their Limitations
Various models have emerged to address African mobility challenges:
Traditional Ride-Hailing: Companies like Uber, Bolt, and regional players provide on-demand transportation but don’t address driver wealth creation or vehicle ownership challenges.
Motorcycle Taxis: Informal motorcycle taxi services (boda-boda, okada, zemidjan) provide employment but typically trap drivers in rental relationships without ownership pathways.
Vehicle Financing: Traditional auto loans remain inaccessible to most Africans due to high interest rates, strict requirements, and limited credit history.
Asset Financing Startups: Some startups provide alternative financing but often lack the integrated mobility platform that creates income opportunities alongside ownership pathways.
Anda’s integrated approach—combining income opportunities, structured ownership pathways, and mobility services—differentiates it from these partial solutions.
Market Size and Potential
The addressable market for mobility solutions across Africa is enormous:
- Over 500 million urban Africans requiring daily transportation
- Millions of potential drivers seeking income opportunities
- Hundreds of rapidly growing cities with inadequate transportation infrastructure
- Growing middle-class spending power supporting increased mobility consumption
What’s Next for Anda
With €3 million in fresh capital and validation from international investors, Anda enters an exciting growth phase with several key priorities:
Operational Scale in Luanda
Before aggressive geographic expansion, Anda will likely focus on achieving strong operational metrics in its home market:
- Proving unit economics at scale
- Optimizing the driver ownership pathway
- Achieving strong customer satisfaction and retention
- Building local brand recognition
- Refining operational processes and systems
Kinshasa Launch
The expansion to Kinshasa represents Anda’s first test of the model’s portability across markets. Success in the DRC capital will validate the ability to adapt to different regulatory environments, languages, and market conditions while maintaining the core business model.
Technology Platform Development
Significant investment will flow into technology development, building a robust, scalable platform capable of supporting operations across multiple markets while providing excellent user experiences for both drivers and passengers.
Team Expansion
Anda will recruit aggressively across functions, building the organizational capacity necessary to execute its ambitious pan-African vision while maintaining operational excellence.
Partnerships and Integrations
The company may pursue partnerships with:
- Vehicle manufacturers for favorable procurement terms
- Financial institutions for payment processing and potentially driver financing
- Insurance providers for comprehensive vehicle and liability coverage
- Clean energy providers to support environmental sustainability commitments
- Government agencies around public transportation policy and regulation
Implications for African Venture Capital
Anda’s successful fundraise carries implications that extend well beyond Angola’s borders, offering insights for the broader African venture capital ecosystem.
Geographic Expansion of VC Activity
For years, African venture capital has concentrated in a handful of markets—primarily Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Egypt—with secondary hubs emerging in countries like Ghana, Senegal, and Rwanda. Anda’s success suggests investors are increasingly willing to explore markets outside these established centers when confronted with compelling companies and capable teams.
This geographic expansion benefits the overall ecosystem by:
- Increasing total capital available to African startups
- Reducing competitive intensity in oversaturated markets
- Enabling more diverse types of companies reflecting different market conditions
- Creating new success stories that inspire entrepreneurs across the continent
Proving Market Potential Over Market Maturity
Anda’s success emphasizes that market potential and team capability matter more than ecosystem maturity when sophisticated investors evaluate opportunities. Angola lacks the established startup ecosystem infrastructure of Lagos or Nairobi, yet produced a company worthy of investment from prominent European VCs.
This should encourage entrepreneurs in overlooked markets across Africa—from Lusaka to Maputo to Libreville—that they can build world-class startups without relocating to more established hubs, provided they solve real problems with innovative, scalable solutions.
Model Portability
The Drive-to-Own model, if successful, could be exported across dozens of African markets facing similar transportation and economic inclusion challenges. Investors backing Anda are effectively getting a platform that could scale across Lusophone and Francophone Africa, representing far larger potential than Angola alone.
