In a bold move to reshape the narrative around startup sustainability in Africa, Maasai Technologies has officially launched Maasai.vc, a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) platform built to help African startups navigate exits with clarity and confidence.

The launch comes at a time when founders across the continent are being urged to take exit planning seriously, not just as a last resort, but as a core component of responsible business growth.

With limited exit pathways across Africa, many startup founders find themselves cornered when growth slows, funding dries up, or their business model needs a pivot.

Maasai.vc steps in to bridge that gap, offering tools for buyers, sellers, and portfolio managers to simplify and streamline the acquisition process.

“The conversation within the African tech ecosystem has focused almost exclusively on fundraising and growth, with exit planning treated as an afterthought,” said Segun Cole, co-founder of Maasai Technologies, during a recent product demo.

“A lot of founders don’t know when or how to exit their business. The mantra is ‘If it happens, it happens.’ But having a clear exit strategy is just good business practice, regardless of market conditions.”

While the total number of M&A deals across Africa dropped by 20% in 2024, according to The African Tech Startups Funding Report, the quality of deals shifted dramatically.

Strategic acquisitions made up 50% of all M&A transactions in 2024, up from just 6.7% the previous year.

It’s a signal that while deal volume may be shrinking, smarter, more deliberate exits are on the rise, a trend Maasai.vc aims to accelerate.

The platform offers a full suite of services, including startup valuation tools, due diligence support, confidential listings for sellers, buyer verification, and a curated marketplace for acquiring or selling companies.

It also features an M&A CRM and intelligent risk management functions tailored for portfolio managers.

“Maasai’s intelligence and M&A CRM features will enable portfolio managers combine access to M&A deal flow with centralised exits optimisation tools, and just-in-time risk management,” said Izin Akioya, co-founder of Maasai Technologies.

“By consolidating the M&A opportunity across Africa, we are expanding the market and setting the stage for secondary trades on the continent.”

This new focus on planned exits comes amid a sharp drop in investor activity.

The number of active investors in Africa fell by 34.3% in 2024, from 527 in 2023 to just 346 last year.

At the same time, Startup Graveyard reported that 45% of African startups that failed in 2024 cited lack of funding as the primary reason for shutting down.

“Exit planning shouldn’t start when you’re desperate to sell or in distress,” added Cole.

“You’ll be approaching your exit from a disadvantaged position. Our platform helps normalise exit planning as part of responsible business stewardship and makes the process accessible to founders across the continent.”

By facilitating well-timed acquisitions and exits, Maasai.vc hopes to nurture a more mature and self-sustaining African startup ecosystem—one where value circulates efficiently between companies, and where innovation, talent, and capital can be recycled rather than lost.