Because care and innovation go hand in hand

670,000.

That’s the number of women who die each year from breast cancer.

But behind that figure are faces and stories...

This Octobre Rose, Future Studio is joining forces with Arielle to support the fight against breast cancer. On the agenda: free activities, open to all, to inform, raise awareness and, above all, take action together. Sign up to attend, we’re waiting for you.

Before we get on with this week’s news, we just wanted to remind you that some battles are worth pausing for a moment.

Latest News:

• Nigerian label Chocolate City Group is launching a £1 million fund to support early-stage start-ups in the creative sector: music, film and cultural tech. The aim? To offer patient capital and mentoring to a generation of entrepreneurs often overlooked by traditional investors.
• Cameroonian fintech REasy has just completed preliminary financing of $1.8 million from business angels and funds such as Launch Africa Ventures and Ingressive Capital. The start-up is collaborating with the BEAC to create the first regional foreign exchange framework tailored to importing SMEs.

Events:

• Togo will host the GRIT Summit, the Grand Meeting of Technological Innovation, on 29 and 30 October 2025 at the Lomé International Conference Centre. The event will bring together start-ups, investors, large companies and institutions to showcase local and African creativity and technological solutions.

Insights:

Case Studies

Joovlin (Nigeria): A promising fintech that failed to find its footing

Founded in 2020 by Kingsley Nwose, Yusuf Olalere and Lucky Mark, Joovlin was a Nigerian fintech company designed to empower micro-suppliers and small retailers. Its platform made it possible to manage orders, sell on social media, create content and launch an e-commerce site in a matter of seconds.

Despite having more than 2,000 active resellers and 6,000 listed products, Joovlin encountered a major obstacle: the difficulty of scaling its user base and generating sufficient revenue.

The startup raised £100,000 in pre-seed funding from MEST Africa in 2020, but failed to secure additional funding.

Without stable revenue and additional capital, Joovlin closed in January 2025, after nearly four years of operation.

Takeaway: Raising funds is not enough; above all, you need to acquire, retain and monetise your users to build sustainable growth.

PMF Insight

The P-E-T formula for PMF (Product-Market Fit)

The P-E-T formula is a simple but powerful tool for measuring your product-market fit. It allows you to transform qualitative impressions into quantifiable and actionable indicators. Specifically:

• P corresponds to the percentage of customers who reach your early signal.A realistic figure is between 60 and 70%.
• E is the specific event that indicates that your product is creating value.Note that this is not a vague feeling on the part of the customer, but an observable and measurable signal.
• T is the time required for this signal to occur.Ideally, this should be a matter of weeks rather than months.Example at Swan:P: 70% of new accountsE: obtain a qualified leadT: within 14 days

Opportunities:

• Land Accelerator Africa

AFR100 (AUDA-NEPAD and WRI) is launching Land Accelerator Africa, a programme for entrepreneurs who are restoring degraded forests and land. The programme combines mentoring, technical training and networking to help businesses develop sustainable and profitable agricultural practices. The top 100 entrepreneurs will receive a £5,000 grant to support women and young leaders.

Deadline: Apply by 30 October 2025.

• Future Studio Pre-Entrepreneurship Bootcamp

Are you between 16 and 35 years old with a project idea? The Pre-Entrepreneurship Bootcamp is back for a second edition. It is only for entrepreneurs in the ideation phase.

On the agenda:

1. support from experienced mentors,
2. immersion in a network of committed entrepreneurs,
3. and a structured framework to transform your vision into a concrete business.

Places are limited, so don’t delay! Registration is open here

• Baobab Network

This Baobab Network programme helps high-potential African start-ups to develop and secure funding. The accelerator offers:

1. £100,000 to boost your growth
2. Practical guidance and venture support
3. Quick decisions, no fees, no board seat
4. Lifetime access to ecosystem networks

Tech start-ups with MVP and early traction are given priority.

Deadline: Apply before 30 October 2025.

• Call for mentors

Want to make a real impact in the startup ecosystem? We’re looking for mentors to support the young founders we’re teaching at Epitech. This is a great opportunity to:

• share your experience,
• guide future entrepreneurs,
• and help build the next generation of tech.

If you believe in the power of sharing, join the initiative here.

Your thoughts on the newsletter

Before you go off and change the world, I have a favour to ask: help us make this newsletter truly useful for you. Tell us what you want us to improve, what you want to read or learn about. We promise we’ll listen. Share your thoughts here.

I hope you’ll be able to seize the opportunities.

That’s all for today. See you next time!