Nigeria’s startup ecosystem remains one of the most influential on the continent, consistently ranking among Africa’s “Big Four” startup markets alongside Kenya, Egypt, and South Africa.
These markets attracted more than 80% of venture capital flowing into the market in 2025.
Despite Nigeria’s strong position in Africa’s startup economy, the industry remains largely dominated by male founders and executives, with women founders receiving a much smaller share of venture capital, a funding gap that persists across global startup ecosystems.
According to compiled deal data, 98 Nigerian startups raised a total of $442.8 million in 2025.
Of this amount, female-led startups collectively raised $3.3 million during the same period.
Even so, a number of Nigerian female-led ventures are steadily carving out space for themselves, breaking barriers and also setting the pace for a more inclusive startup ecosystem.
They may have received a fraction of the total investment, but the impact of their work extends far beyond funding alone. These companies continue to foster economic growth, encouraging innovation and developing solutions that address gaps in healthtech, agritech, renewable energy, and other critical sectors.
In commemoration of International Women’s Day, here are the women-led Nigerian startups ranked by funds raised in 2025.
Planet 3R is a sustainability startup that was founded by Adejoke Lasisi in 2020. The company raised $100,000 in April 2025 as part of a grant awarded through the TRANSFORM West Africa programme, an impact accelerator backed by Unilever, the UK Government, and EY to support ventures addressing environmental and circular economy challenges.
Planet 3R converts textile and plastic waste into eco‑friendly products, using the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle to make items such as bags, accessories, and home decorations.
They also conduct training for women on practical weaving skills that generate income and waste recycling.
The grant will support Planet 3R’s efforts to increase production capacity, open additional recycling hubs, and deepen its training programmes, extending access to sustainable income opportunities while contributing to cleaner, greener urban environments in Nigeria.
