Monthly RoundUp - January 2026

JANUARY WRAP-UP | A New Year, New Markets & New Milestones

2026 is off to a strong start at Chapter54. January took us from Munich to Cotonou, from Lagos to Rabat, with every stop reinforcing our mission: building the bridge between European innovation and African opportunity. Here’s what we’ve been up to this month:

🌍 Altaroad Takes the Stage in Morocco

We were proud to see Altaroad, a Chapter54-accelerated scaleup and European leader in AI, IoT and traceability for industrial sites, making waves in Morocco this month. Co-founder Cécile Villette was on stage at the LafargeHolcim Maroc Annual Event, part of a broader roadshow in Rabat and Casablanca, reinforcing Altaroad’s growing visibility in North Africa’s construction and industry sectors.

🇩🇪 Munich Moments: Chapter54 at DLD

Managing Director Vincent Previ headed to Munich for the Digital Life Design (DLD) Conference, where we co-hosted a private dinner with ecosystem partners. From AI to frontier markets, the conversations highlighted the growing interest in African expansion strategies among European scaleups. A great way to kick off the year.

🇧🇯 First Steps in Benin

This month marked our first-ever visit to Benin, with our colleague Claire spending the week in Cotonou meeting key players from the local tech and corporate sectors. The visit is part of our ongoing efforts to explore and connect emerging ecosystems across the continent.

🇳🇬 Back in Lagos: Business & Policy Insights

Claire also returned to Lagos, attending the EuroCham Nigeria Annual Conference and the CCI France Nigeria Business Breakfast, which featured Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy & Tax Reforms Committee. His insights on Nigeria’s evolving fiscal landscape offered clarity at a crucial time for companies operating in the country.

From reconnecting with old friends to forming new institutional links, it was a powerful reminder that market knowledge starts with listening.

💡 A Milestone Moment: 5,000 Strong

We crossed 5,000 followers on LinkedIn this month! What began as a niche initiative is becoming a vibrant, cross-continental community. Thank you to every founder, investor, operator and partner who’s sharing the journey with us.

📊 Partech Releases the 2025 Africa Tech VC Report

Partech’s annual Africa Tech Venture Capital Report was released in January and it’s essential reading. With $4.1B raised across equity and debt, African tech saw its strongest year since 2022, driven by a record level of debt financing and increased maturity in Series A and B funding.

📍 Kenya, South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria led the charge, while Fintech, Cleantech and Healthtech dominated sector activity. The key takeaway? Africa isn’t simply following global VC trends, it’s forging its own, structurally distinct path forward.
📖 Read the full report

🗓️ The 2026 Chapter54 Summit is Confirmed!

While we’re keeping a few surprises under wraps for now… we're excited to share that the date and location for the 2026 Chapter54 Summit are confirmed. Stay tuned: we’ll be revealing everything soon. 👀

From strategic visits to deeper ecosystem ties, January reminded us that scaling in Africa begins not with a pitch deck, but with presence, partnerships, and perspective.

Here’s to more of that in 2026.

By doers. With doers. For doers.

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