Maasai Technologies has unveiled a new mergers and acquisitions (M&A) platform designed to support African startups in planning and executing successful exits. The platform is a timely response to a long-standing challenge in the continent’s tech ecosystem—founders often lack clear exit pathways, especially when funding dries up or growth slows.
Co-founder Segun Cole highlighted this gap during a recent product demo, stating that African startup conversations have traditionally revolved around fundraising and scaling, with little attention paid to exit planning. “A lot of founders don’t know when or how to exit. The mindset is, ‘If it happens, it happens.’ But a proper exit strategy is simply smart business,” he noted.
Maasai’s platform addresses several pain points in the acquisition process. It offers valuation tools, due diligence support, and a verified marketplace for buying and selling startups. It also provides confidential listing options and buyer verification to protect seller interests. For buyers and portfolio managers, it includes a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system tailored for M&A activities, making it easier to manage deal flow, assess opportunities, and mitigate risks.
Co-founder Izin Akioya emphasized that the platform’s intelligence features are designed to centralize and optimize exit strategies. “By consolidating M&A opportunities across Africa, we are expanding the market and setting the stage for secondary trades on the continent,” she explained.
This development comes at a pivotal moment. While the total number of M&A deals in Africa declined by 20% in 2024, strategic acquisitions surged to 50% of all deals, up from just 6.7% in 2023. At the same time, the number of active investors dropped significantly—by 34.3%—and 45% of failed startups cited funding shortages as the primary reason for shutting down.
According to Cole, startups should not wait until they are in distress to think about exiting. “When you’re desperate to sell, you’re negotiating from a position of weakness,” he said. With Maasai’s platform, founders can now approach exits proactively, ensuring that value creation and business continuity remain part of their long-term strategy. Through this initiative, Maasai Technologies aims to normalize exit planning and create a more mature, self-sustaining startup ecosystem across Africa.