Meet the Cars45 Mafia: ex-employees turned founders
Etop Ikpe, founder and CEO of AutoChek, transitioned from Cars45 to establish a successful automotive startup that has raised over $16.5 million. Femi Oriowo co-founded Carbin Africa after gaining experience as a dealer partner at Cars45, helping dealerships improve inventory turnover.
10 Startups to Watch in 2025 in West Africa
West Africa's startups received $2.8 billion in venture capital funding in 2024, a 50% increase from 2023. Fintech accounted for 31% of total funding, connecting 30 million people to banking services.
25 startups to watch in 2025, according to Africa-focused VCs
Carbin Africa raised over $300,000 and increased monthly revenues by 8x in 2024. Valify provides digital identity solutions and has a resilient leadership team with deep market knowledge.
Carbin Africa: How this Nigerian automotive startup hit a billion GMV in one year
Carbin Africa was founded in 2023 to address slow inventory turnover in Nigeria's automotive market. The startup has sold over 1,000 cars in its first three years and exceeded a billion Naira in Gross Merchandise Value since March 2024.
