Early in 2021, two Nigerian startups, Treepz (formerly Plentywaka) and TalentQL were introduced into The Techstars Toronto accelerator program alongside eight other companies.

While the program held virtually, it provided the participating startups with funding ($100,000 convertible note and $20,000 stipend), mentorship and access to its network. For the two Nigerian-based startups, the acceptance serves as an opportunity to operate from Canada with a modest ambition in becoming global companies.

The two African startups went ahead to make the cut in the fourth class, the number from the now-announced fifth class is fourfold. Another change is the total number of startups in a class which has increased from 10 to 12. - of the 12, eight startups focused on the continent have been selected to participate in the three-month program (culminating in a Demo Day).

The African startups selected in Techstars Toronto’s October 2021 class include Lenco, OurPass, Healthtracka, Rentsmallsmall, Kyshi, Duhga, Fleri and PayDay.

Here are a few details about them.

Lenco provides full current accounts, expense management features and banking services to individuals and businesses. OurPass provides a one-click checkout option for digital commerce while healthtracka is positioned as a digital health platform that provides at-home lab testing, sample collection and result collection in less than three days.

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Rentsmallsmal is an on-demand home rental service that offers monthly payment plans. Kyshi is a U.K.-based but Africa-focused fintech that helps people send and receive money to and from Africa. Duhqo is a last-mile end-to-end supply chain and distribution platform. Fleri helps immigrants provide healthcare and insurance for their loved ones back home from the U.S. while PayDay facilitates transactions between Africa and the world by assisting foreign employers and clients pay people in the continent.