Every year, Endeavor selects the top 10% of founders across its network of more than 3,000 entrepreneurs in over 50 markets and names them Outliers. The 2026 class has been announced, and Nigeria accounts for nearly half of Africa’s representation.
Five Nigerian fintech companies have been named to the Endeavor’s 2026 Outliers class: Flutterwave, Moniepoint, LemFi, Moove, and Paga. The companies are led by eight Nigerian founders, including Olugbenga Agboola, Tosin Eniolorunda, and Tayo Oviosu.
Together, they account for 45.5% of Africa’s 11 companies on the list, with South Africa and Kenya making up the rest.
Endeavor says companies are selected based on a combination of 3-year compound annual growth rate, revenue, and valuation benchmarks, with some exceptions made for companies with significant ecosystem influence.
Collectively, the five companies operate across 46 countries and six continents. All of them run operations beyond Nigeria and across multiple international markets. Over the last three years, they have raised more than $480 million in capital. They grew in Nigeria and then expanded outward.
Four of the five companies are returning Outliers, indicating sustained performance over time rather than a single growth cycle. Flutterwave, Moniepoint, LemFi, and Paga have appeared on the list before.
Moove, the vehicle financing and mobility platform led by Ladi Delano, joins the Endeavour network for the first time in May 2025.
Endeavor notes that while several Nigerian companies are demonstrating consistent growth, the pace at which new companies enter the Outliers cohort is influenced by global benchmarks and sector dynamics, where companies in faster-growing industries may scale more quickly into qualification.
Across all markets, the Endeavor 2026 Outliers cohort provides context for where these companies sit globally. The companies in the cohort have raised more than $31 billion in the last three years. 93 are valued at over $1 billion, and five exceed $10 billion valuations.
There have been 36 exits and 10 publicly listed companies within the group. More than 80% operate beyond their home markets.
Nigerian companies on Endeavor’s 2026 Outliers list
The comparison also shows how Nigerian companies sit within the global cohort. Five Nigerian companies account for about 2.1% of the 238 companies on the list and roughly 1.5% of the $31 billion raised.
According to Endeavor, the funding levels are broadly aligned with representation, particularly given tighter funding conditions in Nigeria and the concentration of global capital in more mature markets and sectors such as AI.
Endeavor frames this year’s cohort around the idea of building through instability, where resilience is treated as a requirement for scale. Nigerian founders operate in an environment shaped by currency volatility, regulatory shifts, and infrastructure gaps, alongside tighter funding conditions in recent years. The companies on this list have built systems designed to function within those conditions and extend into other markets with similar constraints.
Some of them have already been positioned within that narrative. Flutterwave and LemFi have appeared in Endeavor’s global storytelling series focused on companies building infrastructure in constrained markets.
Their inclusion reflects a broader pattern within Nigerian fintech, where payment systems, remittance corridors, and financial access tools have been developed in response to gaps in existing systems.
According to Ireayomide Oladunjoye, Managing Director of Endeavor Nigeria:
“The fact that Nigerian companies make up nearly half of Africa’s Outliers reflects the strength of the market, but more importantly, the ambition of founders who are scaling beyond borders. These companies are not just succeeding locally; they are shaping global industries.”
The five companies operate across different segments but share a similar trajectory. Moniepoint has scaled business banking services across Nigeria. Flutterwave processes payments across multiple markets.
LemFi focuses on cross-border remittances for diaspora users. Moove finances vehicle ownership across several regions. Paga continues to expand its financial access infrastructure built over more than a decade.
The Endeavor’s 2026 Outliers programme runs for a year and includes closed-door sessions, peer networks, and engagements with global operators and investors.
For the companies selected, the access is part of the value. The larger takeaway sits elsewhere. Five Nigerian companies are part of the top 10% of a global network spanning more than 50 markets, an indication of where the country’s most competitive startups are positioned today.
Read also: TeamApt Founders, Tosin Eniolorunda and Felix Ike selected to Endeavor Network
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