Send Me, an eCommerce and logistics platform founded in Sierra Leone, has been announced as the winner of the Startup World Cup Regional Semi-Finals at the 2025 Africa Tech Festival. The win secures the company a place in the Grand Finale in Silicon Valley, where finalists from around the world will compete for a $1 million investment prize.
Founded in 2019 by Emmanuel Lahai, Send Me provides businesses with an integrated platform for online sales, fulfillment, and nationwide delivery, helping overcome infrastructure challenges that slow down commerce in emerging markets.
Sierra Leonean Teams on stage with the organisers
Lahai described the moment as “a full-circle milestone,” recalling that he first registered for the festival in 2021 but was unable to attend due to a lack of funding. Four years later, he returned not just as a participant, but as the winner.
Emmanuel’s linkedin post in 2021
Emmanuel shared the stage with founders building solutions that speak directly to Sierra Leone’s biggest gaps. Kumba Emily Fanday is developing peer-to-peer financial tools through ConNet SL Limited, giving everyday users and small businesses access to capital. Abubakarr Ibrahim Ndopale is turning organic waste into compost through Green Compost in Agriculture for Development, restoring soil and cutting dependency on imported fertilizer. Paul Hotanga Makavore is pushing digital payments and e-government revenue systems through Smart Systems SL Ltd, while Mocha, Paul Bai Kanu’s is lowering the cost of remittances and cross-border transfers. They are tackling finance, food security and digital infrastructure at the same time, and proving that Sierra Leone’s tech scene is no longer theoretical, it is producing real products for real markets.
This trip was supported by the International Trade Centre, the Korean International Cooperation Agency and the Ready Salone project. It is part of a larger effort to move Sierra Leonean startups from pitch rooms into global value chains, where they can compete, partner and scale.
Team Sierra Leone
The Startup World Cup Grand Finale will take place next year in Silicon Valley, bringing together global innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders.
Learn more about the Africa Tech Festival here https://africatechfestival.com/
