StarNews Mobile operates a mobile video platform that lets African content creators monetize their work through subscription channels, with creators assigned dedicated channels and production support. The service is available in six African markets — Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Congo, Benin and Ivory Coast — and leverages distribution partnerships with major telcos such as MTN and Orange. Through those operator partnerships users sign up and pay via airtime bundles and weekly/daily plans; the company reports an active subscriber base of over 4 million and a creator community of more than 120. Founded in 2017 by Guy Kamgaing and run from Los Angeles, the startup has a team of about 40 employees and has built genre- and hyperlocal-focused programming, plus partnerships with Sony and Universal in the region. Financially, StarNews had secured nearly $8 million in prior funding (including a $900k friends-and-family round, a $2M seed and a $1.8M extension) and distributed about $1M to creators last year with average monthly payouts around $70,000; it also uses an internal “billing rate” metric to track monetization. The company plans to deepen its footprint in Francophone Africa while rapidly expanding in strategic markets like Nigeria and Ghana, targeting presence in 11 markets by next year and using new capital to better support creators and raise payouts. StarNews is a network of mobile video channels that produces exclusive short videos and enables celebrities and brands to monetize fan bases via micro-payments. The platform partners with pan‑African mobile operators such as MTN, Orange and MOOV to distribute content directly to users. StarNews launched in the Ivory Coast in 2017 and is available in Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Congo and South Africa, with planned launches in Nigeria, Senegal and other countries. The company targets Africa’s growing mobile video market, cited in the announcement as a 400M+ and growing user base of underserved fans and undiscovered talent. Founder Guy Kamgaing, a Cameroonian with over 20 years in mobile telecoms, built the service to highlight local content and enable creators to monetize it. The product emphasizes simplicity, affordability and local content appeal to reach hard‑to‑reach audiences across the continent.

Total raised

$3M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Oct 2023