Dar Ventures taps Plug and Play to expand startup programme across Africa

Dar Ventures, the venture capital arm of design and engineering firm Dar, has partnered with Plug and Play , a global open innovation and early-stage venture platform, to expand its startup programme for technology companies working across architecture, engineering, construction and the wider built environment across Africa and other markets. The partnership will give the programme, DarE, access to Plug and Play’s global network of startups, investors and corporate partners. Its 12-week hybrid programme will target pre-seed to pre-Series A companies with a minimum viable product (MVP) or market-ready product, primarily across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, while remaining open to companies globally. Africa’s tech ecosystem raised $1.44 billion across 174 deals in the first half of 2026, while early-stage startups received just $9 million, down from $25 million a year earlier, according to TechCabal Insights. For startups building technology for specialised industries such as construction and infrastructure, access to industry expertise, customers, capital and international markets can offer another route to growth. DarE will support technologies across the architecture, engine