Investors backing African startups

• Shorooq Partners

  Shorooq is an alternative investment manager originating in the Middle East and North Africa. Its strategies span venture capital, private credit, private equity, AI investments and real assets, serving founders, businesses and institutional investors.

  United Arab Emirates

• iHub

  iHUB is a Nairobi-based innovation centre within Co-Creation Hub. It supports entrepreneurs through startup incubation, coworking, community programmes and innovation initiatives, with additional work across education, technology and society, and the creative economy.

  Kenya

• Mastercard Foundation

  The Mastercard Foundation is an independent foundation established in 2006. It works with partners to expand access to education, financial services and employment opportunities for young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada.

  Global

• Sherpa Africa Partners

  Sherpa Africa Partners, operating as Sherpa Ventures, invests in African startups at the pre-seed stage. It combines capital with support on market research, strategic partnerships, hiring and preparation for subsequent fundraising.

  Kenya

• Nubia Capital

  Nubia Capital is a pan-African venture capital firm investing in early-stage companies. It backs technology businesses, including healthtech, fintech and AI-enabled business platforms, and provides strategic guidance, regulatory insight and support for company growth.

  United States

• Silicon Badia

  Silicon Badia is a venture capital firm investing in technology companies internationally. Established in 2012, it has built a portfolio across multiple technology industries, including companies developing logistics, financial services and digital infrastructure.

  Global

• Tofino Capital

  Tofino Capital is an investment firm focused on frontier markets and emerging technologies. It backs companies in markets with limited access to venture capital, drawing on its founders’ operating experience and work with African businesses.

  United States

• Alexandria Angels

  Alex Angels, also known as Alexandria Angel Network, connects investors with startup investment opportunities. The network supports opportunity assessment, due diligence and transaction coordination, and maintains relationships between its members and portfolio companies.

  Egypt

• Breega

  Breega is a venture capital firm investing in technology companies across Europe and Africa. Its investment team works alongside an internal scaling team that supports portfolio companies with operational development and business growth.

  United Kingdom

• QED Investors

  QED Investors is a venture capital firm specialising in financial technology. It invests globally across company stages in areas including banking, lending, insurance, wealth management and embedded finance, pairing capital with operational support from experienced financial services executives.

  United States

• Unilever

  Unilever is a consumer goods company with businesses in beauty and wellbeing, personal care, home care and food. Its brands serve everyday consumer needs across international markets through household, nutrition and personal-care products.

  United Kingdom

• VentureSouq

  VentureSouq is a venture capital fund manager based in the Middle East and North Africa with a global portfolio. It manages thematic funds focused on financial technology and climate technology and supports companies through its international network.

  United Arab Emirates

• AUC Angels

  AUC Angels is an angel investor network associated with the American University in Cairo. Working with AUC Venture Lab, it connects early-stage technology startups with investors and provides mentoring, advisory support and assistance with fundraising preparation.

  Egypt

• Goodwater Capital

  Goodwater Capital is a venture capital firm investing in consumer and prosumer technology companies across different stages of development. Its approach combines research and investment with support for businesses addressing everyday consumer needs.

  United States

• Tekedia Capital

  Tekedia Capital operates an investment syndicate for technology-enabled young companies, with a focus on businesses operating in Africa. It pools capital from participating investors and invests across industries including finance, education, healthcare and logistics.

  United States

• JAM Fund

  JAM Fund is an investment fund with a portfolio spanning financial technology, healthcare, enterprise software, consumer services and mobility. Its published company list includes businesses operating in Africa and other international markets.

  United States

• Soma Capital

  Soma Capital is an investment firm founded by Aneel Ranadive with a portfolio of technology companies. Its activities include seed investing, and its team supports portfolio founders with commercial relationships and customer introductions.

  United States

• Trine

  Trine is an investment platform connecting investors with solar energy companies in emerging markets. It structures loans for these businesses and manages due diligence, contracts and reporting, enabling investors to participate in financing renewable energy projects.

  Global

• SBI Investment

  SBI Investment is a Japanese venture capital fund manager within SBI Group. It provides capital and business development support to privately held companies, drawing on group resources across technology, healthcare, infrastructure and other growth industries.

  Japan

• Village Capital

  Village Capital supports impact-focused startups through accelerator programmes, ecosystem partnerships and financing. Its work covers climate, economic mobility and access to essential services, using instruments including equity, debt and revenue-sharing.

  United States

• ACASIA Ventures

  Acasia Ventures invests in early-stage digital businesses in the Middle East and Africa. Alongside venture capital, it supports founders with market expansion, strategic insights and introductions to international investors and business networks.

  Egypt

• Jedar Capital

  Jedar Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on African businesses. It backs companies in digital trade, financial technology, logistics, supply chains, business software and agribusiness, with an investment team drawing on operating experience.

  United States

• MaC Venture Capital

  MaC Venture Capital is a seed-stage investment firm backing technology companies. Its published portfolio includes businesses in space technology, financial services, robotics and consumer products, reflecting a range of technology applications and markets.

  United States

• Mstudio

  Mstudio is a startup studio in Abidjan developing mobile technology businesses for Francophone West Africa. It works with founders to build companies serving the informal economy, combining financing with product, design, recruitment and commercial support.

  Cote d'Ivoire

• Oui Capital

  Oui Capital is an Africa-focused venture capital firm supporting early-stage technology businesses. Its investment themes include digital commerce, enterprise software, education, healthcare and financial technology, alongside assistance with fundraising, recruitment and market development.

  Nigeria

• Timon Capital

  Timon Capital is a venture capital firm with a focus on seed investments in sub-Saharan Africa and participation in growth equity financing internationally. Its portfolio spans areas including financial services, logistics, education and healthcare.

  Nigeria

• Beyond Capital Ventures

  Beyond Capital Ventures is an emerging markets venture capital firm backing businesses serving lower- and middle-income consumers in India and East Africa. It combines investment with mentoring, leadership development and support with operational and fundraising needs.

  United States

• Lendable

  Lendable provides asset-backed debt financing to businesses in emerging and frontier markets. Its activities include funding financial technology and climate solutions, using a proprietary data platform to assess and monitor borrower portfolios and impact.

  Kenya

• Newtown Partners

  Newtown Partners is a technology investment firm based in Cape Town with an international presence. Its strategies include early-stage venture capital and private credit growth finance, alongside support informed by its founders’ experience building technology businesses.

  South Africa

• Persistent Energy Capital

  Persistent is a venture builder and investor working with climate businesses across Africa. It combines investment with tailored operational support for early-stage companies developing solutions that contribute to a lower-carbon and more resilient economy.

  Switzerland

• Allan Gray

  Allan Gray is a South African investment management company serving individual and institutional clients. Its approach centres on long-term fundamental analysis and investing in businesses it considers undervalued, through products including unit trusts.

  South Africa

• Flexport

  Flexport is a logistics technology company providing freight forwarding, customs brokerage and fulfilment services. Its platform helps businesses coordinate shipments and supply chains, and it also offers trade financing through its financial services activities.

  United States

• Founder Collective

  Founder Collective is a venture capital firm focused on seed-stage businesses. It invests from the earliest stages and maintains long-term partnerships with founders as their companies develop.

  United States

• Symbiotics

  Symbiotics is an impact investment platform connecting investors with financial intermediaries, businesses and projects in emerging and frontier economies. Its services include investments, asset management and capacity building, with a focus on inclusion and climate resilience.

  Switzerland

• Breyer Capital

  Breyer Capital is a long-term investor with interests in media, entertainment, digital health and financial technology. It also examines how artificial intelligence, machine learning and virtual reality affect these industries.

  United States

• Camel Ventures

  Camel Ventures provides venture capital and venture debt to fintech and fintech-enabling startups in Egypt. Its support draws on local financial services expertise and connections to broader markets.

  Egypt

• Creadev

  Creadev is a Mulliez family investment firm supporting growing businesses in healthcare, food and climate. It invests across Europe, Africa and the United States with an entrepreneurial ownership approach.

  France

• Delta40

  Delta40 combines an African venture studio with a venture capital fund. It invests in and co-builds businesses with founders, providing operational expertise, product and commercial support, talent connections and assistance securing further capital.

  Kenya

• Factor[e] Ventures

  Factor E combines investment and technology development to bring climate solutions to market. Its portfolio spans clean energy, sustainable agriculture and lower-carbon transport, supported through its Labs and Ventures activities.

  United States

• Fawry

  No description available.

  Egypt

• Firstminute Capital

  Firstminute Capital is a seed investment fund backing European technology founders from company inception. Its founder and investor community supports businesses working across areas including artificial intelligence and deep technology.

  United Kingdom

• Raed Ventures

  Raed Ventures invests in early-stage companies in the Middle East and North Africa. It supports founders with funding, expertise, strategic partnerships and access to regional markets.

  Global

• Shell Foundation

  Shell Foundation is a philanthropic organisation supporting clean energy solutions in Africa and Asia. It works with partners to improve livelihoods for smallholder farmers, transporters and micro-entrepreneurs.

  United Kingdom

• Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures (VKAV)

  Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures is an Africa-focused venture capital firm. It combines investment with operational support in areas including finance, talent, legal matters and sustainability, and connects portfolio companies with African and Asian business and investment networks.

  Nigeria

• Vumela Fund

  Vumela is an enterprise development fund providing finance to small and medium-sized businesses. Its funding activities include venture debt for growing companies and support for businesses in corporate supply chains.

  South Africa

• Zrosk Investment Management

  Zrosk Investment Management provides alternative investment solutions including private credit and discretionary portfolios. Its offerings also include the Magna Specialized Fund as part of its investment management activities.

  Nigeria

• Enygma Ventures

  No description available.

  South Africa

• Nama Ventures

  Nama Ventures is a technology-focused venture capital fund led by technology founders. Its management company is licensed by Saudi Arabia’s Capital Market Authority to manage investments.

  Global