Angel investors are a group of individuals or companies who have withdrawn their funds to invest in start-up companies in exchange for a convertible loan or a stake in new business. Africa is fast becoming the next land of opportunity and many more startups have been created in the last 5 years than in the corresponding first 5 year term. The challenge for most entrepreneurs in Africa lies in financing, and this is where angel investors in Africa come inCome in. African Angel Investors spend their resources and take the risk necessary to invest in a new business that has not been tried and proven based on their own choices and beliefs. Answers Africa brings you 10 of the Angel Investors active in the African market in Africa.
10. TBL Mirror Fund
The TBL Mirror Fund provides venture capital for East African small and medium-sized enterprises. The fund offers equity, active entrepreneurial engagement and exposure to an international investor network. The TBL Mirror Fund focuses on small and medium-sized companies across a range of sectors, operating in growth markets where value can be achieved through the Fund’s expertise and investor involvement. The TBL Mirror Fund enables and manages the combined investment of capital and know-how in promising companies. TBL Mirror Fund’s investors are successful individuals from a variety of industry backgrounds, from CEOs of large multinational companies to seasoned entrepreneurs and seasoned venture capitalists.
9. eVA Fund
The eVentures Africa Fund (eVA Fund) is the premier venture capital firm investing in African SMEs involved in digital media. Broadband and mobile internet access in Africa is seeing tremendous growth, enabling Africans to connect with the world. African SMEs are rapidly developing localized applications, content, platforms and solutions that enable over a billion Africans to use the Internet for communication, business, e-learning, news and transactions. The majority of SMEs in Africa are developing bespoke platforms and applications that enable most of the African population not only to communicate and gather news, but also to do business,
West African Synergies is an investment holding company established in 2010, based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, with regional headquarters in Monrovia, Liberia.
WAS specializes in finding and developing business opportunities arising from the vast potential of West Africa. The company started operations with projects in Liberia – one of the fastest growing economies in West Africa.
7.Africa Media Ventures Fund
Africa Media Ventures Fund mobilizes capital and expertise in the Netherlands to invest in media entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized African media companies.
AMVF offers a combination of venture capital and business development support with knowledge, experience, access to proven business concepts and networks. The normal capital investment of the Africa Media Ventures Fund is between US$20,000 and US$200,000. The investors are experienced media entrepreneurs with a passion for Africa, involved in the management of the portfolio companies through visits and boards of directors, focusing on sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) and currently most active in Kenya and Ghana.
6. Jacana Partners
Jacana Partners is a pan-African private equity firm investing in entrepreneurs, building successful small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and delivering sustainable financial and social returns. Jacana Partners believes that entrepreneurs are the key drivers of job creation and long-term economic development in Africa. Jacana Partners was founded in 2008 by a group of British entrepreneurs and philanthropists who wanted to use their skills and experience to support economic growth in Africa.
5. Angel Investment Network
Angel Investment Network is a South African Investment Club With over 29,000 investors and total investment capital in excess of R8 trillion, Angel Investment Network is one of the largest and most comprehensive companies and investors in Africa, but with a particular focus on South Africa. Investors come from different regions, including Africa, and are looking for scalable businesses in Africa to invest in. The Angel Investment Network platform makes it easy for entrepreneurs to find local and global investors for their projects.
4. Fanisi Capital
Fanisi Venture Capital Fund SCA, SICAV-SIF, is a $50 million fund making direct investments in companies with significant growth potential. The fund focuses on a market segment that has not previously fallen within the scope of most venture capital funds in the East African market (Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda). Fanisi Capital was established in 2009 by Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries (Norfund) and Amani Capital Limited.
3. Adlevo Capital
Adlevo Capital is a Mauritius-based private equity fund manager founded on the belief that a major development in Sub-Saharan Africa is fueled by the increasing application of technology to business processes across all sectors. In line with its strategy of working closely with portfolio companies, Adlevo Capital is based locally in Lagos.
2. Invenfin Venture Capital
Invenfin Venture Capital was established in 2008 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Remgro (Pty) Ltd. Invenfin specializes in early-stage venture capital (VC) financing, offering seed capital to entrepreneurs to fund the commercialization of their intellectual property internationally.
Offering more than just access to capital, Invenfin also has extensive experience bringing new businesses and products to market (including branding, product development, marketing, legal protection and global distribution). In addition, the international business networks of Remgro and the extended group are used. The company extends the funding for a period of typically one to three years, usually in exchange for a significant minority interest in the company (typically in the 30%-49% range).
1. East Africa Capital Fund
East Africa Capital Fund Partners (EACP) is a technology, media and telecom sector focused venture capital fund manager investing in the East Africa region. The EACP raised ATMT Fund 1 LLC, a US$100 million fund focused on addressing infrastructure blockages in the ICT sector of East Africa. The central hypothesis is that East Africa’s ICT sector will experience a period of sustained growth that will provide superior returns for carefully selected investments in technology, media and telecom growth stocks. This strategy is based on a number of key drivers.