TLcom Capital's $71 million TIDE Africa Fund
The latest venture by TLcom Capital was closed at $71 million. The predecessor fund closed in January of last year. Five million dollars were contributed by Sango Capital, Bio, CDC Group and TLcom. The fund's first investment was in 12 tech companies in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. TIDE Africa II will be focusing on East African fintech companies. The investment firm also has offices in Nigeria and Kenya. The portfolio of TLcom includes Twiga Foods, Andela, uLesson, and Kobo360. Each company is worth $500,000 to $10 million.
TLcom is a Nairobi-based VC firm with more than $200 million in under management. Omobola Johnson is one of the managing partner of the company. He has been instrumental in helping launch more than a dozen tech-related companies on the continent, including Twiga Foods, and a trucking logistics business. Omobola Johnson (a former minister of technology for communication in Nigeria) is part of the investment firm's team.
TIDE Africa is an equity investment fund that invests in growth stage tech companies in SSA. It will invest between $500,000 and $10 million in companies that are at the beginning of their development with a particular focus on Series A and II rounds. Although the fund will focus on Anglophone Africa, it plans to invest in Eastern and Southern African countries, too. In Kenya, for example, TIDE has invested in five digital companies with high growth.
Omidyar Network's $71 million TEEP Fund
The Omidyar Network is a US-based charitable investment firm that hopes to invest between $100-$200 million in India over the next five years. Pierre Omidyar, co-founder of eBay created the fund and has invested $113 Million in 35 Indian companies. In India the fund invests in entrepreneurship, consumer Internet financial inclusion, government transparency property rights, and firms with social impact.
The Omidyar Network's TEEP Fund invests in projects that increase access to government information. It aims to identify non-profit organizations that utilize technology in creating public information portals as well as tools for citizens. The group believes that access to government information enhances the public's knowledge of government processes and contributes to an active society that is accountable to government officials. Imaginable Futures will use the funds to invest in for-profit and non-profit companies that focus on healthcare and education.
Raise
If you're looking to raise funds for your African start-up, you need how to get funding for a business look for a company with an African-centric focus. One of these companies is TLcom Capital, a fund management firm with its headquarters in London. Its African investments have attracted the attention of angel investors, how to get investors and the company has raised funds in Nigeria and Kenya. TLcom recently announced the launch of a brand private investor looking for projects to fund new $71 million fund aiming to invest in 12 startups before they can achieve revenue.
The potential of Africa venture capital is being recognized by the capital market. Private investors are increasingly seeing the potential for Africa's growth and don't need to be restricted by institutional investors. This means that raising money is much more simple than in the past. Raise helps businesses close deals in a fraction of the time and is free of institutional constraints. There isn't a single way to raise funds for African investors.
Understanding how to get investors investors view African investments is the first step. While many investors are drawn to YC hype, it's vital to think beyond this Silicon Valley giant and how to get investors the African Union's agenda 2063. African companies are now searching for the YC signal to make contact with US investors. Kyane Kassiri, an Tunisian venture capitalist, has recently discussed the importance of the YC signal when it comes to raising funds for African investors.
GetEquity
GetEquity, an investment platform in Nigeria, was founded in July of 2021. Its goal is to make the process of funding startups in Africa. Its goal is to make funding for African startups easier for everyone by providing capital raising tools and world-class capital for all startups. The platform has already helped startups raise over $150,000 from a diverse range of investors. Additionally, it offers a secondary market to investors to purchase other investors' tokens.
Unlike equity crowdfunding investing in early-stage companies can be an extremely exclusive venture. It is generally only accessible to the most renowned individual angel investors, capital institutions and syndicates. It is not generally accessible to family members and friends. New startups are trying to change this exclusive arrangement by making it easier to obtain capital for startups in Africa. It is available for both Android and iOS devices. It is free to use.
The GetEquity's cryptocurrency-based wallet is available for investors. This allows investors to invest into startups in Africa. With the help of crypto funds, investors can invest in African startups for as little as $10. While this is a tiny amount, it's still significant amount of money when compared with traditional equity financing. Following the recent demise of Paystack by Spark Capital GetEquity has become an excellent platform for investors from Africa looking to invest in Africa.
Bamboo
The first obstacle for Bamboo is to persuade young Africans to invest on the platform. Investors in Africa had only a few options prior to now: crowdfunding, foreign direct investment (FDI) as well as legacy finance companies. In reality, only around one-third of the population had invested on any platform. The company says it is expanding into other African countries, and plans to launch in Ghana in April 2021. More than 50.000 Ghanaians are on the waiting list as of this writing.
Africans do not have many options for saving money. With inflation hovering around 16% and the currency depreciating against the dollar. It is possible to invest dollars to help to protect yourself against inflation and the decline of the dollar. One platform that allows Africans to invest in U.S. stocks is Bamboo which has seen rapid growth over the last two years. Bamboo plans to launch in Ghana in April 2021, and has more than 50,000 people waiting to be able to access.
Once they have registered, investors can get their wallets funded with as little as $20. The funding process can be accomplished through credit cards, bank transfers and credit cards. After that, they can exchange ETFs and stocks and receive regular market updates. Bamboo's platform, which is bank-level secure and dependable, it can be utilized by anyone in Africa that has an official Nigerian Bank Verification Number. Bamboo's services can also be used by professional investment advisers.
Chaka
There are many reasons why Nigeria is a thriving hub for legitimate business and investment. Nigeria's film and entertainment industry is among the largest in Africa. The growing fintech sector has resulted in a boom in startup formations and VC activity. TechCrunch spoke to Iyinoluwa Abodeji who is one of Chaka's top backers. She said that the trend towards progress in the country will eventually open doors for investors looking for projects to fund from a new class. In addition, to Aboyeji's investment, Chaka has also secured seed-funds from the Microtraction fund which is managed by Y Combinator CEO Michael Seibel.
Beijing has been more interested in African investments due to the declining relationship between the US and China. Rising anti-China sentiments and the trade war have made it more appealing to investors to invest in African companies that are not part of the US. Although Africa has many developing economies, the majority of these are not large enough for venture-sized enterprises. African entrepreneurs must be ready to adopt an expansion-minded mindset and create a coherent expansion story.
The Nigerian Stock Exchange is overseen by the Central Securities Clearing System, which makes it a safe and secure location to invest in African stocks. Chaka is free to join and offers a 0.5 percent commission on each trade. Withdrawals of cash on hand can take up to 12 hours. Withdrawals of sold shares however could take up to three days. Both cases are handled locally.
Rise
Africa is experiencing positive news due to the rise in investors looking to invest. Its economy is stable and its governance is sound, which attracts foreign investors. This has raised the standard of living in Africa. Africa is still a risky investment spot. Investors should be cautious and conduct their own due diligence. There are numerous opportunities to invest in Africa. However the continent needs to make improvements to draw foreign capital. In the next few years, African governments should work to create more conducive environments for business and improve their business environment.
The United States is more willing to invest in the economies of Africa via foreign direct investments. U.S. governments assisted Senegal in advancing a significant healthcare financing facility. The U.S. government also helped to secure investments in new technologies in Africa and assisted pharmacies in Kenya and Nigeria provide high-quality medication. Such investment can create jobs and help build an ongoing relationship between the U.S. and Africa.
While there are several opportunities available in the African stock market, it is vital how to get investors in south africa be aware of the market and conduct proper due diligence to ensure that you don't lose money. If you're a smaller investor, it's a great idea to invest in an exchange traded fund (ETFs) that track an array of Sub-Saharan African businesses. For U.S. investors, American depositary receipts (ADRs) are an easy way to trade African stocks on the U.S. stock market.
