Convergence Partners

Convergence Partners, established in 2006, is an investment management firm specializing in the telecommunications, media, and technology sectors in Africa. The firm is recognized for its ability to create and enhance investment opportunities within the ICT landscape, playing a pivotal role in developing infrastructure that improves communications access across the continent. As impact investors, Convergence Partners is committed to leveraging capital to foster the growth of ICT infrastructure, thereby increasing the availability of broadband services and innovative technologies for African communities. The firm's founders possess extensive experience in pan-African private equity, enabling them to effectively drive investments that yield both financial returns and meaningful developmental impacts. Convergence Partners has been instrumental in landmark projects, including SEACOM, the first undersea fiber system serving East Africa; New Dawn, Africa's inaugural private sector communications satellite; and FibreCo Telecommunications, which established the continent's first independent open access national fiber network.

Brandon Doyle

CEO and Founding Partner

Stefan Ferreira

CFO and Founding Partner

Envir Fraser

Head: Research, Regulatory & Policy

Ruveshan Moodliyar

Senior Associate

Andile Ngcaba

Chairman and Founding Partner

Idan Segal

CIO and Founding Partner

Yolande Tabo

Investor Relations Principal

Craig Wilson

Principal

46 past transactions

CollegeClub.com

Venture Round in 2000
College Club is an integrated communications and media company that has created an online suite of community services that resonates with the college student marketplace. It improves its members’ college experience, connects them with new brands, builds their resume for future job prospects, and enables them to earn money while they work the hours they choose. College Club provides its student members with an integrated communications solution, including an interactive online community. It helps its members develop the necessary skills companies are looking for in their college graduate hire. College Club was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in New York, United States.

B2BWorks

Series C in 2002
B2BWorks is a full-service, online business-to-business advertising network

Channel VAS

Private Equity Round in 2020
Developer and aggregator of impactful Mobile Value Added Services

B2BWorks

Series B in 2000
B2BWorks is a full-service, online business-to-business advertising network

ESET Southern Africa

Merger/Acquisition in 2017
ESET Southern Africa comprises software distribution services. The asset is located in South Africa.

Snapt

Series A in 2018
Snapt, Inc. develops frontends for open source server software. It offers Snapt Framework that is used as an interface for Linux and BDS; Snapt Squid, a frontend ROI solution that records reports and provides access control solutions to businesses; Snapt HAProxy, a load balancing solution; and Screencasts. Snapt, Inc. was incorporated in 2011 and is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Snapt

Private Placement in 2018
Snapt, Inc. develops frontends for open source server software. It offers Snapt Framework that is used as an interface for Linux and BDS; Snapt Squid, a frontend ROI solution that records reports and provides access control solutions to businesses; Snapt HAProxy, a load balancing solution; and Screencasts. Snapt, Inc. was incorporated in 2011 and is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Penguin Computing

Series C in 2007
Penguin Computing Inc. offers Linux software, systems, and services for high-performance computing (HPC) applications. The company specializes in cluster virtualization. It offers rackmount servers, HPC cluster systems and software, storage solutions, and Linux workstations; peripherals, data protection, cluster interconnects, infrastructure management servers, and power management solutions; and Scyld ClusterWare HPC for the deployment and management of a Linux cluster. Penguin Computing Inc. also provides cluster delivery and orientation, onsite cluster assembly and installation, site planning and assessment, high performance computing consulting, and custom system deployment services. The company serves the high-performance computing, Web infrastructure, and enterprise computing areas in life science, aerospace, automotive, energy, government, and education markets. Penguin Computing Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Penguin Computing

Series A in 2006
Penguin Computing Inc. offers Linux software, systems, and services for high-performance computing (HPC) applications. The company specializes in cluster virtualization. It offers rackmount servers, HPC cluster systems and software, storage solutions, and Linux workstations; peripherals, data protection, cluster interconnects, infrastructure management servers, and power management solutions; and Scyld ClusterWare HPC for the deployment and management of a Linux cluster. Penguin Computing Inc. also provides cluster delivery and orientation, onsite cluster assembly and installation, site planning and assessment, high performance computing consulting, and custom system deployment services. The company serves the high-performance computing, Web infrastructure, and enterprise computing areas in life science, aerospace, automotive, energy, government, and education markets. Penguin Computing Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Comsol Networks

Private Equity Round in 2014
Comsol is South Africa's premier layer 2 open access solution partner, enabling major Telcos, Carriers and Service Providers to answer the demand for high speed, reliable carrier grade access solutions. Comsol understands the need for choice, offering the freedom to choose, without compromising on quality and dependability. Comsol offers South Africa's first medium agnostic, enterprise grade, Layer 2, open access network, delivering guaranteed, dedicated, high speed carrier grade solutions to over 200 South African metropolitan areas and towns, creating a business grade foundation for people to connect, anywhere, any time. Together with Comsol's partners, Comsol is committed to enabling limitless connectivity for South Africa and beyond.

Clickability

Series C in 2008
Clickability is an on demand Web Content Management (WCM).. The Clickability platform combines SaaS and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) to support the complete content lifecycle. Clickability enables businesses of all sizes to manage their marketing and media solutions more effectively in "the cloud." Clickability's hosted, multi-tenant delivery model also ensures organizations mitigate their environmental impact by maximizing energy efficiency and minimizing waste. Founded in 1999, Clickability is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in New York and London. It was acquired by Limelight Networks (Nasdaq:LLNW) on May 2, 2011 in a deal valued at approx. $10m.

Penguin Computing

Series B in 2007
Penguin Computing Inc. offers Linux software, systems, and services for high-performance computing (HPC) applications. The company specializes in cluster virtualization. It offers rackmount servers, HPC cluster systems and software, storage solutions, and Linux workstations; peripherals, data protection, cluster interconnects, infrastructure management servers, and power management solutions; and Scyld ClusterWare HPC for the deployment and management of a Linux cluster. Penguin Computing Inc. also provides cluster delivery and orientation, onsite cluster assembly and installation, site planning and assessment, high performance computing consulting, and custom system deployment services. The company serves the high-performance computing, Web infrastructure, and enterprise computing areas in life science, aerospace, automotive, energy, government, and education markets. Penguin Computing Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Azaire Networks

Series A in 2003
Azaire Networks, Inc. provides multi-access network solutions for mobile operators and service providers in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company develops wireless local area network based solutions that enable the deployment of multi-access networks to offer mobile broadband services to consumers and business users. Its solutions also enable the users to roam between cellular, metropolitan access, and enterprise access networks. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California with additional offices in Germany, India, and the Netherlands. As of June 10, 2008, Azaire Networks, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of IntelliNet Technologies, Inc.

Vectiv

Venture Round in 2000
Vectiv provides enterprise store lifecycle management solutions that enable retail companies to align their stores with their customer base. Its solutions are able to manage and execute activities related to rolling out new stores; and changing formats, relocating, and closing of existing stores. Vectiv was acquired by Accruent in February 2003. Vectiv was founded in 1999 and is based in San Francisco, California.

inQuba

Venture Round in 2016
inQuba services & products put in place real-time solutions for the monitoring and management of customer experiences across the organisation. Operational metrics are often a lead indicator of customer experience, while financial performance can be a lag indicator of customer experience. Understanding these relationships allows a business to focus and invest resources in projects & initiatives that will have a direct impact on customer experience. inQuba solutions provide this visibility so that customer experience can be understood over time.

USCreative

Series A in 1999
USCreative.com is an online resource for creative services.

Csquared

Venture Round in 2017
CSquared builds and operates metro fiber and Wi-Fi networks to help local providers connect more people to the Internet and each other. It enables Internet service providers and mobile network operators to leverage its network and to provide Wi-Fi and broadband to homeowners, small businesses, and mobile users in Uganda and Ghana. The company is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

ESET

Private Equity Round in 2017
ESET is an information technology security company that develops security software solutions which deliver protection against computer security threats for home users and corporate customers worldwide. The company provides ESET Smart Security, an integrated anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-spam, and personal firewall solution; ESET NOD32 Antivirus, an integrated security solution that detects and disables viruses, Trojans, worms, adware, spyware, phishing, rootkits, and other internet threats; ESET Cybersecurity for MAC; and ESET Endpoint Security, a security solution for company endpoints combining a two-way firewall, web control, and remote administration tool. ESET also offers ESET Endpoint Antivirus, an anti-virus and anti-spyware protection utilizing cloud-powered scanning, device control, and remote management of clients; ESET Mobile Security for Android that provides Android smartphone and tablet users with safer mobile technology adventures; and ESET Rootkit Detector, a security tool for Mac OSX that scans for malicious kernel extensions attempting to change operating system behavior by hooking inside the operating system. ESET was founded in 1992 and is based in Bratislava, Slovakia with regional distribution centers in San Diego, California; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Singapore. It has additional offices in Sao Paulo, Brazil; and Prague, Czech Republic as well as malware research centers in Bratislava and Košice, Slovakia; San Diego, California; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Singapore; Prague, Czech Republic; Krakow, Poland; Montreal, Canada; and Moscow, Russian Federation.

Chameleon Systems

Series B in 1999
Chameleon Systems is a privately held fabless semiconductor company that designs, markets and sells programmable system-on-a-chip solutions for the communications electronics markets. Headquartered in San Jose, California, the company has developed the industry´s first reconfigurable communications processor (RCP)--an ideal solution for data-intensive Internet, DSP, wireless basestations, voice compression, software-defined radio, and other high-performance embedded telecom and datacom applications. The Chameleon RCP solution allows data and telecom equipment vendors to create customized communications signal processors to increase performance and channel count, more quickly adapt to new requirements and standards, reduce time-to-market, lower development costs and reduce risk.

FibreCo

Private Equity Round in 2014
In partnership with its clients, FibreCo provides bespoke connectivity solutions across South Africa and metro areas ranging from fibre ownership to high capacity and complex managed networking solutions in support of wholesale and enterprise clients. This allows clients to realise the benefits of the massive scalability inherent in high-quality, ultra-fast fibre-optic networks at a small fraction of the cost of deploying such infrastructure nationally. FibreCo’s open-access network means that our infrastructure is made available on an equal basis enabling clients to deliver a wider choice of high speed products to their customers – on one network.

Azaire Networks

Series B in 2004
Azaire Networks, Inc. provides multi-access network solutions for mobile operators and service providers in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company develops wireless local area network based solutions that enable the deployment of multi-access networks to offer mobile broadband services to consumers and business users. Its solutions also enable the users to roam between cellular, metropolitan access, and enterprise access networks. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California with additional offices in Germany, India, and the Netherlands. As of June 10, 2008, Azaire Networks, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of IntelliNet Technologies, Inc.

Chameleon Systems

Series A in 1998
Chameleon Systems is a privately held fabless semiconductor company that designs, markets and sells programmable system-on-a-chip solutions for the communications electronics markets. Headquartered in San Jose, California, the company has developed the industry´s first reconfigurable communications processor (RCP)--an ideal solution for data-intensive Internet, DSP, wireless basestations, voice compression, software-defined radio, and other high-performance embedded telecom and datacom applications. The Chameleon RCP solution allows data and telecom equipment vendors to create customized communications signal processors to increase performance and channel count, more quickly adapt to new requirements and standards, reduce time-to-market, lower development costs and reduce risk.

Clerkenwell Health

Seed Round in 2022
Clerkenwell Health is an innovative mental health company offering clinical research support services and psychedelic-assisted therapies. By providing independent psychedelic-specialist CRO services, Clerkenwell will accelerate the adoption of these treatments across Europe. The team are passionate about putting patients at the centre of clinical trial design and delivering gold standard therapy protocols.

GameZBoost

Series A in 2008
GameZBoost offers full featured and highly customisable white label gaming platforms, including online desktop solutions, fully responsive mobile & social platforms. The white label solutions includes game integration solutions to publishers across the globe, our platforms are already running games sites for some of the worlds top publishers, in 16 countries and have been translated into 12 languages. We have solutions for Game Studios to integrate into our platform and tap into an instant audience.

Synergy Communications

Venture Round in 2014
Synergy Communications identifyies best qualities from various operations and where potential lies within the telecommunications industry.

Snapt

Seed Round in 2016
Snapt, Inc. develops frontends for open source server software. It offers Snapt Framework that is used as an interface for Linux and BDS; Snapt Squid, a frontend ROI solution that records reports and provides access control solutions to businesses; Snapt HAProxy, a load balancing solution; and Screencasts. Snapt, Inc. was incorporated in 2011 and is based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Chameleon Systems

Seed Round in 1997
Chameleon Systems is a privately held fabless semiconductor company that designs, markets and sells programmable system-on-a-chip solutions for the communications electronics markets. Headquartered in San Jose, California, the company has developed the industry´s first reconfigurable communications processor (RCP)--an ideal solution for data-intensive Internet, DSP, wireless basestations, voice compression, software-defined radio, and other high-performance embedded telecom and datacom applications. The Chameleon RCP solution allows data and telecom equipment vendors to create customized communications signal processors to increase performance and channel count, more quickly adapt to new requirements and standards, reduce time-to-market, lower development costs and reduce risk.

Bloodhound

Private Equity Round in 2013
Bloodhound’s OBSERVER cloud platform and mobile app suite uses micro-location beacons to provide real-time insight into the performance and productivity of mobile personnel and high value assets in any environment – indoors or out.

Venture Garden Group

Venture Round in 2015
Venture Garden Group (VGG) is a collection of companies that develop automated data capture, data management, billing and payment processing solutions for emerging markets, particularly Africa – in several sectors ranging from financial services, education, aviation, power, downstream oil and gas and healthcare sectors.

Channel VAS DMCC

Private Placement in 2019
Channel VAS DMCC provide loan services. Its services include mobile financial services, such as xtracash, pay-as-you-go electricity, and micro and nano loans; airtime and data credit provides credit services to its subscribers through its digital financial platform (DFP) platform; and handset loans, which includes device loans, which is a loan service provided by the company to allow its customers to purchase a smartphone; and big dat analytics, which includes collection and analysis of data points which are further used by the customers for developing predictive methodologies. The company was founded in 2012 and is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates with an additional office in Gerakas, Greece.

ESRO Limited

Merger/Acquisition in 2017
ESRO Limited, trading as ESET Africa, distributes EST products, such as antivirus software and Internet security solutions across Africa. The company is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Campsix

Series A in 2000
Campsix is a full service B2B Internet incubator.

Channel VAS DMCC

Private Placement in 2020
Channel VAS DMCC provide loan services. Its services include mobile financial services, such as xtracash, pay-as-you-go electricity, and micro and nano loans; airtime and data credit provides credit services to its subscribers through its digital financial platform (DFP) platform; and handset loans, which includes device loans, which is a loan service provided by the company to allow its customers to purchase a smartphone; and big dat analytics, which includes collection and analysis of data points which are further used by the customers for developing predictive methodologies. The company was founded in 2012 and is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates with an additional office in Gerakas, Greece.

Comsol Networks

Private Equity Round in 2016
Comsol is South Africa's premier layer 2 open access solution partner, enabling major Telcos, Carriers and Service Providers to answer the demand for high speed, reliable carrier grade access solutions. Comsol understands the need for choice, offering the freedom to choose, without compromising on quality and dependability. Comsol offers South Africa's first medium agnostic, enterprise grade, Layer 2, open access network, delivering guaranteed, dedicated, high speed carrier grade solutions to over 200 South African metropolitan areas and towns, creating a business grade foundation for people to connect, anywhere, any time. Together with Comsol's partners, Comsol is committed to enabling limitless connectivity for South Africa and beyond.

Skyband Corporation

Private Equity Round in 2014
Skyband Corporation is a communications service provider in Malawi. With over 14 years of experience in the Internet Service sector, Skyband has evolved from a dial-up ISP in 2000 to the Market Leader in the Communications & Internet Service provision sector in Malawi. Skyband provides a full range of innovative Internet services and products, including 4G, MPLS, VPNs, Internet hardware and Public Wifi Hotspots. Skyband also offers its own diverse Metro Fibre in Lilongwe and Blantyre, International routes and Points of Presence (POPs) in London and Johannesburg over multiple diverse paths. Skyband has a team of highly dedicated and experienced professionals aimed solely at providing you with the best possible services and support in Malawi. With Innovative and technologically advanced solutions, that cater to the customer’s needs. Skyband Continues to cement its presence in Malawi as, Malawi’s Leading Communications and Internet Service Provider.

Penguin Computing

Venture Round in 2009
Penguin Computing Inc. offers Linux software, systems, and services for high-performance computing (HPC) applications. The company specializes in cluster virtualization. It offers rackmount servers, HPC cluster systems and software, storage solutions, and Linux workstations; peripherals, data protection, cluster interconnects, infrastructure management servers, and power management solutions; and Scyld ClusterWare HPC for the deployment and management of a Linux cluster. Penguin Computing Inc. also provides cluster delivery and orientation, onsite cluster assembly and installation, site planning and assessment, high performance computing consulting, and custom system deployment services. The company serves the high-performance computing, Web infrastructure, and enterprise computing areas in life science, aerospace, automotive, energy, government, and education markets. Penguin Computing Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

e4

Acquisition in 2016
e4 is a technology company offering leading edge, trusted electronic solutions and services. Our customised services and products are a result of our strategic approach to understanding our clients' business requirements and long-term objectives.

e4

Merger/Acquisition in 2015
e4 is a technology company offering leading edge, trusted electronic solutions and services. Our customised services and products are a result of our strategic approach to understanding our clients' business requirements and long-term objectives.

Azaire Networks

Series C in 2006
Azaire Networks, Inc. provides multi-access network solutions for mobile operators and service providers in North America, Europe, and Asia. The company develops wireless local area network based solutions that enable the deployment of multi-access networks to offer mobile broadband services to consumers and business users. Its solutions also enable the users to roam between cellular, metropolitan access, and enterprise access networks. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California with additional offices in Germany, India, and the Netherlands. As of June 10, 2008, Azaire Networks, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of IntelliNet Technologies, Inc.

Full Degree

Series A in 2001
Full Degree is reinventing the way enterprise manage, distribute and publish detailed product information. The company's software and service solutions make enterprises easier to do business with by ensuring that the most consistent and complete product information is available within the enterprise and at every customer interaction.

mDiversity

Series B in 2000
The radio link is the barrier to expansion for wireless communications. Manufacturers need to enhance the spectrum efficiency – capacity, coverage and data rate – by migrating to the highest performance infrastructure. Macrodiversity increases the spectrum efficiency of wireless networks by having a cellular terminal simultaneously communicate with multiple access points. mDiversity's patented distributed architecture and proprietary software enables – for the first time – a cost effective implementation of macrodiversity Founded in early 1999, mDiversity has attracted leading veterans from the wireless community to its management team to spearhead the development of a complete solution for second and third generation (3G) wireless networks. The company is privately held and has raised over $11 million to date. mDiversity has over 30 employees and is based in San Jose, California. mDiversity is breaking down the cost-barriers of macrodiversity with its vision for a complete solution based on an open architecture and industry standards. mDiversity’s proprietary software with a distributed architecture supports a wide range of industry standards such as GSM, TDMA, EDGE, and 3G wide-band CDMA, providing a flexible, scalable solution. mDiversity’s product implementation increases the radio link efficiency, translating into benefits such as: decreasing mobile transmit power by as much as 94%; reducing dropped calls; increasing capacity and data rate by over 100%; expanding coverage by up to 300%.

Tropian

Series A in 1998
Tropian, Inc. develops and provides multimode radio frequency integrated circuits and solutions for wireless devices. The company offers Timestar radio frequency integrated circuit solutions for quad-band cellular handsets; Codestar radio transceivers; and Multistar transceivers. It serves wireless device manufacturers. Tropian, Inc. was formerly known as Premier R.F., Inc.

Chapter 2

Series A in 2000
Infrastructure for e-business applications.

Dimension Data

Post in 2004
Dimension Data uses the power of technology to help organisations achieve great things in the digital era. As a member of the NTT Group, we accelerate our clients’ ambitions through digital infrastructure, hybrid cloud, workspaces for tomorrow, and cybersecurity. With a turnover of USD 7.5 billion, offices in 58 countries, and 31,000 employees, we deliver wherever our clients are, at every stage of their technology journey. We’re proud to be the Official Technology Partner of Amaury Sport Organisation, organiser of the Tour de France, and the title partner of the cycling team, Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka. Go to dimensiondata.com

Chameleon Systems

Series C in 2001
Chameleon Systems is a privately held fabless semiconductor company that designs, markets and sells programmable system-on-a-chip solutions for the communications electronics markets. Headquartered in San Jose, California, the company has developed the industry´s first reconfigurable communications processor (RCP)--an ideal solution for data-intensive Internet, DSP, wireless basestations, voice compression, software-defined radio, and other high-performance embedded telecom and datacom applications. The Chameleon RCP solution allows data and telecom equipment vendors to create customized communications signal processors to increase performance and channel count, more quickly adapt to new requirements and standards, reduce time-to-market, lower development costs and reduce risk.