Launch Africa Ventures

Launch Africa Ventures is a venture capital firm established in 2020 and headquartered in Ebene, Mauritius. The firm focuses on addressing the substantial funding gap in the seed and pre-Series A investment landscape across the African continent. By targeting early-stage companies, Launch Africa Ventures aims to support and enhance the growth of startups operating in various sectors throughout Africa, contributing to the development of the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Janade Du Plessis

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Zachariah George

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Mohamed Karar

Venture Partner F1 and F2

Michael Mutie

VC Associate

Wolfgang Männel

Advisor

Janade Plessis Ph.D

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Mythri Sambasivan-George

Advisor

Baljinder Sharma

Board Member

Hannah Subayi

Partner, Board Member and Member of the Investment Committee

Shady Tadross

Advisor

Uwem Uwemakpan

Head of Investments, F2

Past deals in CEMEA

Octavia Carbon

Seed Round in 2024
Octavia Carbon is a pioneering company based in Kenya that specializes in Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology. It designs, builds, and deploys proprietary systems to filter CO2 from the atmosphere, aiming to reverse climate change and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. The company uniquely leverages Kenya's geothermal energy and talent to accelerate DAC technology development and lower costs.

Meditect

Venture Round in 2024
Meditect is a social enterprise dedicated to digitizing the medicine supply chain in French-speaking sub-Saharan Africa. Its platform offers pharmacy management software, drug traceability, patient application, and community outreach initiatives, enhancing access to quality medicines and improving healthcare efficiency.

Paps

Venture Round in 2024
Paps is a Senegalese transport and logistics company established in 2016. It specializes in innovative distribution solutions for businesses and merchants, offering real-time delivery scheduling and tracking via its e-commerce platform. Services include secure warehouse storage, insured parcel delivery, cash on delivery management, courier provision, returns management, collection, and periodic reporting.

Periculum

Venture Round in 2024
Periculum develops an advanced data intelligence platform that leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning models. This platform processes large datasets, extracts meaningful insights, and automates data-driven workflows to enhance efficiency, optimize operations, and facilitate informed strategic decisions.

Maad

Seed Round in 2024
Maad is a rapidly growing B2B marketplace based in Dakar, Senegal, serving Francophone Africa. It offers a tech-driven solution that enables retailers to order products from its one-stop shop and access working capital loans.

The Daily Sale Shop

Pre Seed Round in 2023
The Daily Sale Shop is an online marketplace based in Zimbabwe that provides customers with access to a diverse selection of products. The company is committed to enhancing the shopping experience by offering free nationwide delivery, reliable customer support, and a seamless checkout process. This allows customers to shop conveniently from their homes and receive their orders with ease.

Termii

Seed Round in 2023
Termii is a Lagos-based company founded in 2014 that provides a cross-channel messaging and customer engagement platform tailored for African businesses. The platform facilitates communication with customers through SMS, email, voice, and instant messaging, enabling teams to secure repeat customers via personalized outreach. In addition to messaging services, Termii offers a suite of business applications that address various needs such as digital branding, sales, marketing, customer relationship management, eCommerce, accounting, inventory, and project management. This comprehensive approach allows clients to enhance their business operations and improve customer engagement across multiple channels.

Peach Payments

Series A in 2023
Peach Payments is a company that specializes in providing payment solutions for online and mobile businesses, facilitating the acceptance of payments from consumers worldwide, with a strong emphasis on emerging markets, particularly in Africa and the BRIC countries. The company has developed an online payment platform that offers a variety of electronic payment services. This platform features a well-documented API for easy integration, allows payment collection through email and SMS, and includes secure tokenization for storing card data. Additionally, it enhances user experience by enabling one-click checkouts, ensuring a safe and efficient transaction process across all digital channels.

WorkPay Technologies

Seed Round in 2023
Founded in 2017, WorkPay Technologies offers a cloud-based platform for managing payroll, benefits, HR, and employee self-service needs. Its solution caters to small and medium-sized businesses across Africa.

Kredibank

Seed Round in 2022
Kredi is a neo bank building Africa's one-stop shop for digital financial services. Kredi is a platform that eliminates all the challenges of using multiple applications and allows users to manage all aspects of their financial lives. We are fully licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria. We provide access to digital financial services such as savings, credit, payment, investments, and insurance to all consumers in Nigeria in one place.

Kashat

Convertible Note in 2022
Kashat is an Egypt-based mobile financial services company that provides instant microloans through a digital app. It targets unbanked and underbanked individuals by underwriting loans using alternative data to create a credit history, enabling customers to build a financial identity. The service offers small, short-term credit with flexible repayment options and disburses funds via mobile wallets and digital payments. The entire process is digital and paperless, streamlining application and approval through the mobile app. Kashat operates under the regulatory oversight of Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority.

ShopMeAway

Venture Round in 2022
ShopMeAway is a cross-border ecommerce and logistics company that connects global brands and distributors with an integrated ecommerce module and a cross-border delivery network to serve underserved markets in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. The platform provides order placement, payments, and delivery capabilities to enable consumers to shop from international websites while helping brands reach new customers. Operational since 2018 in Senegal, the company has expanded to Ivory Coast and has plans to enter Nigeria and Morocco, with longer-term expansion into Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. In 2023, it partnered with Amazon to distribute its full catalog to its client network, demonstrating its ability to scale international distribution.

Edves

Venture Round in 2022
Edves is a digital infrastructure provider for K-12 schools in Africa that designs AI-powered school and learning management software to automate processes from enrollment to graduation. Its platform supports enrollment, fees payment, online learning, e-books, video tutorials and virtual classrooms, with analytics on student and school performance. The solution is used by more than 1,700 schools across 11 countries, enabling educators, school owners, and government agencies to track performance, identify fee defaulters, generate annual reports, and streamline administrative and learning operations to improve learning outcomes.

WorkPay Technologies

Seed Round in 2022
Founded in 2017, WorkPay Technologies offers a cloud-based platform for managing payroll, benefits, HR, and employee self-service needs. Its solution caters to small and medium-sized businesses across Africa.

Shopstar

Venture Round in 2022
Shopstar operates an online shopping platform designed to assist South African businesses in selling products online. The platform offers comprehensive e-commerce tools for creating an online store, a built-in dropshipping network, and professional design and marketing services, enabling local entrepreneurs to expand their customer base.

Pharmacy Marts

Seed Round in 2022
Pharmacy Marts is an online business-to-business marketplace that connects pharmacists with multiple suppliers to source daily prescriptions and pharmacy supplies. Founded in 2021 and based in Cairo, Egypt, the platform combines fintech and logistics features to offer discounts on medications from various warehouses, with no delivery charges for orders. It enables medical suppliers to list products and allows pharmacists to compare offers in a single location to fulfill daily supply requests.

Zuri Health

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Founded in 2020, Zuri Health is a Kenyan telemedicine company offering affordable healthcare solutions via apps, websites, and SMS. It facilitates lab tests, doctor consultations, medication delivery, and home visits.

DigsConnect.com

Seed Round in 2022
DigsConnect is a leading student accommodation marketplace based in Cape Town, South Africa, established in 2017. The platform facilitates connections between property owners and student tenants, as well as between students seeking roommates. By providing a user-friendly interface, DigsConnect enables students to find affordable and safe accommodation options near educational institutions. The company aims to foster a community where individuals can discover suitable living arrangements while building lasting friendships. With a focus on real-time accommodation searches, DigsConnect is committed to addressing the specific needs of its users, ensuring a streamlined experience in the often challenging process of finding student housing.

Africa Foresight Group

Series A in 2022
Africa Foresight Group Ltd is a consulting firm that operates as a freelancing platform, connecting businesses, investment funds, and development partners with a network of freelance management consultants across Africa. Incorporated in 2016 and based in London, with an additional office in Accra, Ghana, the company specializes in a variety of services, including market entry strategy, organizational transformation, business turnaround, and due diligence support. It also offers expertise in creating pitch decks, conducting employee surveys, and performing market and sector studies. Africa Foresight Group serves diverse industries such as agribusiness, renewable energy, education, health, finance, and fast-moving consumer goods, enabling clients to harness local talent and resources for growth and development.

GOMYCODE

Venture Round in 2022
GoMyCode is an educational platform that focuses on equipping students with essential digital skills through a blend of online and offline learning experiences. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Tunis, Tunisia, the company has expanded its presence to Algeria, France, and Morocco. GoMyCode offers a range of training programs in areas such as artificial intelligence, web development, deep learning, DevOps, UX design, and digital marketing. By utilizing data-driven assessments and matching techniques, the platform not only enhances learners' skills but also connects them with global tech opportunities. Its innovative approach aims to empower individuals by providing them with the knowledge and competencies needed for the future workforce.

Credrails

Seed Round in 2022
Credrails is a fintech company that specializes in providing infrastructure for open banking. It connects diverse financial data sources such as banks and mobile money services via a unified API, facilitating seamless money transfers and fostering interoperability within Africa's digital economy.

Elevate Pay

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Elevate Pay is a financial technology company developing a digital banking platform that provides regulated banking services and consumer financial products. The platform enables online account opening, fee-free SDG and USD bank accounts, a free USD Mastercard, and transfers within Sudan as well as free international transfers from several countries, supporting accessible and inclusive financial services.

Carscan

Venture Round in 2022
Carscan develops an augmented reality mobile application that tracks the visible condition of vehicles throughout their lifecycle. Embedded with artificial intelligence, it creates a traceable digital record, facilitating various automotive services while mitigating fraud risks.

Amitruck

Seed Round in 2022
Amitruck is a mobile and web-based trucking logistics platform based in Nairobi, Kenya, founded in 2018. It connects cargo owners with transporters, enabling users to book deliveries via its online platform and access a driver app to coordinate with drivers. The platform supports real-time shipment tracking, instant quotes, and proximity-based truck availability, delivering end-to-end visibility and streamlined communication throughout the delivery process.

Orcas

Seed Round in 2022
Orcas Solutions Limited operates an online marketplace that connects parents and students with experienced and reliable private tutors and babysitters in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. Founded in 2014 and based in Cairo, the company provides a hybrid tutoring platform that offers live tutoring sessions along with personalized learning plans and courses. This approach enables students to receive tailored educational experiences, enhancing their learning and making education more enjoyable. Through its services, Orcas Solutions aims to empower students and support families in finding quality educational and childcare resources.

Numida

Seed Round in 2022
Numida Technologies is a digital financial institution based in Kampala, Uganda, founded in 2015. The company specializes in serving micro- and small businesses in East Africa by offering application software that helps these enterprises maintain up-to-date digital financial records. Numida's proprietary credit scoring system enables it to provide unsecured growth and working capital loans to businesses, which not only results in high portfolio yields but also significantly impacts the livelihoods of borrowers. The platform aims to lower risks and costs for lending institutions, leading to improved lending terms for borrowers and fostering a thriving small business sector that creates employment, increases tax revenues, and enhances living standards for entrepreneurs and their staff.

Maad

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Maad is a rapidly growing B2B marketplace based in Dakar, Senegal, serving Francophone Africa. It offers a tech-driven solution that enables retailers to order products from its one-stop shop and access working capital loans.

Kwara

Seed Round in 2021
Kwara GmbH is a technology company that specializes in developing a digital banking platform tailored for savings and credit co-operative societies (SACCOs). Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Berlin, Germany, with an additional office in Nairobi, Kenya, Kwara aims to modernize credit unions by providing a comprehensive cloud-based solution. The platform facilitates loan application servicing and approval for members, while also offering integration services, customer support, real-time financial tracking, and compliance assistance. Kwara's offerings include Kwara Pronto, a tool for managing loans. Currently, the company serves over 200 SACCOs across Kenya, South Africa, and the Philippines, enabling these financial institutions to enhance their operations and improve access to formal financial services.

Docspert Health

Seed Round in 2021
Docspert Health is a telemedicine platform that connects patients in the Middle East and Africa with international medical experts through video consultations. The company aims to provide inclusive and accessible healthcare by leveraging technology to facilitate appointments with healthcare professionals. Its services include telehealth consultations and access to medical equipment, allowing patients to initiate treatment promptly and effectively. By focusing on patient-centered care, Docspert Health enhances the healthcare experience for individuals seeking specialized medical advice and support from experts across the globe.

Yobante Express

Seed Round in 2021
Yobante Express is a logistics technology company transforming cross-border and last-mile parcel delivery in Africa. It offers full traceability, exceptional customer support, and a resilient network of relay points and independent carriers for fast, affordable, and reliable deliveries with minimal merchandise loss or damage.

Edves

Seed Round in 2021
Edves is a digital infrastructure provider for K-12 schools in Africa that designs AI-powered school and learning management software to automate processes from enrollment to graduation. Its platform supports enrollment, fees payment, online learning, e-books, video tutorials and virtual classrooms, with analytics on student and school performance. The solution is used by more than 1,700 schools across 11 countries, enabling educators, school owners, and government agencies to track performance, identify fee defaulters, generate annual reports, and streamline administrative and learning operations to improve learning outcomes.

Releaf

Seed Round in 2021
Founded in Nigeria in 2017, Releaf operates as an online marketplace connecting buyers and sellers of various agricultural products such as cassava, palm oil, ginger, cashew nuts, fish, maize, cocoa, kola nuts, yam, and sesame seeds. It also provides extension services to smallholders, acts as a buyer for their products, and converts raw materials into factory-grade inputs.

Kashat

Convertible Note in 2021
Kashat is an Egypt-based mobile financial services company that provides instant microloans through a digital app. It targets unbanked and underbanked individuals by underwriting loans using alternative data to create a credit history, enabling customers to build a financial identity. The service offers small, short-term credit with flexible repayment options and disburses funds via mobile wallets and digital payments. The entire process is digital and paperless, streamlining application and approval through the mobile app. Kashat operates under the regulatory oversight of Egypt’s Financial Regulatory Authority.

Elmetr inc. (500 startups portfolio company)

Venture Round in 2021
Elmetr Inc. operates an online legal platform aimed at connecting users in Egypt and the Middle East with suitable lawyers for various legal needs, including family law, commercial law, criminal law, and administrative judiciary matters. By providing a comprehensive lead-generation hub for legal professionals, Elmetr enhances transparency in legal case handling and facilitates improved client reviews. The platform features detailed lawyer profiles, enabling better specialization and sub-specialization within the legal field. Additionally, it streamlines case management, billing, and client interactions, ultimately increasing the reach of law offices and elevating the quality of legal services available to clients.

OmniRetail

Seed Round in 2021
OmniRetail is a B2B e-commerce platform founded in 2019, headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. It aims to digitize the consumer goods supply chain from manufacturers through distributors to retailers, improving reliability, visibility, and financial capabilities.

MVX

Seed Round in 2021
MVX is a digital platform that addresses the challenges of fragmented and costly freight shipping processes, particularly in the maritime trade and logistics sector. It connects cargo owners and shippers, facilitating a more efficient freight ecosystem. The platform offers real-time visibility into shipment status, optimizing pickups and deliveries while managing vessel utilization and availability at competitive market rates. MVX aims to streamline the trading of goods in, within, and out of Africa, enabling businesses to charter and manage offshore support vessels effectively. By enhancing operational efficiency, reducing man-hours, and lowering costs, MVX supports clients in improving their overall performance in global trade.

Orcas

Venture Round in 2021
Orcas Solutions Limited operates an online marketplace that connects parents and students with experienced and reliable private tutors and babysitters in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. Founded in 2014 and based in Cairo, the company provides a hybrid tutoring platform that offers live tutoring sessions along with personalized learning plans and courses. This approach enables students to receive tailored educational experiences, enhancing their learning and making education more enjoyable. Through its services, Orcas Solutions aims to empower students and support families in finding quality educational and childcare resources.

MarketForce

Seed Round in 2021
Founded in 2018, MarketForce is a technology company based in the US, Kenya, and Nigeria. It operates an asset-light business model, providing a comprehensive B2B commerce and fintech platform, 'RejaReja', empowering African merchants to digitize their inventory sourcing, ordering, payments, and access financing. The platform also enables merchants to resell digital financial services like airtime and bill payments. MarketForce is operational in five Sub-Saharan African markets, serving over 200,000 merchants and 50 consumer brands.

Rivy

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Rivy is making it easier to finance small and medium sized businesses in Africa. There is a need for financing of $158 bn for SMEs in Nigeria alone. To start, Rivy o helps SMEs access and spend lender capital effectively. During their first full operational year in 2020, the Rivy o co--founders leveraged their domain expertise and founding experience to beat their 2020 goal by 50%.

Pawame

Venture Round in 2021
Founded in 2016, Pawame develops off-grid solar home systems for households in sub-Saharan Africa. Its solar kits include panels, LED lights, switches, flashlights, radios, phone chargers, and a pay-as-you-go mobile money platform. The company uses data from its platform to provide additional services like electrical appliances, micro-insurance, education loans, and remote health services.

Bypa-ss

Convertible Note in 2021
Bypa-ss is a health-tech startup based in Egypt focused on digitizing health information exchange to enhance the quality of care for both healthcare providers and patients. The company's primary offering, HealthTag, is a versatile platform that connects individuals, physicians, pharmacies, laboratories, and radiology centers, facilitating better communication and interaction between all parties involved in healthcare. By enabling patients to share their experiences and feedback about medical facilities and professionals, Bypa-ss empowers users to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare options. This innovative approach aims to streamline healthcare processes and improve overall patient outcomes in the region.

Alpha Direct

Seed Round in 2021
Alpha Direct is an Africa-focused Insurtech company headquartered in Botswana. It leverages cloud technology, big data, and AI to deliver innovative insurance products tailored for Africa's growing consumer market.

Kidato

Seed Round in 2021
Kidato is an online school offering affordable, high-quality education to K-12 students in Africa's growing middle class. It maintains a student-to-teacher ratio of 5:1 and integrates extracurricular activities for socialization.

Trove

Seed Round in 2021
Trove Technologies Limited operates an online platform designed to facilitate investment in a range of securities, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and cryptocurrencies. Based in Lekki, Nigeria, Trove aims to simplify the investment process for beginners by providing an accessible application that allows users to easily find and select investment opportunities. The platform features a user-friendly KYC process, brokerage services, and a personalized news feed related to the assets traded. Trove enables investors to participate in both local and international markets, offering access to Nigerian stocks, government bonds, and a selection of cryptocurrency assets. Through its seamless approach to micro-investing, Trove empowers users to engage with the financial markets with ease.

Ramani

Seed Round in 2021
Founded in 2020, Ramani is a software company based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It specializes in developing applications for sales teams to track inventory, register customers, and record sales transactions in real-time.

Peach Payments

Venture Round in 2021
Peach Payments is a company that specializes in providing payment solutions for online and mobile businesses, facilitating the acceptance of payments from consumers worldwide, with a strong emphasis on emerging markets, particularly in Africa and the BRIC countries. The company has developed an online payment platform that offers a variety of electronic payment services. This platform features a well-documented API for easy integration, allows payment collection through email and SMS, and includes secure tokenization for storing card data. Additionally, it enhances user experience by enabling one-click checkouts, ensuring a safe and efficient transaction process across all digital channels.

Wella Health

Venture Round in 2021
WellaHealth is a startup focused on improving healthcare access for low-income individuals and families in Nigeria. The company has developed a digital triage bot that provides guidance based on the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control guidelines, allowing users to log their health responses for potential follow-up by public health authorities. In addition to this innovative tool, WellaHealth offers micro-health insurance plans that target prevalent diseases, providing affordable coverage for treatments and medications. Their platform connects users to a network of pharmacies and healthcare professionals, enabling them to manage their health needs without facing significant financial strain.

Cassbana

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Cassbana is a financial lending platform based in Egypt that focuses on building financial identities for underserved communities. The company employs artificial intelligence and machine learning to create a behavior-based credit scoring system, which assesses individuals and businesses' access to credit. By analyzing behavior patterns, Cassbana enables financial institutions to make low-risk investments while providing micro-lending and monetary payment options. This approach facilitates short-term financing for small businesses and individuals, enhancing their access to essential financial resources.

uqudo

Venture Round in 2021
uqudo is a digital identity company that builds an identity layer to enable trusted, cross-border onboarding across sectors. It uses biometric verification, certified 3D liveness, NFC-based passport reading, cognitive document analysis, AI and blockchain to deliver fast, secure onboarding while helping organisations comply with KYC, AML and CDD and reduce fraud. Headquartered in the United Kingdom with offices in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Thailand, it serves banks, telcos, insurers, fintechs and startups, supporting cross-border and cross-industry digital ecosystems where users control their data. The company pursues inclusive, sustainable digital identity aligned with global standards and aims to enable trustworthy data sharing and broader digital transformation for businesses and people.

VIA Global Health

Seed Round in 2021
Founded in 2015, VIA Global Health operates a global marketplace connecting medical distributors with affordable medical device manufacturers. It offers access to over 50,000 products, streamlining the supply chain and making it faster, easier, and more affordable for healthcare professionals worldwide to acquire essential tools.
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