Plug and Play

Plug and Play, founded in 2006 and based in Sunnyvale, California, operates as a business accelerator and venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage and seed investments in technology startups. The firm runs 12 industry-specific accelerator programs annually, connecting startups with corporate partners and investors to foster collaboration and growth. Plug and Play's investment strategy encompasses a wide range of sectors, including fintech, health and wellness, travel, cybersecurity, and sustainability, allowing it to support diverse startups from any country. The firm provides various resources, including funding, mentorship, office space, and networking opportunities, and has a global presence with offices in North America, Europe, and Asia. Plug and Play has a strong track record, having helped numerous startups secure over $9 billion in funding since its inception. Its programs aim to refine business models and facilitate introductions to potential investors, ultimately contributing to the growth of the startup ecosystem.

Saeed Amidi

Co-Founder & Co-Chief Executive Officer

Kiswana Browne

Associate

Nick Daley

Associate

Gabriela Dow

Co-Founder and Partner

Matt Helmers

Director of Strategy and Innovation

Alex Roudi

Managing Partner, San Diego

Marc Steiner

General Counsel

Jupe Tan

Managing Partner, Asia Pacific & Senior Vice President, Global Operations

Andy Toth

Investment Director

Phillip Vincent

Managing Partner, East Asia

Fan Wen

Associate

Chen Zhao

Managing Partner, China

Past deals in Nigeria

Spleet

Seed Round in 2022
Spleet operates a rental home listing platform focused on delivering affordable and flexible living spaces in Africa. The company offers fully furnished accommodations with various payment and sharing options, catering to the needs of renters seeking convenience and comfort. In addition to housing, Spleet provides essential services such as cleaning and security, enhancing the overall living experience. By making great living spaces more accessible to renters, Spleet aims to facilitate better returns for homeowners while fostering a future of flexible living across the continent. The company envisions a landscape where comfortable living solutions promote freedom, equity, and innovation in Africa.

Pastel

Seed Round in 2022
Pastel supports African businesses by offering tools that help manage their businesses and maximize efficiency.

Youverify

Seed Round in 2022
Youverify Inc., founded in 2017 and based in Lewes, Delaware, specializes in identity verification services for businesses and individuals. The company offers a platform that confirms a user's identity by comparing their identity documents with facial biometrics, utilizing advanced AI technology. In addition, Youverify enables the verification of physical addresses by leveraging a network of over 20,000 field verification officers across Sub-Saharan Africa, ensuring that this process is completed in less than 48 hours. The company's services are supported by access to more than 300 local and global databases, providing a comprehensive solution for identity and address verification through a single API.

TradeBuza

Seed Round in 2022
TradeBuza operates a cloud-based web and mobile platform for out growers, commodities aggregators, exporters, and agricultural processors. Its platform provides real-time visibility, data management, trade finance, and commodities trade solutions. The company is based in Lagos, Nigeria.

Bumpa

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Salescabal is a cloud retail application that allows merchants and retailers to collect customer data and engage with them on their different social network or via traditional media. Salescabal take business from offline to having a complete online presence with a storefront and a companion mobile app to collect customer data in their brick and mortar stores.

Bankly

Seed Round in 2021
Bankly is a digital savings and peer to peer transfer product where users fund their wallet using tokens available on Bankly vouchers nationwide in a “Recharge to save” model. This cash digitisation system is similar to the telco mobile airtime top up and is currently available on MTN and 9mobile networks in Nigeria. Financial services has to be seen through the lenses of a fast moving consumer product in order to reach the last mile and the use of vouchers has been proven to be a successful cash digitisation system by the telecoms industry. Leveraging this existing consumer behaviour to drive financial inclusion, reduce cost of financial services and create a foundation to provide other financial services is where Bankly identifies huge potential and is poised to make an impact.

Bankly

Convertible Note in 2021
Bankly is a digital savings and peer to peer transfer product where users fund their wallet using tokens available on Bankly vouchers nationwide in a “Recharge to save” model. This cash digitisation system is similar to the telco mobile airtime top up and is currently available on MTN and 9mobile networks in Nigeria. Financial services has to be seen through the lenses of a fast moving consumer product in order to reach the last mile and the use of vouchers has been proven to be a successful cash digitisation system by the telecoms industry. Leveraging this existing consumer behaviour to drive financial inclusion, reduce cost of financial services and create a foundation to provide other financial services is where Bankly identifies huge potential and is poised to make an impact.

Helium Health

Series A in 2020
Helium Health is a technology company focused on transforming healthcare in Africa through its electronic health records and hospital management systems. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, the company provides a comprehensive suite of software tools designed to digitize medical records, manage hospital operations, and facilitate financial applications. Its platform features capabilities for managing patient visits, prescriptions, billing, and telemedicine solutions, all accessible from various devices. Additionally, Helium Health offers functionalities such as customizable forms, smart analytics, appointment management, and alerts, which help healthcare providers enhance efficiency, improve patient care, and reduce operational waste. By leveraging technology, Helium Health aspires to become the leading healthcare data exchange in Africa.

Healthlane

Convertible Note in 2020
Healthlane is a healthcare technology company that operates an online application aimed at enhancing access to quality and affordable healthcare services in Africa. Established in 2020 and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, with additional offices in Yaounde, Cameroon, and San Francisco, California, the platform facilitates users in tracking medical appointments and consolidating their health data. It offers features such as virtual medical advice on various health topics, including pregnancy, vaccinations, lab results, family planning, and insurance records. By enabling direct communication with certified doctors, Healthlane empowers individuals to make informed health decisions and efficiently monitor their health status.

InstaDeep

Non Equity Assistance in 2019
InstaDeep Ltd develops and offers artificial intelligence (AI) based decision making systems for enterprise sector. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in London, United Kingdom with additional offices in Paris, France; Tunis, Tunisia; Nairobi, Kenya; and Lagos, Nigeria.