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 Sub Saharan Africa

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.

Tendo

Convertible Note in 2021
Tendo designs and develops a platform, which allows people to resell ready-to-ship products available on the platform. The company sources products from different suppliers and delivers it to the customers of the resellers. Tendo was founded in 2019 and is based in Accra, Ghana.

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.

Amitruck

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Amitruck Limited is a Nairobi-based company that operates a mobile and web-based logistics platform designed to connect cargo owners with trucking professionals. Founded in 2018, Amitruck streamlines the delivery process by allowing customers to book shipments through its online platform. The company has developed a driver application that enables transporters to access client requests and communicate seamlessly. Users can track their deliveries in real time, receive instant quotes, and find the nearest available trucks, ensuring timely updates on their shipments. Amitruck’s innovative approach provides complete visibility throughout the delivery process, enhancing efficiency for both clients and drivers.

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.

Amitruck

Convertible Note in 2021
Amitruck Limited is a Nairobi-based company that operates a mobile and web-based logistics platform designed to connect cargo owners with trucking professionals. Founded in 2018, Amitruck streamlines the delivery process by allowing customers to book shipments through its online platform. The company has developed a driver application that enables transporters to access client requests and communicate seamlessly. Users can track their deliveries in real time, receive instant quotes, and find the nearest available trucks, ensuring timely updates on their shipments. Amitruck’s innovative approach provides complete visibility throughout the delivery process, enhancing efficiency for both clients and drivers.

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.

Gozem

Seed Round in 2020
Gozem is a transport technology platform for Francophone West and Central Africa.

Gozem

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Gozem is a transport technology platform for Francophone West and Central Africa.

Dapi

Convertible Note in 2020
Dapi Ltd is a fintech company that specializes in developing application programming interfaces (APIs) to facilitate payments between consumer bank accounts and businesses. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Abu Dhabi, the company provides a suite of open banking APIs designed to connect customer bank accounts, initiate payments, and access financial data in real-time. Dapi acts as an intermediary between financial applications and banks, enabling developers to create solutions such as digital wallets, budget trackers, and investment applications. Its services allow fintech companies to initiate payments through banks and offer financial services based on customer bank statement data. Dapi operates in multiple countries, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, South Africa, and Kuwait, and has demonstrated significant demand for its offerings, achieving substantial growth in annual recurring revenue.

Antara, Inc.

Venture Round in 2019
Antara, Inc. provides research and shop services for various health coverage and related products offered by third parties. The company offers appointment and referrals, physical therapy, fitness and nutritional support, medication services and home delivery, virtual care, care management support and follow up, health education, national hospital insurance funds (NHIF) enrollment, preventive healthcare, emergency transport, and other related services. The company was founded in 2019 and is based in Sanford, North Carolina.

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.

WorldCover

Seed Round in 2018
WorldCover is a company that focuses on providing satellite-enabled insurance to protect farmers from natural disasters, particularly droughts. Founded in 2015 by professionals from MIT in computer science and finance, WorldCover operates a peer-to-peer risk relief network aimed at addressing the significant climate risks affecting agriculture, estimated at $100 billion globally. Headquartered in New York, the company also has operations in Ghana. By leveraging mobile money technology, WorldCover aims to improve food and income security for smallholder farmers in developing countries, a demographic that includes over 70% of the 2.5 billion people living at the base of the economic pyramid, who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.

Centriq Insurance

Seed Round in 2017
Centriq Insurance is a provider of insurance broking services, specializing in insurance brokerage, employee benefits, and consulting services. In addition to insurance, the company develops a home management platform that connects homeowners with essential information about their appliances, building systems, and electronics. This platform allows users to access digital user manuals, maintenance schedules, troubleshooting guides, and how-to videos, all conveniently through a smartphone application. The service also caters to professionals such as realtors, contractors, and insurance brokers, facilitating a comprehensive approach to home management and insurance needs. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Mill Valley, California, Centriq aims to simplify the management of home information for homeowners and professionals alike.

BitPesa

Series A in 2017
BitPesa Ltd., founded in 2013 and based in Karen, Kenya, is a digital currency exchange that specializes in converting Bitcoin to Kenyan Shillings. The company operates an online platform that utilizes blockchain technology to facilitate business payments and trade between Africa and global markets. BitPesa aims to lower transaction costs and enhance the speed of payments, making it easier for businesses in frontier markets to engage in international trade. By offering a streamlined solution for both cryptocurrency traders and businesses, BitPesa plays a crucial role in connecting African economies with suppliers and partners around the world.