There are many good reasons to invest in Africa, investors should know that the region will test their patience. The African markets are unstable, and time horizons don’t always work. Even the most sophisticated companies might need to revise their business plans, like Nestle did last year in 21 African countries. Many countries also have deficits. It will take strong and resourceful investors to bridge these gaps and bring greater prosperity to Africans.
The $71 Million TLcom Capital’s TIDE Africa Fund
TLcom Capital’s latest venture has been closed at an estimated $71 million. The funds’ predecessor closed in January of last year, and TLcom, Bio, CDC Group, and investors looking for projects to fund in namibia Sango Capital contributed five million dollars. The first fund was invested in tech companies in Kenya and Nigeria. TIDE Africa II will be focusing on East African fintech companies. The investment firm also has offices in Nigeria and Kenya. TLcom’s portfolio comprises Twiga Foods and Andela as in addition to uLesson and Kobo360. Each company is worth $500,000 to $10 million.
TLcom is an Nairobi-based VC company has more than $200 million under management. Omobola Johnson is one of the company’s Managing Partner. He has been instrumental in helping create more than a dozen technology companies across the continent, including Twiga Foods, and a logistical trucking business. Omobola Johnson (a former minister of technology and communication in Nigeria) is part of the investment firm’s team.
TIDE Africa is an equity investment fund which invests in growth stage tech companies in SSA. It will invest between $500,000 to $10 million in early-stage companies, with a focus on Series A and II rounds. The fund will be primarily focused on Anglophone Africa but it plans to invest in Eastern and Southern African countries. In Kenya for instance, TIDE has invested in five high-growth digital companies.
Omidyar Network’s $71 million TEEP Fund
The Omidyar Network, a US-based company that invests in philanthropy, private investor looking for projects to fund hopes to invest $100-$200 millions in India over the course of five years. The fund was founded by eBay co-founder Pierre Omidyar and has invested $113 million in 35 Indian companies since 2010. In India the company invests in consumer internet, entrepreneurship financial inclusion, government transparency property rights, as well as firms with social impact.
The Omidyar Network’s TEEP Fund invests in projects that improve access to government information. Its aim is to find nonprofits that utilize technology to develop public information portals and tools for citizens. The network believes that having access to government data increases the public’s knowledge of government processes, and can lead to a more engaged society that ensures that government officials are accountable. Imaginable Futures will invest the funds into nonprofit and for-profit organizations focusing on education and health.
Raise
You should choose a company that is Africa-centric if you are looking to raise funds for your African startup. TLcom Capital, a fund manager with its headquarters in London is one of these companies. Its African investments have attracted the attention of angel investors, and the company has raised funds in Nigeria and Kenya. TLcom recently announced the launch a new fund of $71 million to invest in 12 startups before they reach profitability.
The capital market is becoming increasingly aware of the potential appeal of Africa venture capital. Private investors are increasingly seeing the potential for growth in Africa and don’t need to be restricted by institutional investors. This means that raising money is much simpler than in the past. Raise allows businesses to close deals in half of the time and is free of any institutional constraints. There is no one way to raise money for African investors.
The first step is to learn what investors think about African investments. While YC hype appeals to a lot of investors It is crucial to take a look beyond the Silicon Valley giant and Agenda 2063 of the African Union. African startups are now looking for the YC signal to make contact with US investors. Kyane Kassiri is an Tunisian venture capitalist, has recently spoke about the importance of the YC signal when it comes to raising money for African investors.
GetEquity
In July 2021, GetEquity is an investment platform based in Nigeria that aims to make it easier for startups to access funding in Africa. It hopes to make funding African startups accessible to everyone by bringing top capital raising tools for any startup. It has already helped a number of startups to raise more than $150,000 from investors from all over the world. Additionally, it offers a secondary market for investors to purchase other people’s tokens.
In contrast to equity crowdfunding, investing into companies in the early stages can be an extremely exclusive business. It is typically only available to the most prominent individual angel investors, capital institutions and syndicates. It isn’t often accessible to family and friends. However, new companies are trying to change this privilege by increasing access to startup funds in Africa. It is available for Android and iOS devices. It is free to use.
The GetEquity’s cryptocurrency-based wallet is accessible to investors. This allows investors to invest in startups from Africa. Investors can invest as low as $10 in African startups through crypto funds. Although this might seem like an insignificant amount compared to traditional equity funding however, it’s an enormous amount of cash. Following the recent demise of Paystack by Spark Capital GetEquity has become a strong ecosystem for African investors looking to invest in Africa.
Bamboo
Bamboo’s first hurdle is convincing young Africans to invest on the platform. Up until now investors in Africa were limited to a few options: foreign direct investment (FDI), crowdfunding, and old finance companies. A mere third of the African population has invested in any platform. However, the company says it’s expanding into other parts of Africa and plans to launch in Ghana in April 2021. More than 50.000 Ghanaians are on the waiting list as of this writing.
Africans don’t have many options to save money. The value of the currency is decreasing against the dollar due to an increase of close to 16%. The investment of dollars can help you to protect yourself against inflation and falling dollar. Bamboo is a platform that has seen rapid growth in the past two years, is one platform that lets Africans invest in U.S. stock options. Bamboo plans to begin operations in Ghana in April 2021, and already has over 50k users waiting to gain access.
Once they have registered, investors can fund their accounts with just $20. You can fund your wallet using credit cards, bank transfers, or credit cards. Then, they can trade ETFs, stocks, and stocks and receive market updates. Bamboo’s platform is secured at the bank level and therefore anyone in Africa can use it provided they have a valid Nigerian Bank Verification number. Bamboo’s services can also be used by professional investment advisers.
Chaka
There are a number of reasons why Nigeria is a hub for legitimate investment and business. Its movie and entertainment industry is among the largest in the world and the country’s growing fintech sector has led to a boom in startup formation and VC activity. One of the most prominent backers of Chaka, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, told TechCrunch that the country’s progressive trends will eventually open doors to a brand new group of investors. Chaka also received seed-funds from Microtraction which is run by Michael Seibel, CEO of Y Combinator.
The deteriorating US-China relationship has increased Beijing’s interest in African investments. The trade war, and the rising anti-China sentiment make it more attractive for investors to look beyond the US to invest in African companies. The African continent is home to large, emerging economies, however, rbc2020.kr the majority of markets are too small to support venture-sized businesses. The founders of companies in Africa should be prepared to adopt an expansion mindset and lock in a consistent expansion story.
The Central Securities Clearing System oversees the Nigerian Stock Exchange, making it a safe and secure platform to invest in African stocks. Chaka is free to join and offers the possibility of earning a 0.5% commission on every trade. Cash withdrawals are able to take as long as 12 hours. Refunds for shares that were sold, on the other hand can take as long as three days. Both are handled locally.
Rise
The rising number of investors eager to invest in Africa is good news for Africa. The economy is stable and its governance is sound, which attracts international investors. This growth has raised the standard of living in Africa. Africa is still a risky investment area. Investors must be cautious and conduct their own studies. There are many opportunities for investment in Africa, but the continent needs to improve its infrastructure to draw foreign capital. African governments must collaborate to create more business-friendly environment and improve the business environment in the near future.
The United States is more willing to invest in the economies of Africa via foreign direct investment. In 2013, U.S. governments helped develop a major financing for healthcare facility in Senegal. The U.S. government also supported the development of new technologies in Africa and helped pharmacies in Nigeria and Kenya stock high-quality medicine. This investment can help create jobs and foster long-term partnerships between the U.S.A and Africa.
While there are several opportunities available in the African stock market, it is vital to know the market and carry out due diligence to ensure you don’t make a loss. If you’re a smaller investor, it’s a great idea to invest in an exchange traded fund (ETFs) which track the performance of a variety of Sub-Saharan African businesses. For 5mfunding.Com U.S. investors, American depositary receipts (ADRs) are a simple way to trade African stocks in the U.S. stock market.