TLcom closes Africa’s largest early-stage enterprise capital fund for $154 million

Sarah Smith
Sarah Smith

World Courant

At the moment, TLcom capital, the Africa-focused enterprise capital agency introduced the ultimate closing of TIDE Africa Fund II, its second expertise fund in Africa, at $154 million. The brand new fund cements TLcom Capital’s standing as Africa’s largest Seed and Collection A investor and accelerates the corporate’s mission to accomplice with elite founders to deal with Africa’s largest and most advanced challenges with modern options that can unlock monumental worth within the continent’s crucial sectors.

TIDE Africa Fund II, which is greater than twice the dimensions of TLcom Capital’s first fund, is oversubscribed and options participation from a number of new high-profile LPs along with returning LPs from the agency’s first Africa-focused fund, TIDE Africa Fund I, which closed in 2020. These embody the European Funding Financial institution (EIB), Allianz And DEG affect‘s three way partnership, AfricaGrowing, Visa Basis And Bertelsmann.

With this second fund, TLcom Capital maintains its early-stage multi-sector focus and expands its mandate past sub-Saharan Africa to Egypt. TIDE Africa Fund II will make preliminary investments of $1 million to $3 million, retaining vital follow-on capability to help robust portfolio performers of their progress levels, the place the fund continues to see super upside potential. Constructing on TLcom Capital’s established presence in West and East Africa, the fund has already made its first investments in South Africa and Egypt with Small fisha software program firm that powers funds and banking merchandise for retail-focused SMEs, headquartered in Cape City, and ILLA, a medium-sized logistics platform headquartered in Cairo.

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Maurizio Caio, Founder and Managing Associate at TLcom Capital, stated: “TLcom is now amongst a small variety of enterprise capital companies which have raised a number of substantial funds for expertise in Africa. This can be a testomony to the standard of our staff and the belief now we have constructed with our restricted companions. It is usually an essential affirmation of our long-term imaginative and prescient of Africa’s monumental advantages.”

“We preserve the identical funding technique for TIDE Africa Fund II as for our first fund, which made greater than 80% of its investments in Seed or Collection A. With this newest closure, we’re happy that TLcom is in an equal place. a stronger place to proceed working with Africa’s most proficient entrepreneurs from the beginning of their enterprise constructing journey. We’re additionally excited to spend extra time within the Egyptian ecosystem and make investments alongside essentially the most lively native funds. TLcom is effectively on its strategy to realizing our ambition to turn into Africa’s most sought-after early-stage VC and a really pan-African firm.”

With probably the most spectacular early-stage portfolios in African expertise, TLcom Capital is backing among the continent’s fastest-growing startups, together with uLesson, Autocheck, Pula, Trustworthy cashAnd Andela, one of many continent’s six unicorn corporations. The corporate has a stable observe report of attracting Africa’s most profitable returning founders, together with Sim Shagaya (founding father of uLesson, Konga and DealDey), Etop Ikpe (founding father of Autochek and Cars45) and Grant Brooke (co-founder of Shara and Twiga).

Since TLcom Capital introduced the primary shut of TIDE Africa Fund II in January 2022, the agency has additionally considerably expanded its staff and elevated funding and operational capability by doubling its headcount to fifteen staff, together with new funding professionals in Nigeria and Kenya.

“Throughout Africa, entry to capital stays restricted, particularly for early-stage startups,” stated Ambroise Fayolle, vice chairman and head of investments on the European Funding Financial institution. “On the similar time, a younger, technologically savvy inhabitants offers fertile floor for younger corporations. The African startup ecosystem has the potential to drive inclusive financial progress and promote optimistic social change, which the EIB is dedicated to supporting. By way of our funding in TLcom’s TIDE Africa II Fund, we count on to construct on the success and affect of the primary TIDE Africa Fund, offering much-needed capital to essentially the most promising high-growth corporations.”

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“Our funding in TIDE Africa Fund II demonstrates our dedication to serving to construct robust economies the place companies can thrive and generate substantial monetary and affect returns. We’re impressed by TLcom’s observe report of supporting visionary entrepreneurs in creating high-growth enterprise fashions that may capitalize on Africa’s vital financial potential,” stated Najada Kumbuli, Vice President & Head of Investments at Visa Basis. “The corporate’s alignment with Visa Basis’s mission reinforces our confidence that our capital, by means of this partnership, will assist create the subsequent era of profitable and numerous entrepreneurs who will form the way forward for the continent.”

With its new fund, TLcom Capital plans to deploy vital extra capital into female-founded African tech startups, constructing on the corporate’s June 2022 co-investment dedication of $2 million in Examine Africa first, a pre-seed fund geared toward girls. TLcom Capital’s dedication to gender stability is mirrored in its Partnership and Funding Committee composed of largely girls.

TLcom Capital at present has over $300 million underneath administration. The portfolio has 17 startups, together with Andela, Ajua, Autochek, trustworthy cash, IlaraHealth, ILLA, Kobo360, small fish, Okay, Pula, Seamless HR, Shara, Terragon group, Twiga, uLes, Vendease And Zone.

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TLcom closes Africa’s largest early-stage enterprise capital fund for $154 million

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