Leslie Ossete

Janade Du Plessis of Launch Africa Ventures and Polo Mohau Leteka of IDF Capital recently shared some valuable insights into the fintech landscape in Africa, stressing on exits in Africa. In their discussion with CNBC Africa, they highlighted some key takeaways that are worth noting. 👉 Firstly, investors are looking for exits, which is why they invest in the first place. 👉 Secondly, big banks and other corporates are struggling to crack the financial inclusion dilemma faced by the continent, which could lead to the acquisition of smaller players. 👉 Thirdly, fintech is a broad space with 9 verticals, so understanding where you play is important. Being agile and able to integrate into other solutions is becoming increasingly important, with embedded solutions on the rise. 👉 Fourthly, fintech is increasingly becoming the basis for access in related sectors like health and education. Improving financial inclusion is seen as the golden thread to improving the lives of African people. 👉 Lastly, the pipeline of deals that are investable is crucial for the growth of fintech in Africa. The discussion also touched on the journeys of women in fintech, with Nicole Dunn of Revio emphasizing the importance of understanding the space, regulation, and adoption of your target market. Regulation is slowly improving, but transparency of processes and controls, stability in institutions and currency across the continent are still lacking, negatively impacting the ability to raise funds. Mélanie Keïta of Melanin Kapital highlighted that the product market is key to getting the right funders on board. Raising funding without this is a challenge, so physically getting into the market you are serving to understand the problem is crucial. Innovative solutions that are fit for the problem can leapfrog startups in solving for financial inclusion. Overall, the fintech landscape in Africa is complex and requires a deep understanding of the market, regulation, and adoption to succeed. Share your thoughts below in the comments 👇 Share the insights by sharing this post with your network ♻ Shout out to Zachariah George for sharing this with us! #fintech #founders #vc #africa #financialinclusion

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🎙️ New Podcast Alert! WT Founder, Nayantara Jha sits down with Zachariah George, Managing Partner of Launch Africa Ventures, to discuss the performance and learnings of LAV Seed Fund 1 portfolio. With USD 31M invested in 133 companies across 22 countries in Seed Fund I Portfolio, this is an episode you don't want to miss! Watch the full video here: https://lnkd.in/gtkWaqMS #WeetrackerPodcast #LaunchAfricaVentures

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Investing in Africa’s Future: Uncap's $33 Million Fund for SMEs As someone with a deep passion for supporting African entrepreneurs, I’m excited to highlight Uncap’s groundbreaking $33 million fund. This innovative, non-dilutive, revenue-based financing model is designed to empower early-stage businesses across the continent without requiring them to give up equity—something I truly believe is critical for sustainable growth. Co-led by Esther Ndeti and Franziska Reh, and backed by global partners like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this fund is set to fuel the future of Africa’s SMEs, which account for 90% of businesses. From agriculture to media, Uncap’s approach will enable entrepreneurs to thrive and retain control over their companies—a vital step in driving real change. I'm inspired by initiatives like this that create opportunities for the next generation of African business leaders to flourish. Are you as excited about these opportunities for our wonderful continent and young entrepreneurs as I am? #AfricanEntrepreneurs #SMEInvestment #BusinessGrowth #InnovationInAfrica #LeadershipInAction

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African VC firm TLcom Capital LLP has closed its second fund, TIDE Africa Fund II, at $154 million, cementing its place as the continent’s largest investor across seed and Series A. “The oversubscribed fund, initially targeted to close at $150 million, attracted participation from over 20 limited partners. Notable investors include the European Investment Bank (EIB), Visa Foundation, Bertelsmann, and AfricaGrow, a joint venture between Allianz and DEG Impact. “TLcom Capital, which focuses on traditional sectors like fintech, mobility, agriculture, healthcare, education, and commerce, has already backed six companies from its new fund, making initial investments ranging from $1 million to $3 million. They include SeamlessHR, FairMoney, Zone, and Vendease. Additionally, the firm has expanded its portfolio to include ILLA, a middle-mile logistics platform, and Littlefish, which enable payments and banking products for SMEs, marking its first investments in Egypt and South Africa, respectively.” https://lnkd.in/eNZGqJhc Maurizio Caio, Omobola Johnson, Eloho Omame, Andreata Muforo, Ido Sum, Wairimu Muriithi, Philippe Griffiths, Francesca Iannilli #funding #fundingnews #vcfunding #venturecapital #startups #tech #fintech #innovation

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