Launch Africa
Launch Africa Ventures is a Mauritius-domiciled, Cape Town–operated pan-African venture capital firm backing 180+ early- and growth-stage tech startups across 25 countries via Fund I ($36.3M), Fund II ($75M target), a Mezzanine Impact Fund, and advisory mandates such as the Botswana Tech Fund, serving 400+ global LPs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersEbène, Mauritius
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Launch Africa does
Launch Africa (Launch Africa Ventures) is a Mauritius-registered, Cape Town–operated venture capital firm that backs early- and growth-stage technology companies across the African continent. Founded in 2020 by Zachariah George and Janade du Plessis, the firm operates Fund I ($36.3M, closed March 2022), Fund II ($75M target), and has expanded into adjacent vehicles including the Mezzanine Impact Fund (launched September 2024) and a third mezzanine-structured fund. As of recent reporting, the firm manages a portfolio of 180+ companies across 25 African countries, with reported metrics of 31% IRR, up to 5.0x MoIC on exits, ~90% of Fund I portfolio still operational, and its first LP cash distribution of approximately $2.5M (~7% of paid-in) in June 2026. In April 2026, it was appointed investment advisor to the Botswana Tech Fund targeting £50M for tech and innovation, extending its mandate beyond direct fund vehicles into third-party advisory.
The firm runs a multi-vehicle capital stack — equity early-stage (Funds I and II) plus growth-stage mezzanine/debt-plus-equity (Mezzanine Impact Fund, Fund III) — and is supported by 400+ LPs across 45+ countries. Its revenue model rests on traditional VC economics: annual management fees (typically ~2%) on committed/invested AUM across multiple fund vintages, plus advisory fees from third-party mandates (notably the Botswana Tech Fund) and carried interest contingent on realizations. The firm maintains a high deal-flow cadence (200–400 deals reviewed monthly) and has been ranked the most active VC in Africa in H1 2024 and a top-3 SaaS investor on the continent. Operationally, the firm is led by co-founders George and du Plessis with Margaret O'Connor as Chairperson, and a team of 11–50 professionals distributed across Africa and supported by Mauritius-domiciled VCC/PCC fund structures that enable tax-efficient cross-border LP servicing.
Strategically, Launch Africa is repositioning from a single early-stage African VC into a multi-strategy African investment platform: scaling AUM through Fund II and III, layering in mezzanine/impact products for yield-oriented LPs, and securing third-party advisory mandates (Botswana Tech Fund) to diversify revenue. Capital deployment has expanded across fintech, SaaS, climate-tech, carbon credits, e-mobility, and other verticals, with notable portfolio exposure including Kredete, Yamify, and other African tech names. Key forward-looking milestones include completing Fund II's $75M raise, executing follow-on vintages via the Mezzanine Impact Fund and Fund III, and growing DPI from Fund I exits.
Launch Africa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Launch Africa
- Legal name
- Launch Africa Ventures
- Website
- https://launchafrica.vc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Launch Africa Ventures is a Mauritius-domiciled, Cape Town–operated pan-African venture capital firm backing 180+ early- and growth-stage tech startups across 25 countries via Fund I ($36.3M), Fund II ($75M target), a Mezzanine Impact Fund, and advisory mandates such as the Botswana Tech Fund, serving 400+ global LPs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Launch Africa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Venture Capital Fundraising Placement (FSAEALAC), Venture Capital Fund-of-Funds / Multi-Manager Platforms (FSANAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Launch Africa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ebène
- HQ country
- Mauritius
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices4 records
Markets served
Launch Africa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Venture capital fund management fees & carried interest: Launch Africa earns revenue as a venture capital fund manager through management fees on assets under management across its funds (Seed Fund I $36.3M, Seed Fund II targeting $75M, plus a third mezzanine-structured fund in formation) and carried interest on realized profits from portfolio exits. The model is recurring (management fees during fund life) plus performance-based (carried interest on distributions).
- Investment advisory on third-party vehicles: Fee-earning advisory mandate to manage third-party capital pools, exemplified by the appointment as investment advisor to the £50M Botswana Tech Fund (Phase One £5M deployable across pre-seed and growth-stage), extending the managed-accounts model to outside LPs anchored by Pula Investments.
- Realized capital gains from secondary and acquisition exits: Returns generated via portfolio liquidity events including partial or full secondary sales at Series A/B, strategic acquisitions, and management buyouts. Across Seed Fund I, 11 completed exits delivered realized multiples up to 5.0x MoIC and a US$2.5M (~7% of paid-in capital) cash distribution to LPs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Seed Fund II standard ticket |
| Other | — | Seed Fund I maximum ticket |
| Other | — | Fund II target size |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Launch Africa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Launch Africa Ventures is a Pan-African venture capital fund manager that invests seed and pre-Series A equity capital into early-stage technology startups across Africa, typically writing cheques of US$200,000–US$500,000 (with up to US$1M in follow-on capacity per company) and providing hands-on support across fundraising, governance, recruiting and operations. The firm raises and manages multiple funds — Seed Fund I (closed at US$36.3M), Seed Fund II (targeting US$75M), and a Mezzanine Impact Fund — and earns revenue through management fees on assets under management, carried interest on realized exits, and investment advisory fees on third-party managed vehicles such as the Botswana Tech Fund.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Launch Africa Ventures Seed Fund I: Inaugural seed fund, closed at US$36.3 million in March 2022, invested in 133 startups across 22 African countries.
- Launch Africa Ventures Seed Fund II
- Launch Africa Mezzanine Impact Fund
Products and services
- Launch Africa Seed Fund I The firm's inaugural pan-African seed venture capital fund, which closed in March 2022 at US$36.3 million and deployed capital into 133 startups across 22 African countries spanning fintech, healthtech, agritech, logistics, edtech, enterprise software, AI, climate technology, embedded insurance, and proptech. Available to limited partners as a closed-end VC fund commitment.
- Launch Africa Seed Fund II Second Pan-African seed fund targeting US$75M close, with a more diversified strategy than Fund I and growing focus on climate-tech, AI, logistics and warehousing. Targets B2B/B2B2C early-stage African startups with standard cheques of US$200,000–US$500,000 and up to US$1M in follow-on capacity per portfolio company. Available to limited partners as a VC fund commitment.
- Launch Africa Mezzanine Impact Fund Mezzanine-structured growth capital fund investing in leading African technology companies that demonstrate strong ESG principles, with a focus on climate-tech, carbon credits, carbon sequestration, and e-mobility platforms. Available to limited partners as a VC fund commitment.
- Launch Africa Fund III (Mezzanine Structure) Third fund in formation as a mezzanine-structured vehicle offering hybrid debt and equity financing, representing a shift from the pure-equity Seed Fund I and II. Available to limited partners as a VC fund commitment.
- Botswana Tech Fund Investment Advisory Mandate Outsourced investment advisory mandate for a third-party capital pool (the £50M Botswana Tech Fund), under which Launch Africa deploys capital across pre-seed and growth-stage technology investments in Southern Africa. Available to government, sovereign or institutional sponsors of regional VC vehicles.
Quantifiable outcome
- First cash distribution of US$2.5M (~7% of paid-in capital) to LPs from Seed Fund I following 11 completed exits, achieving DPI-positive status.
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Launch Africa
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Launch Africa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Launch Africa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.
- DealfuzeminorLaunch Africa Ventures is a confirmed investor participant in Dealfuze's algorithmically curated Online Demo Day (May 20, 2026), a London-based AI-powered investor-founder matchmaking platform focused on the Middle East and Africa, co-hosted with Builders Tribe.
- Builders TribeminorCo-host with Dealfuze of the algorithmically curated Online Demo Day connecting founders from underserved regions with investors including Launch Africa Ventures.
- Botswana Tech FundflagshipLaunch Africa Ventures appointed as investment advisor to the Botswana Tech Fund, a newly established multi-stage venture capital vehicle targeting technology businesses across Southern Africa with a target size of £50 million. Phase One will deploy up to £5 million across pre-seed and growth-stage investments. Martin Davis (former CEO of Molten Ventures) manages the fund, anchored by Pula Investments (Stephen Lansdown's family office). The mandate extends Launch Africa's managed-accounts model to a third-party vehicle aimed at attracting European LPs.
- VC4A (Venture Capital for Africa)coreLaunch Africa Investment Manager Michael Mutie and the firm have worked with VC4A's Jason Delorie (Senior Platform Associate, Mauritius) to provide support to startup founders from Mauritius, including joint panels at the India-Africa Entrepreneurship Forum 2024 on internationalising the Mauritian startup ecosystem.
- La Plage FactoryminorLaunch Africa Ventures ran a session with La Plage Factory, a Mauritian incubator/hub, to engage with founders operating in Mauritius as part of its deal-sourcing and ecosystem development activity.
- Startupbootcamp AfriTechcoreZachariah George and Philip Kiracofe brought Startupbootcamp — one of Europe's largest B2B/B2B2C accelerators — to Africa. Launch Africa ran Startupbootcamp AfriTech for four years (through 2019), producing three cohorts of alumni including Kuda, Yobante Express, and Curacel, which became a key deal-sourcing pipeline for the fund.
- Techstars (via Tech Lab Africa / Barclays partnership)coreZachariah George built the Tech Lab Africa accelerator in partnership with Barclays; Tech Lab Africa was eventually sold to Techstars before George moved on to bring Startupbootcamp to the continent.
- Margaret O'Connor (Chairperson)coreMargaret O'Connor serves as Chairperson on the board of Launch Africa Ventures, providing governance oversight alongside Managing Partners Zachariah George and Janade Du Plessis.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Launch Africa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ventures Platform: Nigerian-anchored early-stage VC with pan-African reach; named alongside Launch Africa as a top-three SaaS investor in Africa by Shizune.co. Closely comparable on stage and sector.
- Microtraction: Nigeria-anchored pre-seed and seed VC providing initial institutional capital to African founders — directly comparable to Launch Africa's earliest stage deployments.
- Ingressive Capital: Pan-African pre-seed and seed VC with a focus on tech-enabled startups, often investing at the same stages and sectors as Launch Africa across Nigeria, Egypt, and Kenya.
- 4DX Ventures: Pan-African early-stage VC investing across multiple African countries with similar geographic breadth to Launch Africa, often co-investing on seed and pre-Series A rounds.
- Novastar Ventures: Pan-African early- and growth-stage investor focused on East/West Africa consumer and B2B opportunities. Directly comparable in stage, geography, and ticket sizing.
- TLcom Capital: Pan-African seed and Series A VC with deep West/East Africa coverage and similar B2B/B2B2C focus. Closely comparable in fund size, stage, and regional strategy.
- Norrsken22: Africa-focused growth-stage investor (formerly Norrsken Impact) with comparable Pan-African coverage and participation in African startup ecosystems where Launch Africa operates.
- LoftyInc Capital: Africa-focused seed/early-stage VC frequently cited alongside Launch Africa as a top-three most active SaaS investor on the continent. Direct peer on stage, geography, and sector focus.
Emerging players
- Speedinvest: European VC with an emerging Africa-focused strategy and similar early-stage, sector-agnostic B2B tilt. Overlaps on co-investor networks and SaaS deal flow.
Broad incumbents
- Partech: Pan-African and global VC investor with significant Africa exposure via Partech Africa Fund II. Operates at Series A and growth stages, overlapping with Launch Africa's later-stage deals and co-investment ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Launch Africa social profiles
Digital presenceLaunch Africa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Launch Africa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Launch Africa subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Launch Africa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Launch Africa M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments191 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Launch Africa
What does Launch Africa do?
Launch Africa Ventures is a Pan-African venture capital fund manager that invests seed and pre-Series A equity capital into early-stage technology startups across Africa, typically writing cheques of US$200,000–US$500,000 (with up to US$1M in follow-on capacity per company) and providing hands-on support across fundraising, governance, recruiting and operations. The firm raises and manages multiple funds — Seed Fund I (closed at US$36.3M), Seed Fund II (targeting US$75M), and a Mezzanine Impact Fund — and earns revenue through management fees on assets under management, carried interest on realized exits, and investment advisory fees on third-party managed vehicles such as the Botswana Tech Fund.
Is Launch Africa a public or private company?
Launch Africa is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Launch Africa founded?
Launch Africa was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Launch Africa based?
Launch Africa is headquartered in Ebène, Mauritius, in the Africa region.
How does Launch Africa make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Venture capital fund management fees & carried interest is the primary driver. The others are investment advisory on third-party vehicles and realized capital gains from secondary and acquisition exits.
Who are Launch Africa's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ventures Platform, Microtraction, Ingressive Capital, 4DX Ventures, Novastar Ventures, TLcom Capital, Norrsken22 and LoftyInc Capital. Speedinvest is listed as an emerging player. Partech is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Launch Africa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Launch Africa.
What industry is Launch Africa in?
Launch Africa's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAA, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed), with a secondary code of FSAEALAC, Venture Capital Fundraising Placement. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.