Ventures Platform

What Ventures Platform does

Ventures Platform is a Lagos-headquartered, early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2016 by Kola Aina that backs African technology startups solving for non-consumption and infrastructural gaps across fintech, healthtech, agritech, edtech, and AI. Since inception the firm has discovered and backed more than 90 startups spanning 140+ founders across 6+ countries, with 75+ active portfolio companies and $1BN+ in follow-on capital raised by investees. Notable portfolio outcomes include Paystack (acquired by Stripe), Moniepoint (Africa's newest unicorn at Series C), Piggyvest, LemFi (Series B), Raenest (Series A), Remedial Health (Series A), OmniRetail, SeamlessHR, Termii, and Cybervergent (WEF Technology Pioneer 2025).

The firm's core offering is its venture capital funds, anchored by the recently launched VP Pan-African Fund II ($64M first close, $75M target) following the first institutional fund closed at $46M in December 2022. Around the capital core sits a differentiated Portfolio Support Platform (Platform & Networks) organized around four pillars: fundraising, talent sourcing, regulatory compliance, and distribution. This is reinforced by an in-house founder community (online platform plus WhatsApp layer), an annual multi-day Founders' Retreat, curated ESG and operational toolkits, and discounts on 16+ global SaaS tools including AWS Activate, HubSpot, and Zendesk. The firm also operates proprietary sourcing infrastructure built around an online Typeform pitch intake, a CRM-style portfolio data warehouse, and a dedicated impact reporting microsite.

Ventures Platform generates revenue primarily through management fees (typically ~2% annually) on committed capital under its two institutional funds, with additional upside from carried interest on exits and from sourcing/fund-management fees tied to its role as Technology Fund Manager for the Nigerian government's $617M iDICE program (financed by AfDB, IsDB, AFD). Distribution is founder-led and ecosystem-driven, combining direct online applications, warm introductions from the 140+ founder network, a venture partner bench (Elo Umeh of Terragon, Aicha Toure ex-Orange Money Mali, Innocent Isichei ex-CBN, Desigan Chinniah, Hady Barry ex-Taptap Send/Zipline), and co-investment syndicates with peers including QED Investors, Atlantica Ventures, Y Combinator, Tencent, and Gaingels. The LP base spans IFC, BII, Standard Bank South Africa, Proparco, MSMEDA, AfricaGrow, Norfund, Alder Tree Investment, Michael Seibel, and the Nigerian government via iDICE, with 70% LP retention from Fund I to Fund II.

Name

Ventures Platform

Legal name

Ventures Platform Fund

Website

https://venturesplatform.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early-Stage Venture Capital

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Venture Capital Fundraising Placement (FSAEALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emerging Manager / Seeding Platforms (Multi-Manager) (FSANAGAF)

Keywords

• Early-stage venture capital
• Pan-african tech investing
• Seed-stage funding
• Post-investment support
• African startup funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Lagos

HQ country

Nigeria

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Venture Fund Management Fees & Carried Interest: Primary revenue generated through management fees on committed capital under VP Pan-African Fund II (targeting $75M final close, $64M first close) and the prior $46M fund, plus carried interest on successful exits from the 90+ portfolio companies backed since 2016. Includes DPI upside from exits such as Paystack (acquired by Stripe), LemFi (Series B), Moniepoint (Series C/unicorn), and SeemlessHR.
2. Fund-of-Funds & Co-Investment Capital Deployment: Capital deployment as anchor and co-investor in syndicated rounds (e.g., co-led Cybervergent $3M seed with Atlantica Ventures) generating direct equity returns; also acts as Technology Fund Manager for iDICE program sourcing fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Ventures Platform is an early-stage venture capital firm that raises institutional capital into its venture funds (most recently VP Pan-African Fund II with a $64M first close targeting $75M) and deploys it as pre-seed, seed, and Series A equity into African technology startups. In exchange for equity, portfolio companies receive an integrated Portfolio Support Platform (Platform & Networks) covering fundraising, talent sourcing, regulatory compliance, and distribution support, plus community access via the annual Founders' Retreat.

Product overview

Ventures Platform is a single-platform venture capital firm (rather than a software product company) anchored by its core offering, the VP Pan-African Fund II (PAF II) seed-and-Series-A fund targeting a $75M close, with $1BN+ follow-on capital raised across 75+ active portfolio companies in 6+ countries. Around this core fund sit several layered offerings: (i) a content/community layer delivered through the monthly Series V newsletter and the Insights/Stories publication; (ii) a post-investment Platform & Networks service covering Fundraising, Talent Sourcing, Regulatory Compliance and Distribution support, plus the Annual VP Founders' Retreat; (iii) an Exclusive Resources module bundling discounted SaaS perks, founder guides/toolkits, and access to top-tier service providers; and (iv) a partner-built ESG Learning Programme co-created with Talstack and British International Investment. The Africa Collective Davos programme is co-created alongside Novartis, Old Mutual and 885 Capital and represents an ecosystem-convening extension of the platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VP Pan-African Fund II (PAF II) Ventures Platform's second institutional venture capital fund, anchored by a $64M first close targeting a $75M final close. Invests pre-seed, seed, and Series A capital into market-creating African tech startups across Fintech, Healthtech, Agritech, Edtech, and AI, and is expanding into Francophone and North Africa. Available to institutional Limited Partners via commitment to the fund vehicle.
• ESG Learning Programme for African Startups ESG education programme co-built with Talstack (a B2B SaaS corporate learning platform) and British International Investment, offering courses on respectful workplaces, HR management, anti-bribery, and supply chain risk management. Free for portfolio companies of BII and Ventures Platform; available by subscription (₦13,000 to ₦156,000 annually) for other startups. Ventures Platform integrates the track into its founder onboarding.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% LP retention from Fund I to Fund II
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• TalstackcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Talstack, a B2B SaaS corporate learning platform, partnered with British International Investment and Ventures Platform to launch an ESG programme for African startups offering courses on respectful workplaces, HR management, anti-bribery, and supply chain risk management. Free for portfolio companies; ₦13,000-₦156,000 annual subscription for others.
• Africa Collective (Afreximbank + AfCFTA Secretariat)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 January 2026Africa Collective, in partnership with Afreximbank (Host Partner) and the AfCFTA Secretariat (Patronage Partner), co-created the Davos 2026 programme with Ventures Platform, Novartis, Old Mutual, and 885 Capital, bringing together 750 CEOs and 50 expert speakers.
• AfreximbankflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 January 2026Afreximbank served as Host Partner for Africa Collective Davos 2026, co-created with Ventures Platform.
• AfCFTA SecretariatcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 January 2026AfCFTA Secretariat served as Patronage Partner for Africa Collective Davos 2026.
• NovartisminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 January 2026Novartis co-created the Africa Collective Davos 2026 programme with Ventures Platform.
• Old MutualminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 January 2026Old Mutual co-created the Africa Collective Davos 2026 programme with Ventures Platform.
• 885 CapitalminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 January 2026885 Capital co-created the Africa Collective Davos 2026 programme with Ventures Platform.
• Bank of Industry (Nigeria)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Bank of Industry is the implementing agency of the iDICE Programme and partnered with Ventures Platform as iDICE's Technology Equity Fund Manager for Nigerian startups, with financing from the African Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank, and French Development Agency.
• Paystack (Stripe)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Ventures Platform was part of the Paystack-led consortium (with PiggyVest and P1 Ventures) that acquired Brass in May 2024. The strategic partnership has now resulted in Brass being migrated into Paystack MFB by July 31, 2026. Paystack (a Ventures Platform portfolio company since pre-seed) was acquired by Stripe in 2020 and is a foundational portfolio company.
• PiggyVestflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024PiggyVest (Ventures Platform portfolio company) co-acquired Brass alongside the Paystack-led consortium in May 2024.
• Algebra VenturesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Egypt-Nigeria Corridor partnership - Algebra Ventures co-authored content with Ventures Platform to support cross-border trade and investment between Cairo and Lagos.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• TLcom Capital: Pan-African early-to-growth stage VC investing across Nigeria, Kenya and West Africa. TLcom is a direct peer: similar stage focus (pre-seed/seed to Series A), pan-African mandate, and active co-investor alongside Ventures Platform in rounds such as Myka. Comparable portfolio depth and shared LP ecosystem.
• Novastar Ventures: Pan-African early-stage investor with East and West Africa focus and a "venture builder" model. Direct peer given shared pan-African pre-seed/seed thesis, similar DFI LP base, and the fact that Ventures Platform's Managing Partner previously served as Principal at Novastar.
• LoftyInc Capital: Nigeria-rooted early-stage investor across Africa with both a fund and accelerator. Co-ranked with Ventures Platform in the top 3 most active SaaS VC funds in Africa by Shizune.co, making it the closest same-vertical peer for SaaS-focused African seed investing.
• Launch Africa Ventures: Pan-African early-stage fund investing across the continent. Co-ranked with Ventures Platform and LoftyInc in the top 3 most active SaaS VCs in Africa by Shizune.co, sharing a similar ticket size and sector mix.
• Atlantica Ventures: Lagos- and UK-based pan-African early-stage VC. Direct peer co-led Ventures Platform's $3M Cybervergent seed round (March 2026), sharing both geography and ticket size as well as syndication activity in West Africa.
• P1 Ventures: Pan-African early-stage VC based in East Africa with West Africa exposure. Co-investor with Ventures Platform in the Paystack-led Brass acquisition consortium; comparable in stage, ticket size and Africa-wide sourcing.
• Microtraction: Nigeria-anchored pre-seed/seed investor. Direct peer in the very-early-stage African seed segment, with overlapping founder pipelines and similar post-investment support ethos.

Broad incumbents

• Partech Africa: One of the largest Africa-dedicated growth-stage funds (Partech Africa II), part of global Partech. Broad incumbent competing for the same Series A opportunities Ventures Platform is now moving into, with much larger AUM and follow-on capacity.

Emerging players

• Norrsken22: Pan-African early-to-growth stage investor founded by Norrsken Foundation. Emerging player with Africa-wide thesis overlapping Ventures Platform's pre-seed/seed to Series A expansion, and a comparable Africa-focused brand profile.

Regional players

• Ingressive Capital: Nigeria-rooted early-stage investor with strong founder-training programmes. Comparable in market and stage focus, but primarily Nigerian in deployment and overlapping in the same seed deal pool Ventures Platform leads.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vp_fund
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/venturesplatform
• Facebookfacebook.com/venturesplatform
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ventures-platform
• Instagraminstagram.com/venturesplatform

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments125 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ventures Platform