Sawari Ventures
Sawari Ventures is a Cairo-based venture capital firm with a dual fund structure and approximately 70 million USD AUM, investing in early and growth-stage technology startups across North Africa in fintech, edtech, healthtech, deeptech, logistics, and e-commerce sectors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersCairo, Egypt
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sawari Ventures does
Sawari Ventures is a Cairo-based venture capital firm founded in 2010 by Ahmed El Alfi and Hany Al-Sonbaty, investing in early and growth-stage technology startups across North Africa. It operates a dual fund structure comprising Netherlands-incorporated North Africa Fund I and Egypt-incorporated Egypt Fund I, with combined assets under management of approximately $70M USD. The firm's investment thesis targets knowledge and innovation-based companies in fintech, edtech, healthtech, deeptech, logistics, and e-commerce, with active deal flow in Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco. To date Sawari has invested in 19 portfolio companies and 2 seed-stage vehicles, including minority stakes in Flat6Labs Cairo and Flat6Labs Tunis, giving it embedded access to the regional seed-stage funnel.
The firm's core product is capital and value-add support to founders: it typically leads or co-leads Series A rounds, takes board seats, and provides operational, strategic, and regulatory navigation support. Sawari is distinguished by a dual-LP structure that blends international development finance institution capital (European Investment Bank, CDC, Proparco, Dutch Good Growth Fund, Sango Capital) with domestic Egyptian institutional capital (Misr Insurance Group, National Bank of Egypt, Banque Misr, Banque du Caire, Suez Canal Bank). Notable portfolio outcomes include the Samsung acquisition of Kngine (2018), the Tanmeyah acquisition of Fatura (2022), and SWVL's Nasdaq IPO (March 2022). The firm has additionally secured a BlueMark Gold impact rating for Africa Fund II (March 2025) and a 2X Global signatory commitment to gender-lens investing, with 45% of the portfolio meeting 2X criteria and 47% women on the team.
Revenue is generated through two primary mechanisms: recurring management fees on the approximately $70M AUM base, and performance-based carried interest plus capital gains on portfolio exits. The firm received Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) approval in March 2026 to conduct non-banking financial activities including venture capital in Egypt, formalizing its operating license. Africa Fund II is in market as the successor vehicle, signaling the next phase of institutional fundraising.
Sawari Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sawari Ventures
- Legal name
- Sawari Ventures
- Website
- http://www.sawariventures.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sawari Ventures is a Cairo-based venture capital firm with a dual fund structure and approximately 70 million USD AUM, investing in early and growth-stage technology startups across North Africa in fintech, edtech, healthtech, deeptech, logistics, and e-commerce sectors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sawari Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where Sawari Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cairo
- HQ country
- Egypt
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sawari Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Fund Management Fees: Management fees collected from institutional funds under management, generating recurring revenue from the 70M USD AUM portfolio.
- Carried Interest: Performance-based carried interest from successful portfolio company exits, representing the primary upside of venture capital investing.
- Investment Returns: Capital gains from equity investments in portfolio companies including successful exits such as Instabug, Kngine (acquired by Samsung), and Fatura (acquired by Tanmeyah).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Institutional Fund Investment |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Sawari Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sawari Ventures is a Cairo-based venture capital firm that invests equity capital in early and growth-stage technology companies across North Africa (Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco). The firm operates a dual fund structure (North Africa Fund I, Netherlands-incorporated, and Egypt Fund I, Egypt-incorporated) with combined AUM of approximately $70M USD, having invested in 19 portfolio companies plus 2 seed stage vehicles (Flat6Labs Cairo and Flat6Labs Tunis). Beyond capital deployment, Sawari takes board seats and provides operational support, strategic guidance, and regional network access to portfolio companies in fintech, edtech, healthtech, deeptech, logistics, and e-commerce sectors.
Product overview
Sawari Ventures is a Cairo-based venture capital firm operating a dual fund structure (North Africa Fund I and Egypt Fund I) with combined assets under management of $70 million. The firm invests in early and growth-stage startups across North Africa (Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco), focusing on knowledge and innovation-based technologies in sectors including fintech, edtech, healthtech, deeptech, logistics, and e-commerce. To date, the firm has invested in 19 companies and 2 seed stage vehicles (Flat6Labs Cairo and Flat6Labs Tunis). The investment thesis combines international capital from Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) with domestic capital from local stakeholders, bringing international expertise with local knowledge to portfolio companies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- North Africa Fund I Netherlands-incorporated venture capital fund investing in early and growth-stage startups across North Africa, focusing on knowledge and innovation-based technologies for institutional LPs.
- Egypt Fund I Egypt-incorporated venture capital fund investing in early and growth-stage companies in Egypt, part of Sawari's dual fund structure alongside North Africa Fund I, with LPs including National Bank of Egypt, Banque Misr, Misr Insurance Group, EIB, CDC, and Proparco.
- Africa Fund II
Quantifiable outcome
- 19 portfolio companies and 2 seed stage vehicles invested across Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Sawari Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sawari Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Sawari Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA)coreEgypt's Financial Regulatory Authority approved Sawari Ventures' license to conduct non-banking financial activities including venture capital as part of FRA's strategy to enhance governance and stimulate investment.
- Visa (for portfolio company axis)majoraxis, a Sawari portfolio company, partnered with Visa to launch digital banking services including virtual Visa cards for SME employees.
- BlueMarkcoreLeading provider of independent impact verification for sustainable and impact investing. Conducted assessment of Africa Fund II resulting in Gold rating across impact strategy, governance, and management pillars.
- 2X GlobalcoreGlobal field-building and membership organization dedicated to unlocking gender-smart capital. Sawari Ventures became a signatory, committing to diversity at fund and portfolio level with 45% of portfolio fulfilling 2X criteria.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sawari Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks2 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sawari Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceSawari Ventures compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Sawari Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sawari Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Sawari Ventures subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Sawari Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sawari Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments31 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sawari Ventures
What does Sawari Ventures do?
Sawari Ventures is a Cairo-based venture capital firm that invests equity capital in early and growth-stage technology companies across North Africa (Egypt, Tunisia, and Morocco). The firm operates a dual fund structure (North Africa Fund I, Netherlands-incorporated, and Egypt Fund I, Egypt-incorporated) with combined AUM of approximately $70M USD, having invested in 19 portfolio companies plus 2 seed stage vehicles (Flat6Labs Cairo and Flat6Labs Tunis). Beyond capital deployment, Sawari takes board seats and provides operational support, strategic guidance, and regional network access to portfolio companies in fintech, edtech, healthtech, deeptech, logistics, and e-commerce sectors.
Is Sawari Ventures a public or private company?
Sawari Ventures is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sawari Ventures founded?
Sawari Ventures was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sawari Ventures based?
Sawari Ventures is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt, in the Africa region.
How does Sawari Ventures make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Fund Management Fees are the primary driver. The others are carried Interest and investment Returns.
Does Sawari Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sawari Ventures.
What industry is Sawari Ventures in?
Sawari Ventures's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists). Its NAICS code is 5259 and its SIC code is 6282.