Uma Ventures
Uma Ventures is a Hong Kong-based venture capital and company-building firm founded by Vinay Vaswani, investing pre-seed to early-stage capital across four verticals — Live (creator economy), Enable (digital infrastructure), Reset (sustainability), and Nourish (food security) — in founders across the US, Asia, and Africa, supplemented by operational support in building, networking, and trade finance.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersHong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Uma Ventures does
Uma Ventures is a privately held venture capital and company-building firm founded by Vinay Vaswani and headquartered in Hong Kong, with a documented operating footprint spanning Hong Kong, the United States, Mainland China, India, and several West and North African markets (Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, Nigeria, Tunisia). The firm invests at the pre-seed to early stages across four named verticals: Live (creator economy and entertainment), Enable (digital infrastructure, marketplaces, payments), Reset (sustainability, electric vehicles, recycling), and Nourish (food security and sustainable food systems). It holds positions in at least 23 portfolio companies including Animoca Brands (Series C), Stripe (Series C), Bolt Payments, Hero Electric, Human Horizons, Momenta, Coliba, ANKA, Kwely, Kamioun, Paps, Wow Momo, Shadow Factory, and Mirodi (the last acquired by Uma).
The business model layers capital provision with operational services. Beyond equity investment, Uma positions four service pillars — Invest (early-stage capital), Build (forming companies to fill gaps in value chains), Network (management consulting and operational support), and Supply/Finance (procurement and trade finance) — suggesting a venture-builder/platform model rather than a purely passive LP allocator. The firm markets a "founder-friendly" approach and claims most portfolio companies have achieved unicorn exits with founders retaining majority equity, though independent verification of exits and fund returns is not present in the available sources. Marketing reach is limited to owned channels (LinkedIn, Instagram) and the uma.inc website; no press, certifications, regulatory actions, or institutional LP disclosures are provided.
Uma Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Uma Ventures
- Legal name
- Uma Ventures
- Website
- https://uma.inc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Uma Ventures is a Hong Kong-based venture capital and company-building firm founded by Vinay Vaswani, investing pre-seed to early-stage capital across four verticals — Live (creator economy), Enable (digital infrastructure), Reset (sustainability), and Nourish (food security) — in founders across the US, Asia, and Africa, supplemented by operational support in building, networking, and trade finance.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Uma Ventures industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms (FSANAHAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- HoldCo / Permanent Capital ETA (FSANALAE), Managed Account / SMA Multi-Manager Platforms (FSANAGAL)
Keywords
Where Uma Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hong Kong
- HQ country
- Hong Kong SAR China
- HQ region
- Asia
Markets served
Uma Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Uma Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Uma Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests at the pre-seed and early stages in founders across four verticals: Live (creator economy), Enable (technology frontiers), Reset (sustainability) and Nourish (food security). Beyond capital, it provides company-building support, management consulting, and procurement and trade finance solutions to its 23 portfolio companies.
Product overview
Uma Ventures is a venture capital and investment firm, not a product/software company. It does not offer a unified product platform or modules. The company's core offering is venture investment services across four investment verticals: Live (Creator Economy), Enable (Technology), Reset (Sustainability/Electric Vehicles), and Nourish (Food Security). Within these verticals, the company provides: Invest (early-stage capital and venture funding), Build (company creation and strategic value chain development), Network (management consulting and operational support), and Supply/Finance (procurement and trade finance solutions). The company manages a portfolio of 23 portfolio companies across fashion, technology, financial services, entertainment, and food sectors. These are investment holdings, not distinct product offerings of Uma Ventures itself.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Early-Stage Capital and Venture Funding (Invest)
Companies that use Uma Ventures
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Uma Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Uma Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Uma Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Techstars: Global pre-seed and seed accelerator with thematic programs including sustainability and food/agtech. Overlaps with Uma on stage, thematic focus, and founder support model.
- SOSV: Global accelerator-VC running multiple vertical programs (Hax, IndieBio, etc.) and investing at pre-seed globally. Comparable stage and breadth to Uma.
- Plug and Play Tech Center: Global startup accelerator and early-stage investor with vertical-specific programs (sustainability, fintech, brand & retail). Comparable vertical-thesis structure to Uma's four pillars.
- Partech: Pan-African and emerging-markets growth VC. Overlaps with Uma on Africa focus, though typically at Series A and beyond rather than pre-seed.
- 500 Global (formerly 500 Startups): Large global early-stage accelerator/VC with emerging-market programs. Comparable to Uma in stage and global footprint, though with substantially larger AUM and brand recognition.
Direct peers
- VestedWorld: Early-stage VC investing in emerging markets with a sector-vertical structure. Closely matches Uma's emerging-market pre-seed strategy across Africa and Asia.
- Saison Capital: Early-stage VC focused on emerging markets, particularly South and Southeast Asia. Comparable to Uma's emerging-market, early-stage focus and thesis-led vertical approach.
- Antler: Global pre-seed VC that backs founders from idea stage across multiple geographies including Africa and Asia. Most directly comparable to Uma's pre-seed, multi-region, founder-friendly thesis.
Regional players
- Acumen: Impact-focused investor in early-stage companies across Africa and South Asia in sectors like agriculture and energy. Thematically adjacent to Uma's Reset and Nourish verticals.
- TLcom Capital: Africa-focused early-to-growth stage VC. Direct overlap with Uma's West African portfolio companies (Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Uma Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceUma Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Uma Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Uma Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Uma Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments4 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Uma Ventures
What does Uma Ventures do?
Uma Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests at the pre-seed and early stages in founders across four verticals: Live (creator economy), Enable (technology frontiers), Reset (sustainability) and Nourish (food security). Beyond capital, it provides company-building support, management consulting, and procurement and trade finance solutions to its 23 portfolio companies.
Is Uma Ventures a public or private company?
Uma Ventures is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Uma Ventures founded?
Uma Ventures was founded in 2014. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Uma Ventures based?
Uma Ventures is headquartered in Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China, in the Asia region.
Who are Uma Ventures's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Techstars, SOSV, Plug and Play Tech Center, Partech and 500 Global (formerly 500 Startups). Direct peers are VestedWorld, Saison Capital and Antler. Regional players are Acumen and TLcom Capital.
Does Uma Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Uma Ventures.
What industry is Uma Ventures in?
Uma Ventures's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAHAF, Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms, with a secondary code of FSANALAE, HoldCo / Permanent Capital ETA. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.