HBD Venture Capital
HBD Venture Capital is a privately owned emerging market investment group founded in 2000 by Mark Shuttleworth, based in Cape Town, South Africa. The firm invests through fund manager relationships into listed and unlisted emerging market investments and accepts direct co-investment opportunities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
HBD Venture Capital firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HBD Venture Capital
- Website
- https://hbd.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- HBD Venture Capital is a privately owned emerging market investment group founded in 2000 by Mark Shuttleworth, based in Cape Town, South Africa. The firm invests through fund manager relationships into listed and unlisted emerging market investments and accepts direct co-investment opportunities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HBD Venture Capital industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital / Private Equity
- NAICS
- Other Financial Vehicles (525990), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Real Assets Fund of Funds (Real Estate / Infrastructure / Natural Resources FoF) (FSAHAKAG)
Keywords
Where HBD Venture Capital is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Markets served
HBD Venture Capital business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Investment Returns: HBD generates returns through equity and debt investments in emerging markets via fund managers, as well as direct co-investment opportunities in listed and unlisted companies. Revenue is derived from capital appreciation, dividends, and investment exits.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
HBD Venture Capital product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HBD (Here Be Dragons) is a privately owned emerging market investment group that allocates capital through fund managers into listed and unlisted investments. The firm also considers direct co-investment opportunities presented by fund managers or other parties, and runs a Sustainable Tourism Project in West Africa (Principe).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Investment Management Services
Companies that use HBD Venture Capital
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
HBD Venture Capital technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
HBD Venture Capital partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
HBD Venture Capital competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- LeapFrog Investments: Emerging-markets private equity firm focused on financial services and consumer businesses in Africa and Asia. Comparable to HBD on EM private investing and on co-investment appetite, though larger and more institutionally structured.
- Helios Investment Partners: Africa-focused private equity firm investing across consumer, financial services, and infrastructure in listed and unlisted companies. Highly comparable to HBD on Africa emphasis, listed/unlisted dual mandate, and EM investment focus.
- Actis: Actis is a leading emerging-markets private equity firm investing across Africa, Asia, and Latin America in listed and unlisted companies. Most directly comparable to HBD on emerging-markets mandate, listed/unlisted flexibility, and GP-relationship-driven deal flow.
- 8 Miles: Private equity firm investing across Africa and other emerging markets in listed and unlisted securities. Closely comparable to HBD on dual listed/unlisted EM mandate and on fund-manager-style intermediated investing.
- Development Partners International (DPI): Africa-focused private equity firm making control and significant minority investments across the continent. Directly comparable to HBD on emerging-markets focus and unlisted equity investing, with deeper institutional scale.
- Verod Capital: West Africa-focused growth and buyout private equity firm investing in mid-market companies. Comparable to HBD on EM mandate and on direct investing capability, particularly in West Africa where HBD has the Principe project.
Emerging players
- Novastar Ventures: East Africa-focused venture capital firm backing consumer and financial-services businesses. Comparable to HBD on Africa emerging-markets investing but at earlier-stage venture rather than growth/buyout.
Broad incumbents
- Africa Finance Corporation (AFC): Africa-focused development finance institution providing debt, equity, and project finance across the continent. Comparable to HBD on Africa investing and on listed/unlisted flexibility, but at significantly larger infrastructure-finance scale and as a public/development mandate.
- Standard Bank Group: Africa's largest banking group by assets, headquartered in South Africa and offering private equity, principal investments, and wealth management. Comparable to HBD on the Cape Town base and on Africa emerging-markets deal flow, but vastly larger and broader in scope.
Regional players
- Fanisi Capital: Kenya-based venture capital firm investing in early- to growth-stage East African businesses. Comparable to HBD on Africa investing, though regionally focused on Kenya and earlier in the stage spectrum.
Market position
Customer concentration
HBD Venture Capital social profiles
Digital presenceHBD Venture Capital financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HBD Venture Capital leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
HBD Venture Capital funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HBD Venture Capital M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HBD Venture Capital
What does HBD Venture Capital do?
HBD (Here Be Dragons) is a privately owned emerging market investment group that allocates capital through fund managers into listed and unlisted investments. The firm also considers direct co-investment opportunities presented by fund managers or other parties, and runs a Sustainable Tourism Project in West Africa (Principe).
Is HBD Venture Capital a public or private company?
HBD Venture Capital is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was HBD Venture Capital founded?
HBD Venture Capital was founded in 2000.
Where is HBD Venture Capital based?
HBD Venture Capital is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does HBD Venture Capital make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Returns.
Who are HBD Venture Capital's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are LeapFrog Investments, Helios Investment Partners, Actis, 8 Miles, Development Partners International (DPI) and Verod Capital. Novastar Ventures is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and Standard Bank Group. Fanisi Capital is listed as a regional player.
Does HBD Venture Capital have an API?
No public API is recorded for HBD Venture Capital.
What industry is HBD Venture Capital in?
HBD Venture Capital's product category is Venture Capital / Private Equity. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAHAKAG, Real Assets Fund of Funds (Real Estate / Infrastructure / Natural Resources FoF). Its NAICS code is 525990.