What Haskè Ventures does

Haskè Ventures is a venture builder headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, that identifies, co-creates, and scales startups in Francophone West Africa from seed stage through Series A. The firm operates a structured three-phase pipeline — co-creation (3–6 months), launch (12–18 months), and scaling (2–3 months) — sourced through two axes: an innovation pipeline and a co-creation pipeline, supported by a proprietary five-stage venture building methodology (Dream it, Seize it, Build it, Share it, Grow it). As of the most recent disclosure the studio is operating 10 ventures across fintech (Proxalys, Woluma), B2B wholesale marketplace (Kwely), agri-food (Yolélé), logistics (Logidoo), consumer goods (LavendeRose), F&B (Layu Café), and EdTech (Genimi), and runs two dedicated units: Haskè Health+ (HH+), a vertical venture studio focused on healthcare innovation, and Ignite.E, a youth entrepreneurship initiative with a 2030 target of launching 1,000 youth-led startups and SMEs.

The business model is equity-based: Haskè provides seed capital alongside in-kind support covering strategy, talent acquisition, and operational execution, and generates returns through equity ownership in portfolio companies that reach growth-stage funding. The firm does not publish pricing, fund size, AUM, or revenue. It does not expose a public API, SDK, or developer platform, and the company website is built on Squarespace. The co-founders are Madji Sock (President) and Abdourahmane Diop (CEO), whose prior track record includes a regional consulting firm across four West African countries, the Women's Investment Club Senegal (WIC Capital), a chain of Dakar cafés, and investment projects across more than 30 countries including a $30m municipal water financing in the DRC and a $200m poultry financing in Africa. The team is described as diverse, with average age 25–35 and a 63% female / 37% male split.

Name

Haskè Ventures

Legal name

Haskè Ventures

Website

https://haskeventures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Haskè Ventures is a Dakar-based venture builder that co-creates and scales startups in Francophone West Africa from seed to Series A, providing seed capital plus strategy, talent, and operational support to a portfolio of 10 ventures across fintech, marketplace, logistics, agri-food, F&B, consumer goods, and EdTech.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Building Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)

Keywords

• Venture builder services
• Seed stage investing
• Startup co-creation
• Entrepreneurship programs
• Venture studio

Headquarters

HQ city

Dakar

HQ country

Senegal

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Venture Building/Equity Returns: Builds and co-creates companies from seed stage to Series A funding, generating returns through equity ownership in portfolio companies

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Haskè Ventures is a venture builder that identifies, builds, and scales startups in Francophone West Africa from seed stage to Series A funding. It provides seed capital alongside sustained operational support including strategy development, talent acquisition, and operational assistance to portfolio companies across multiple industries. The company operates specialized vertical units including Haskè Health+ for healthcare innovation and Ignite.E for youth entrepreneurship.

Product overview

Haskè Ventures is a venture builder focused on Francophone West Africa that builds scalable, sustainable, and profitable businesses from seed stage to Series A. The company operates as a parent organization with multiple portfolio companies and specialized units: Kwely (B2B marketplace and brand incubator for African products), Proxalys (working capital optimization for informal businesses), Woluma (digital installment payment infrastructure), Yolélé (food company supporting smallholder farmers), Genimi (educational platform for children), Layu Café (hospitality/cafe brand), LavendeRose (household products), Logidoo (logistics provider), Haskè Health+ (health sector venture studio), and Ignite.E (youth entrepreneurship program). The venture builder model provides seed capital, strategy development, talent acquisition, and operational support across its portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Haskè Health+ (HH+): A venture studio building innovation within the health sector in Francophone Africa, working with healthcare providers, biopharmaceutical manufacturers, and health sciences universities to find, select and scale promising projects.
• Ignite.E

Products and services

• Haskè Ventures Venture Building Service Venture building service that identifies, builds, and scales startups in Francophone West Africa from seed stage to Series A funding. Provides seed capital, strategy development, talent acquisition, and operational support to early-stage entrepreneurs through a three-phase pipeline (co-creation, launch, scaling).
• Haskè Health+ (HH+) Vertical venture studio within Haskè Ventures focused on building innovation within the healthcare sector in Francophone Africa. Works with healthcare providers, biopharmaceutical manufacturers, and health sciences universities to find, select, and scale promising health projects and cost-effective solutions.
• Ignite.E Entrepreneurship program within Haskè Ventures that partners with educational institutions and ecosystem actors to develop entrepreneurship ecosystems. Operates through its Ecosystem House and Talent Factory to provide technical assistance to educational institutions, youth entrepreneurs, and the workforce across Francophone Africa.
• Kwely Global B2B wholesale marketplace for Africa and brand incubator that helps international buyers source quality African products. Offers customization, white-label solutions, and production-to-delivery quality assurance for African-made goods.
• Proxalys Working capital optimization platform for informal businesses that helps small local businesses track customer accounts and spending habits while providing credit to business owners and customers.
• Woluma Digital payment infrastructure enabling anyone with a bank account in Senegal to easily make installment payments online and face-to-face over 12, 24, or 36 months. Positions as an alternative to bank credit and leasing for financing productive equipment purchases.
• Yolélé Food company that creates economic opportunity for smallholder farming communities in West Africa by supporting biodiverse farming systems and sharing African ingredients globally.
• Genimi Educational platform that diagnoses, accompanies, and helps children progress in school through playful approaches. Creates value for tutors, parents, and learners through student evaluation and creative educational solutions.
• Layu Café Café and hospitality brand in Dakar, Senegal offering West African cultural experiences through tasty treats, natural juices, and locally made products at Point E and Almadies locations.
• LavendeRose Household products brand creating everyday items to a high standard at accessible prices. Focused on Senegalese art of hospitality, offering non-harmful, inspiring products for daily life.
• Logidoo Full-service logistics provider for the African continent, connecting businesses and manufacturers with transport, warehouses, and customs clearance support while eliminating inefficiencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Aims to help ventures understand industry pathways towards scaled growth and successfully secure Series A investment

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ignite.EcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2030Ignite.E is an association focused on developing, experimenting, and sharing new models to empower the next generation of African entrepreneurs. Through its Ecosystem House and Talent Factory, it partners with ecosystem actors to provide technical assistance to educational institutions, youth entrepreneurs, and the workforce. By 2030, aims to launch 1,000 youth-led startups and SMEs.
• Haskè Health+ (HH+)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA venture studio within Haskè Ventures focusing on innovation in healthcare in Francophone Africa. Works with healthcare providers, biopharmaceutical manufacturers, and health sciences universities to find, select and scale promising projects. Builds innovative and cost-effective solutions addressing both under-served healthcare needs and local buying power.

Scale indicators2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Catalyst Fund: Africa-inclusive fintech-focused accelerator providing capital and advisory to early-stage startups. Comparable as a sector-aligned venture-support peer overlapping with Haskè's fintech-heavy portfolio (Proxalys, Woluma).

Direct peers

• MEST Africa: Pan-African incubator/entrepreneurship program that selects, trains, and funds early-stage African founders with sustained operational support. Directly comparable as a regional venture-building peer targeting West and broader Africa entrepreneur pipelines.
• Startupbootcamp AfriTech: Global accelerator with a dedicated Africa program selecting, mentoring, and funding African fintech and emerging-tech startups. Comparable as an Africa-focused accelerator offering seed support and ecosystem connections similar to Haskè's services.
• Antler: Global venture studio that builds and invests in early-stage startups from ideation through seed across multiple geographies including Africa. Directly comparable to Haskè as a structured "co-creation → launch → scaling" builder model with founder recruitment and operator support.
• Janngo Capital: Africa-focused venture capital firm and startup studio backing early-stage founders across the continent, with explicit focus on Francophone Africa. Closely mirrors Haskè's thesis of building in underserved African markets via operator-led venture building.

Broad incumbents

• Rocket Internet: Pioneer of the venture studio / incubator-of-internet-companies model in emerging markets, with deep Africa exposure via Jumia and other internet ventures. Comparable as the upstream reference model Haskè is implementing at smaller scale in Francophone Africa.
• Partech: Major Africa-tilted venture capital firm operating across seed to growth. Comparable as a more capital-heavy incumbent that Haskè's ventures may eventually tap for Series A, and as a competitor for the same Francophone founder pool.
• Novastar Ventures: Early- and growth-stage venture firm focused on African mass-market businesses. Comparable as an Africa-VC peer that provides a downstream capital route Haskè's portfolio companies may tap after seed stage.
• TLcom Capital: Africa-focused venture capital firm investing from seed to Series A in African tech startups. Comparable as a more established Africa-VC incumbent that competes for the same Series A-bound portfolio companies Haskè is incubating.

Regional players

• Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB): Nigeria-headquartered innovation hub and venture builder that incubates African tech startups across multiple verticals. Comparable as a regional venture-building peer operating in West Africa with broader tech-for-development mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments8 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Haskè Ventures