WAI Group
WAI Group is a selective, membership-based collective of 300+ women investment professionals focused on investing in Africa, operating via WhatsApp under the Chatham House Rule. Founded in 2017 by Elizabeth Howard through Lelapa, it offers networking, knowledge-sharing, and a WAI Angel Network for co-investment in emerging female fund managers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersPerth, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What WAI Group does
WAI Group (Women in African Investments) is a selective, membership-based collective of women investment professionals focused on investing in Africa, founded in November 2017 by Elizabeth Howard through her advisory firm Lelapa (LELAPA S.A.S.U., France). The network has grown from 160+ members referenced in its 2022 Impact Report to over 300 members currently, spanning all African sub-regions plus the global diaspora (Canada, UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, UAE, USA). The group's primary product is a WhatsApp-based community (capped at 256 members per group) governed by the Chatham House Rule, supplemented by a searchable Member Directory on the Lelapa website, a Speaker Bureau, and an overflow LinkedIn Group. Members include senior executives at DFIs, PE/VC funds, philanthropic funds, FinTech intermediaries, family offices, and market development organisations, with the explicit goal of supporting women fund managers through networking, knowledge-sharing, co-investment, and visibility.
The business model is straightforward community-subscription revenue: annual membership fees of €125 (large funds and non-fund organisations), €75 (small funds with FUM under $150M), and €25 (first-time fund managers pre-close), plus a €25 sponsorship add-on for members wishing to sponsor others. The WAI Angel Network is a sub-brand that enables members to co-invest in track record-building deals from emerging female fund managers; this is not a fee-generating product but an ecosystem mechanism. The parent firm Lelapa separately operates LelapaFLOW, a cloud-based collaborative due diligence tool for SMEs (developed with co-founder Jerry Crossan), and continues regulatory and ecosystem work through the African Crowdfunding Association (ACfA), which it co-founded in 2016 and which developed the ACfA Label Framework.
WAI Group has no formal employees (operated by Lelapa's team), no physical office, and virtually no disclosed revenue or funding rounds beyond a nominally reported Small Foundation relationship. Strategic positioning is heavily dependent on founder Elizabeth Howard's reputation and on partnerships with development finance institutions (FinDev Canada, African Development Bank, UN Women, 2X Challenge, ARISE Consortium, AFSIC, FSD Africa). The company's defensibility rests primarily on community network effects and trust built over eight years of operation rather than on proprietary technology or formal capital backing.
WAI Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WAI Group
- Legal name
- LELAPA S.A.S.U.
- Website
- https://lelapa.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- WAI Group is a selective, membership-based collective of 300+ women investment professionals focused on investing in Africa, operating via WhatsApp under the Chatham House Rule. Founded in 2017 by Elizabeth Howard through Lelapa, it offers networking, knowledge-sharing, and a WAI Angel Network for co-investment in emerging female fund managers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WAI Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Investment Community and Network Membership Services
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gender Lens / Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Funds (FSANAJAM)
Keywords
Where WAI Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Perth
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
WAI Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership fees paid by individual members. Pricing reflects commitment to support female emerging fund managers. Fees are invoiced via PayPal after application acceptance.
- WAI Angel Network: A related initiative where WAI Group members and individuals can support emerging female fund managers through co-investment in track record-building deals.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Large funds and All Non-fund organisations |
| Subscription | Annual | Small funds (FUM less than $150mn) |
| Subscription | Annual | First-time fund managers (pre-close) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
WAI Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WAI Group is a selective, membership-based community of more than 300 women investment professionals focused on investing in Africa, delivered primarily through a WhatsApp group operating under the Chatham House Rule and a searchable Member Directory on the Lelapa website. The community is complemented by the WAI Angel Network, which channels co-investment into track record-building deals for emerging female fund managers, and is underpinned by tiered annual membership fees.
Product overview
WAI Group is a network/collective of women investment professionals managed by Lelapa, an African FinTech Advisory firm. The core offering is the WAI Group community platform (operated via WhatsApp), supported by the WAI Angel Network for co-investment opportunities. Lelapa also offers LelapaFLOW, a cloud-based SME investment-readiness and collaborative due diligence tool. Historically, Lelapa operated LelapaFund, an equity crowdfunding platform (2015-2018), and developed the ACfA Label Framework for crowdfunding regulations across Africa.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- WAI Angel Network: Angel investment network that may be joined by WAI Group members and individuals seeking to support emerging female fund managers in Africa. First-time fund managers may present track record-building deals to the WAI Angel Network.
Products and services
- WAI Group Membership (Women in African Investments) A selective, membership-based community of women investment professionals focused on investing in Africa, delivered via a WhatsApp group under the Chatham House Rule and an online Member Directory, for senior women working across DFIs, PE/VC, family offices, philanthropic funds, FinTech intermediaries and market-development organisations.
- WAI Angel Network An angel co-investment network open to WAI Group members and aligned individuals, through which first-time female fund managers in Africa can present small, track record-building deals to secure co-investors and build a track record.
- WAI Group Member Directory and Speaker Bureau A searchable online directory of WAI Group members with filters for region, sector, speaker topics and WAI Angel Network status, used both by members for visibility and by event organisers and institutional partners to identify female investment professionals and speakers focused on Africa.
Quantifiable outcome
- Network of 300+ women investment professionals across Africa
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use WAI Group
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
WAI Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
WAI Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Lelapa (African FinTech Advisory)coreWAI Group was founded by Elizabeth Howard, also founder of Lelapa. Lelapa is the parent/advisory firm that founded, manages, and hosts the WAI Group. The group is a key initiative under Lelapa's umbrella of women-focused investment programs.
- WAI Angel NetworkcoreThe WAI Angel Network is a related initiative that may be joined by WAI Group members and individuals seeking to support emerging female fund managers in Africa. First-time fund managers may present track record-building deals to the Angel Network for co-investment.
- African Crowdfunding Association (ACfA)coreLelapa co-founded the African Crowdfunding Association (ACfA), a non-profit industry association established in 2016. Elizabeth Howard serves as founding director. ACfA leads regulatory advocacy on crowdfunding in Africa and developed the ACfA Label Framework as a benchmark for local regulators.
- Development Finance Institutions (DFIs)minorWAI Group helps DFIs identify diverse fund managers and build relationships with them. The group serves as a crucial source for identifying women fund managers for DFI investment programs.
- UN WomencoreUN Women collaborated with Lelapa and FinDev Canada on a 'Reverse Mentoring' workshop concept that places women SME entrepreneurs at the heart of fund structuring conversations.
- 2X ChallengeminorInvest2Impact Africa is a 2X Challenge initiative - a business plan competition launched in East Africa in 2019 with 100 women entrepreneurs. Lelapa organized the '2XCrowd' track dedicated to crowdfunding.
- ARISE Consortium (Criterion Institute, 2X Global, Global Affairs Canada)minorThe WAI Group collaborated with the ARISE consortium on a report about local capital mobilization for African women fund managers, highlighting how women investors are introducing new investment models and funding instruments into the African market.
- AFSIC and FSD AfricaminorIn partnership with AFSIC and FSD Africa, LelapaFund enabled emerging fund managers' participation in AFSIC 2018 and organized a side workshop on Innovative Fund Models for SME capital markets inclusion.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
WAI Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Catalyst: Catalyst is a global nonprofit advancing gender equity in workplaces and leadership. Thematically comparable to WAI's mission of advancing women in investment leadership, but focused on corporate rather than investing contexts.
- Springboard Enterprises: Springboard is a network accelerating women entrepreneurs through expert advisors and investors. Comparable to WAI as a community connecting women to capital and leadership networks, though focused on entrepreneurs rather than fund managers.
Emerging players
- African Women in Tech: African Women in Tech is a community supporting women in technology across the continent. Thematically comparable to WAI as a network promoting women participation in male-dominated professional fields in Africa, with some overlap in cross-sectoral convening.
Direct peers
- 2X Global: 2X Global is a collaborative of public, private, and philanthropic organisations advancing gender lens investing globally. Highly comparable to WAI as a membership-driven ecosystem channelling capital toward women-led enterprises and fund managers in emerging markets, and an ARISE Consortium partner.
- Criterion Institute: Criterion Institute is a thought leader in gender lens investing and social capital mobilisation. Direct ARISE Consortium partner of WAI and works on shifting investment practices for gender equity through research and field-building.
- African Business Angels Network (ABAN): ABAN is the pan-African angel investment network connecting early-stage investors across the continent. Comparable to WAI as a member-based network facilitating early-stage deal flow and investor development across Africa, with shared focus on building the angel ecosystem.
- All Raise: All Raise is a US-based nonprofit community increasing the success and number of women investors and founders. Directly comparable to WAI as a selective, member-driven community of senior women investment professionals with shared networking and visibility mission.
- Global Women in VC: Global Women in VC is a community of female venture investors worldwide, with active chapters in multiple geographies. Comparable to WAI as a network advancing women in venture investing, though broader geographic scope and primarily VC-focused.
Regional players
- African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (AVCA): AVCA is the pan-African private capital industry association with a broad institutional member base. Comparable to WAI as an Africa-focused investment professional ecosystem, but more institutional and broader in mandate, serving the entire industry rather than a gender-focused subset.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WAI Group social profiles
Digital presenceWAI Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WAI Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
WAI Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
WAI Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WAI Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WAI Group
What does WAI Group do?
WAI Group is a selective, membership-based community of more than 300 women investment professionals focused on investing in Africa, delivered primarily through a WhatsApp group operating under the Chatham House Rule and a searchable Member Directory on the Lelapa website. The community is complemented by the WAI Angel Network, which channels co-investment into track record-building deals for emerging female fund managers, and is underpinned by tiered annual membership fees.
Is WAI Group a public or private company?
WAI Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was WAI Group founded?
WAI Group was founded in 2017. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is WAI Group based?
WAI Group is headquartered in Perth, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does WAI Group make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are WAI Angel Network.
Who are WAI Group's main competitors?
Others on record are Catalyst and Springboard Enterprises. African Women in Tech is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are 2X Global, Criterion Institute, African Business Angels Network (ABAN), All Raise and Global Women in VC. African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (AVCA) is listed as a regional player.
Does WAI Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for WAI Group.
What industry is WAI Group in?
WAI Group's product category is Investment Community and Network Membership Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAJAM, Gender Lens / Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Funds. Its NAICS code is 81392 and its SIC code is 8600.