Fio

What Fio does

FIO is a South Africa-based private holding entity that operates an integrated entrepreneur-services and investment platform. Founded by CEO Ajay Wasserman and structured under Fio Group (PTY) LTD (registered 2018/274884/07), the company is organized around three operating pillars: FIO Capital, a global investment firm deploying capital and strategic resources into entrepreneurial markets across five impact industries; FIO Group, a full-suite business services provider covering strategic planning, technology and innovation, operations, marketing, sales, HR, tax and accounting, legal and governance, organizational effectiveness, and learning and development; and FIO Foundation, a non-profit philanthropic arm focused on community empowerment through conscious capitalism and education. The firm's regulated financial advisory line, Fio Financial Planning, holds FSP 49153 authorization, allowing it to deliver financial planning services under South African law.

The company's customer base is concentrated in a single primary persona — private entrepreneurs and emerging business owners in Southern Africa — served through a direct-consultation go-to-market with physical offices in Pretoria (63 Saal Street, Zwavelpoort) and Grand Baie, Mauritius. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, and revenue mechanics across the three pillars appear to differ: FIO Group likely operates on consulting fees, FIO Capital on investment returns or management fees (undisclosed), and FIO Foundation as a non-revenue philanthropic vehicle. Headcount sits in the 11-50 band and there are no disclosed funding rounds or external institutional investors, suggesting founder-led, internally financed operations.

A material data caveat: the source material also attributes two 2026 product launches (an eSIM Identity Verification Layer for the GSMA Open Gateway and an MCP-Enabled AI Agent Identity Platform for 5G/6G networks, both announced at MWC Barcelona) to a separately named "FIOR Group," which the input explicitly distinguishes from FIO. If these products are part of the same corporate group, they represent a significant technology expansion into telecom cybersecurity with hardware-rooted, quantum-safe cryptographic identity. If they belong to a distinct entity, they should be excluded from FIO's investment thesis. The source provides insufficient evidence to resolve this conflation.

Name

Fio

Legal name

Fio Group (PTY) LTD

Website

https://fio.group

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

FIO is a South African entrepreneur-services and investment holding company operating three pillars: FIO Capital (investment), FIO Group (business consulting), and FIO Foundation (philanthropy), serving private entrepreneurs and business owners in Southern Africa through offices in Pretoria and Mauritius, with a regulated financial planning arm (FSP 49153).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Consulting Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Institutional Consultants & Fiduciary Management (Investment Consulting) (FSAAAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Program & Project Management (PMO) Consulting (BPAHACAL), Outsourced Finance & CFO Services (BPAHABAE)

Keywords

• Business consulting services
• Private equity investing
• Entrepreneur advisory
• Wealth management
• Financial planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Pretoria

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

FIO provides a consulting-based ecosystem that pairs entrepreneurs with capital and strategic resources. Through FIO Capital, it deploys investment capital into entrepreneurial markets across five impact industries. Through FIO Group, it delivers a full suite of specialist business services spanning strategic planning, technology and innovation, operations, marketing, sales, HR, tax, accounting, legal, governance, and learning and development. FIO Foundation extends the mission through community empowerment initiatives.

Product overview

FIO operates across two distinct entities: FIOR Group (referenced in news sources) is a telecom security technology company offering cybersecurity products for mobile networks, including the eSIM Identity Verification Layer and the AI Agent Identity Platform for 5G/6G networks. FIO (referenced in website sources) is a consulting and investment ecosystem consisting of FIO Capital (a global investment firm), FIO Group (a full-suite business services provider), and FIO Foundation (a philanthropic initiative for community empowerment). FIOR Group's products address telecom fraud prevention and AI identity security for next-generation networks, while FIO's investment and consulting services focus on supporting entrepreneurs in emerging markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FIO Foundation: Non-profit foundation focused on empowering communities through conscious capitalism, education, sustainable economic development, and global outreach initiatives.

Products and services

• FIO Capital Global investment firm deploying capital and strategic resources into entrepreneurial markets across five impact industries. Provides funding, mentorship, and growth support to entrepreneurs to help grow hundreds of companies and create jobs.
• FIO Group Full-suite business services provider for entrepreneurs and business owners, covering strategic planning, technology and innovation, operations and systems, marketing and communication, sales, human resources, tax and accounting, legal and governance, organisational effectiveness, and learning and development.
• FIO Foundation Philanthropic initiative empowering communities through conscious capitalism, educational programs, sustainable economic development, and community engagement in partnership with local leaders and NGOs.
• Fio Financial Planning Authorised Financial Services Provider (FSP 49153) operating under FIO, providing financial planning services as part of the broader FIO ecosystem.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Citadel Wealth Management: Independent South African wealth manager providing discretionary portfolio management and investment advice. Closest mid-sized direct peer for Fio Financial Planning given comparable target market and service model.
• Sasfin Holdings: JSE-listed financial services group offering wealth management, asset management, and business banking to entrepreneurs and HNW clients in South Africa. Comparable as an integrated wealth + advisory platform targeting similar customer personas.
• Investec Wealth & Investment: Private banking and wealth management arm of Investec serving HNW individuals and entrepreneurs in South Africa and the UK. Comparable as an integrated advisory + capital provider to entrepreneurs, which is Fio's stated niche.
• Ninety One: Dual-listed (LSE/JSE) asset manager with South African roots, providing portfolio management and investment advice globally. Closest large-scale analogue for Fio's stated ambition of being a globally active investment firm rooted in South Africa.
• Coronation Fund Managers: JSE-listed South African asset manager providing portfolio management and investment advisory services. Comparable to Fio's investment-advisory and capital-deployment activities and a benchmark for institutional credibility Fio currently lacks.
• Vumela: South African investment firm providing growth capital and strategic support to SMEs and entrepreneurs. Closest analogue to FIO Capital's stated mission of marrying smart entrepreneurs with smart money.
• Allan Gray: South Africa's largest privately-owned investment management firm offering portfolio management and investment advice to individuals and institutions. Directly comparable to Fio Financial Planning's wealth management and investment-advice mandate, with significantly greater scale.

Broad incumbents

• Alexforbes: JSE-listed South African financial services group specialising in employee benefits, investment consulting, and wealth management. Comparable as an institutional-style investment consulting and wealth provider targeting South African clients and employer-sponsored savings.
• Sanlam Private Wealth: Wealth management division of Sanlam, one of Africa's largest financial services groups. Comparable as a regulated FSP offering wealth and investment advice to South African clients, with broader product reach than Fio.
• Old Mutual Wealth: Wealth and investment division of Old Mutual Limited, offering advice, portfolio management, and retirement solutions across Southern Africa. Comparable as a full-licence FSP competing for the same entrepreneur/HNWI segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FioGroup1
• Facebookfacebook.com/fiogroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fiogroup

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Fio