Accelerating Creativity and Innovation

Wadson Ventures

We are helping build the next generation of businesses

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About

About us

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Wadson Ventures was born by African entrepreneurs and people involved in the funding eco system in Sub Saharan Africa who saw a huge gap in support given to African led start-ups and entrepreneurs. For over 5 years, Wadson Ventures has therefore been providing the much needed mentorship, incubation, acceleration, and funding to African entrepreneurs who are solving critical issues that affects Africans in their own communities and the region.
Our team members have experience in social entrepreneurship, banking and finance, risk management, research and development, product development, and strategy development.
Our investment looks keenly at the individual entrepreneurs- and provides mentorship, business networking and funding to outstanding and innovative businesses, mostly started by young people.

Are you our Fit?

What We Look For

We are passionate, and unorthodox; are you ?

Here is what we care about in the potential partner:

  • Located in Africa and led by Africans.
  • Dedicated and motivated entrepreneurs, even if they do not have much experience.
  • Sound but simple business concept
  • Technology or non tech with business model advantage.
  • Addressing a specific niche market or large target market.
  • Sector agnostic but keen in sectors such as agritech, energy, food related, healthcare, education, financial access, consumer products, enterprise software, hardtech among others.

 

Here is some of our core thinking:

Founders

We are all about the people. You should be a bit crazy, unorthodox and willing to think differently. We back driven individuals and teams, willing and able to work with investors over the life of the investment. Teams should be committed to the business for the long term and ensure commercial success.

Liquidity Events

Although we are a long-term partner and a patient investor, entrepreneurs should have an idea of the key commercial or financial milestones required for the company to achieve meaningful growth in value to likely buyers or secondary financiers.

Financial

A good fit for us is a business that has received no or minimal investment from external investors yet. All investments will be in the form of equity or convertible debt. As a growing venture, we offer flexible amounts of funding because for us, we are in for medium to long term. Our investments are in the form of direct equity, convertible debt or revenue share.

Product or Service Advantage

We like innovation and hence we are keen to see entrepreneurs bringing new products and solutions to markets in new business models.  Products and services that offer disruption to the status quo will be favored.

Market Opportunity

Growing, sizeable, addressable markets with plan on how to win gain market share. Products or services should have an identifiable and addressable market, supported by clear evidence that it is solving unmet customer demands or needs.

What we offer

What We Offer

SMART INVESTMENT - We provide advice, insights from our network of world-class advisors and industry experts, and access to market - especially in the African market. We also provide hands-on support to our partners in key areas of business development, human capital development, legal issues, intellectual property, and PR.

  • Sales / Marketing
  • Legal / PR / HR / Branding
  • Market analysis / Research
  • Government Relations

Strategy & Development

We support entrepreneurs in sales, marketing and partnerships. We provide contacts to potential customers, and help in aligning the business with public policies. We offer knowledge in government relations. We help entrepreneurs understand their marketplace and realistic competition analysis. We also offer support in legal issues, intellectual property, Branding and Public Relations.

  • Research / Develop
  • User Experience
  • Product-Market Fit
  • Technical Support

Product Development

We closely work with entrepreneurs to refine and improve their product to market fit. We help in hiring high skilled technical contractors and in-house technical personnel.

  • Pre-Finance Evaluation
  • Early Stage Capital
  • Financial Management

Finance

We work with the entrepreneur to identify their financing needs and provide capital as required to bring to market their solution. We also connect entrepreneurs to other financial partners and capital providers. We help entrepreneurs improve their financial management capacity and understand issues of taxation.

  • Mentorship
  • Networking
  • Collaboration

Advisory

We share extensive knowledge and expertise with our entrepreneurs. We help entrepreneurs ‘stand out’ in their fields. We connect entrepreneurs to mentors, and world class advisers with experience in different sectors.

Ready to join our journey ?

Our Unique Expertise

Our Advantage

Our team contributes time, expertise, capital, and connections to help founders gain access to the right people and resources to grow their business, their way..

  • 365 Access – We meet with companies at early stage, any time. It’s never too early to get the conversation started.
  • Pre-Funding Assistance – We work with early-stage entrepreneurs to get them ready for funding eligibility—whether from us or other investors.
  • People First – We look at both expertise and personality of the founders to find the best champion(s) for each business.
  • Weeks Not Months– Ready-to-go companies participate in a highly efficient “diligence sprint.” Companies can quickly get a yes/no funding decision with supportive feedback along the way.
  •  Ongoing Support– We stay with our companies as they grow, assisting with recruiting, strategy, best practices, and introductions—whatever is needed.
  • Working the Local way– Local, loyal, collaborative, and open-minded. We’re firm in our roots and believe getting to know each entrepreneur and making the right connections is the key to developing a plan for success.
Strategy
95%
Product Development
95%
Market Understanding
90%
Strong Analysis
85%
Risk Appetite
75%

Soft skills

Responsive

Realistic

Passionate

Portfolio sectors

Portfolio Sectors

CURRENT PORTFOLIO are spread in the following sectors:

  • Agritech
  • Food/Nutrition
  • Healthcare
  • Health-tech
  • Energy
  • Design
  • Retail
  • Enterprise – SaaS
Contacts

Contacts

Fill the form to contact us

Our phone number

+254 20 440 5739

Our office

32 Westlands Court, Mangu Close, Off Church Road

Wadson Fund

Wadson Fund

We seek to include both tech and human capacity in developing our portfolio for the newfund.

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NEXT PHASE: WADSON FUND I

Wadson Ventures is seeking to launch its first open Fund.

Wadson Fund I will build on the experience of Wadson Ventures which has been providing support to early stage impact driven entrepreneurs in East Africa over the last 5 years.

The new fund will expand the reach and impact to more entrepreneurs.

Social Mission :  To support impact driven enterprises that solve key social, economic and environmental problems in Africa, driven by Africans.

WHY DO STARTUPS NEED OUR HELP?

  • Entrepreneurs with innovative ideas at the very early stage face a variety of problems that hinder or slow down their capacity to grow and maximize their profits and social impact.
  • Few impact investors are willing to provide patient capital to early stage African startups focused on the poor, creating a gap in funding for social enterprises pioneering new models of inclusive business.
  • Most of the support and funding coming into Africa goes towards start-ups founded by non-black Africans, even though operating in Africa.
  • Beyond investment capital, startups lack the distribution networks, consumer trust, and local know-how needed to take smart, informed risks and successfully deliver innovative solutions that combat poverty.
  • Even with the right investment and technical support, early stage startups struggle to provide end-user financing solutions to make their products and services truly affordable to low income customers.
  • Non tech Small and Medium Enterprises are mostly neglected by traditional venture capital.
  • Traditional financing in terms debt from financial institutions is hardly available to startups and SMEs, and if available, its very very expensive to make any meaningful impact.

 

Investment Information

Manifesto: Focus on the entrepreneur beyond just the business, Support beyond the financing, Locally founded startups.

A mix of high risk capital to high growth focused capital via SAFEs, Convertible Debt and Equity; and traditional stable SMEs via Debt and Revenue Share that will help reduce the Fund’s overall risk.

Early stage: 1st or 2nd institutional investor in Pre-seed, Seed, A and B and evergreen investments to maintain ownership

Sectors: Smart startups and growing SMEs in sectors solving economic, social and environmental challenges for masses of people. Key sectors- renewable energy, healthcare, hospitality, retail, agriculture and food security, education, consumer focused products, fintech among others.

Location: East Africa for first few years – markets that are growing fast.