Participated · Series A · Feb 2023

Sendmarc builds software that implements, monitors and maintains email authentication standards (SPF and DMARC) to prevent domain spoofing and email impersonation. The company was founded in 2020 by Sam Hutchinson, Keith Thompson and Sacha Matulovich after selling their prior communications platform. Its technology helps customers lock down domains and monitor attempted abuse, and it targets a largely underserved market of businesses that have not yet implemented global email security standards. Sendmarc has 1,000+ paying customers (about 80% in South Africa) including stock exchanges, law firms, insurers, banks, startups and law enforcement agencies across multiple regions. Customers pay monthly subscriptions between $49 and $119, generating over $2 million in ARR since 2021. The company has offices in the Netherlands, Argentina and Canada and plans to expand its product suite and scale to serve up to 100,000 customers in the next five years while growing sales teams across Africa, the U.S., Europe and Latin America. Sendmarc provides end-to-end implementation and monitoring of the DMARC industry standard to stop scammers from spoofing customers' domain names and sending fraudulent emails. The startup configures DNS and reporting for clients and charges between R450 and R50,000 per month for its service. Launched operations in July last year, Sendmarc is working with about 100 companies covering over 200 domains, though not all are paying customers. The company was founded in 2018 and has seven employees, with plans to hire roughly 10 more (sales and developers) in the next two to three months. Founders Keith Thompson and Sam Hutchinson initially self-funded the business, contributing roughly R1-million since inception; Sam joined full time in October last year and Sacha Matulovich joined recently. Management aims to expand the service to as many as 200,000 small and medium-sized firms in South Africa, while noting competition from established players such as Mimecast.

Participated · Series C · Nov 2021

MFS Africa, founded in 2009 by Dare Okoudjou, operates a pan‑African payments gateway that merges fragmented payment schemes to enable peer-to-peer and business transactions across borders. The platform supports a broad range of financial services including bank accounts, prepaid cards and virtual debit cards. It connects more than 320 million mobile money wallets across 35+ African countries and 700 corridors. The company has pursued inorganic growth via acquisitions such as Beyonic and the pending acquisition of Baxi, which provides access to over 90,000 agents in Nigeria. MFS plans to double down on regional expansion, open more offices across the continent and in the U.S. and China, and is working on interoperability between African and Chinese payment networks starting from Nigeria. It has moved its headquarters from Mauritius to London and intends to strengthen GRC, treasury and liquidity pools, hire more talent and continue investing in other African tech startups. MFS Africa is a Johannesburg-based mobile payments services provider founded in 2009 by Dare Okoudjou. The company has grown its network into a full‑range provider for digital payments across Africa, aiming to open financial services to those excluded from traditional banking. Its core product is mobile payments and digital-payments infrastructure that connects financial services players across the continent. The firm said the new investment will help better connect MFS Africa with opportunities and financial services players in Asia and boost cross‑border trade. Partners such as Equator Capital Partners and FSD Africa are expected to deepen links to global and regional financial institutions and support regulator and policymaker engagement. MFS Africa frames its work around a mission of financial inclusion for underserved customers. MFS Africa operates a digital payments network that provides a single access point for global organizations to reach and transact with millions of African consumers and businesses across networks, borders and currencies. Led by founder and CEO Dare Okoudjou, the company connects over 170 million mobile wallets through 100+ partners, including Airtel, Ecobank, MTN, Orange and Vodafone across 55 markets. The company has offices in Port Louis (Mauritius), Accra (Ghana), Douala (Cameroon), Lagos (Nigeria), London (United Kingdom) and Johannesburg (South Africa). MFS Africa raised $4.5m in a Series B round led by LUN Partners Group, with participation from Goodwell Investments and several angel investors. It intends to use the funds to accelerate the expansion of its network in Africa. As part of the deal, MFS Africa will work with LUN Partners Group, its portfolio companies, and investor base to boost financial inclusion in countries targeted by China’s ‘Belt and Road’ initiative.

Participated · Seed · Mar 2021

Synatic provides a Hybrid Integration Platform (HIP) that enables extraction, manipulation, storage, and movement of diverse data types. The platform combines iPass, EB, ETL, API management, and on-premise connectivity to reduce the time and cost of integration, automation, and analytics. It offers prebuilt connectors to common data sources including AWS, Google Cloud, Sage, and HubSpot, and has delivered automated data integration solutions for insurance and wealth management market leaders while supporting Salesforce customers. Synatic is led by founder and CEO Martin Naude and is headquartered in New York. In November 2022 the company raised a $2.5M seed extension to expand its U.S. market reach through direct sales and expanded reseller and OEM partnerships. The company plans to use the funds to prepare for a Series A early in 2023. Synatic provides a low-code data platform that helps enterprises connect legacy systems and databases to modern cloud services. Its product is designed to integrate systems such as AS400 and DB2 with platforms including Salesforce, HubSpot, and Acumatica. Founded in 2017 and bootstrapped until this round, the company reports over 40 clients across Africa, Australia, and the US, with a client base weighted toward financial services (Tokio Marine, Community Bank, EasyEquities). The startup plans to use the funding to expand its U.S. customer base, deepen its technology, and grow the team. UW Ventures’ director Harry Apostoleris cited Synatic’s product vision and early partner validation as investment drivers. CEO Martin Naude framed the raise as part of building an international software company with South African roots.

Led · Seed · Jul 2019

Healthcent, founded in 2017 by Andrew Davies and Michael Gluckman, develops Signapps, a mobile-first platform for secure collaboration and rapid patient response by medical providers. Signapps allows multi-disciplinary teams to conduct conversations, share medical files and make confidential updates from a mobile device, which Healthcent says cuts down on costly consultation time. The platform is currently used by 30 hospital groups, practices, associations and funders of care, and has over 2,000 registered users. The company says the new funding will enable expansion into the wider South African healthcare environment and further development of product capabilities. Healthcent has previously raised seed funding from Nicolas Schwartz, Giles Douglas and Daniel McPherson. Its current financing is structured as a milestone-dependent SAFE convertible note for up to R8‑million, with investor stakes to be determined by the valuation at a future Series A.

Participated · Series A · Jun 2019

Inclusivity Solutions, founded in 2015, builds, develops and manages inclusive embedded digital insurance solutions and distributes them through mobile operators, insurance providers, and other digital partners. Its core product includes an open-API, no-code platform that lets insurers and distribution partners launch a wide range of insurance products in a few hours. The company focuses on providing straightforward, affordable insurance via mobile phones to underserved populations. It currently serves over two million customers across eight African markets. The business plans pan-African expansion and aims to operate in at least 12 African markets by the end of 2024. The recent funding will be used to support that expansion and continued investment in its platform. Inclusivity Solutions designs, builds and operates inclusive digital insurance solutions and a backbone technology platform called ASPin that underpins three existing products. The company partners with banks, mobile operators, insurance companies and other distribution partners to deliver insurance through digital channels. It has launched initiatives in Cote d’Ivoire, Rwanda and Kenya in partnership with Orange, Airtel and Equity Bank’s Equitel. Its hospital cash and life products have provided protection to more than 700,000 people. The company recently completed the second tranche of its Series A, bringing the round to a total of US$2.6m. The funding will be used to deepen presence in existing markets, support further international expansion and accelerate innovation in ASPin. Inclusivity Solutions, founded in 2015 by CEO Jeremy Leach, designs, builds and operates inclusive digital insurance solutions delivered through partnerships with mobile operators, insurance companies and other distribution partners. Its products have launched in Ivory Coast, Rwanda and Kenya via partners including Orange, Tigo, Airtel and Equitel. The startup says its partnerships have provided cover to more than 530,000 people to date. Management plans to deepen its footprint across East and West Africa and to pursue opportunities in the Middle East and Asia Pacific over the next five years. The company focuses on simple, affordable products accessible on basic mobile phones to reach under-served consumers.