• FoodByUs

  Led · Series B · Feb 2023

  FoodByUs operates an online wholesale hospitality marketplace that connects restaurants, cafes, hotels, bars, pubs and clubs with wholesale food and alcohol suppliers. Venue operators can search across thousands of products with transparent pricing and no credit applications. The platform covers categories from fruit and vegetables to meat and poultry, alcohol, packaging and more. The company was founded by Ben Lipschitz, Tim Chandler and Gary Munitz and has a team of 65. FoodByUs intends to use new funding to continue expanding operations and its business reach. It recently closed a $12M Series B round. FoodByUs operates a free online procurement marketplace that lets small and medium-sized venues search and compare hundreds of thousands of products with transparent, consistent pricing and no credit applications. The platform offers digital issue resolution, full cost reporting and automatically pushes all invoices into Xero. It aggregates purchasing power for independent venues, enabling access to suppliers and pricing normally reserved for larger businesses. The business operates across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and has recently expanded into the $2 billion liquor sector. FoodByUs reports annual sales growth of more than 600% since 2019. The company intends to use new funding to scale operations and accelerate growth.

• Kwara

  Participated · Seed · Jan 2023

  Kwara provides back-office software and banking-as-a-service to credit unions (Saccos), automating paper-based processes and enabling new products and member onboarding. Its platform includes a next-generation neobank app that gives Sacco members access to instant loans, third-party services like insurance, and direct deposits into Sacco accounts. The company has expanded internationally with a presence in South Africa and the Philippines and was co-founded in 2019 by Cynthia Wandia and David Hwan. Kwara grew its client base from 50 to 120 over the past year while maintaining 100% customer retention, and its neobank app user base has grown 35-fold since launch. The startup plans to double down on Kenya, invest in enterprise-grade features for larger Saccos, improve the neo-banking experience with personalized goal features, and add more third-party partnerships. As part of its growth strategy it is set to acquire IRNET and has signed an exclusive digital solutions distribution agreement with Kuscco to access over 4,000 Saccos. Kwara, launched in 2019, provides a proprietary backend-as-a-service (BaaS) platform to help credit unions (SACCOs) digitize operations. Its platform supports core banking functions and enables members to view and download statements, apply for loans, and make repayments. Kwara's client count grew from two to 50 in just over two years; it currently serves about 60,000 SACCO members and has supported $40 million in transactions on its platform. Clients using its technology have seen membership growth of over 19% year-on-year and a 46% increase in loan base, and the beta uptake of the upcoming app ranged from 60% to 90%. Kwara is building a neobank app to let individuals sign up with preferred credit unions and access instant loans and third-party services such as insurance, with a full launch planned for mid next year. The company has expanded into South Africa and the Philippines and aims to triple its credit union customers to 150 and cross 100,000 members next year, with a long-term goal to serve 1 billion people by 2030.

• Kapu

  Participated · Seed · Dec 2022

  Kapu is a social commerce B2C e-commerce startup founded in January that enables Kenyan consumers to buy groceries at lower prices by sourcing directly from manufacturers and supporting group bulk-buying. Its product combines an offline agent network—1,500 agent collection centers across Nairobi—with online channels (WhatsApp ordering coming soon) to let customers place orders through agents or directly. Agents collect orders, receive goods and notify customers, with next-day deliveries and many agents also offering home delivery. Kapu says its model can save consumers up to 30% on fresh produce and packaged goods. The startup was founded by Sam Chappatte, an ex-Jumia executive, and is focusing on fully penetrating Nairobi before expanding to new markets. Kapu recently raised $8 million in seed funding to support its growth and expansion.

• Nile.ag

  Participated · Equity · Jun 2022

  Nile operates a B2B platform that onboards and vets fresh-produce suppliers (including small- and large-scale farmers) and lets buyers browse a live catalog, place orders, and pay through the platform. The company provides logistics via third-party providers and runs a cross-docking warehouse in Johannesburg, offering delivery or hub pickup options. Nile charges farmers a commission (claimed to be significantly lower than traditional intermediaries) and levies service fees to buyers. The startup says it has facilitated the trade of around 30 million kilograms of fruits and vegetables to date. It is already operating in 35 cities and towns across South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Namibia. Following the raise, Nile plans expansion beyond Southern Africa into Eastern and Western African markets.

• BVNK

  Participated · Series A · May 2022

  BVNK provides a full-stack, stablecoin-native infrastructure layer for enterprises and payment service providers, allowing them to settle transactions and launch new products using digital dollars. The company’s enterprise-grade platform already processes more than $20 billion in annual volume and underpins services for brands such as Worldpay, Flywire, Deel and dLocal. BVNK combines global licensing, Tier-1 bank partnerships and robust compliance controls to enable fast, secure cross-border value transfer. Management positions the business at the center of a shift toward stablecoins for on-chain settlement and traditional payment workflows. As regulatory clarity emerges—illustrated by frameworks like the U.S. GENIUS Act—BVNK aims to expand its role as the preferred infrastructure provider for banks and fintechs issuing or using stablecoins. The company’s stated mission is to “accelerate the global movement of money” through digital asset rails.

No current team members are available.