Cyril Shonibare, Principal at TLCOM—one of Africa’s largest early-stage VC funds—sits down with Launch Base Africa to discuss the firm’s deployment strategy, the collapse of open banking pioneer Okra, and hard-won lessons in early-stage African venture capital.
With SMBs comprising a significant portion of the economy in Morocco and Francophone Africa, access to credit remains a critical bottleneck for growth.
In early 2024, Ciwara Capital made its first direct investment outside Mali, backing LafricaMobile (LAM), a Senegal-based multi-channel digital communications platform.
Non-profits backing African startups have predominantly focused on energy, agritech, and fintech, though other sectors are increasingly gaining attention.
Through its business units, including Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Africa Data Centres, and Sasai Fintech, the company delivers digital infrastructure and services across Africa, the Middle East, and beyond.
Acting as an anchor investor, VCTF’s participation helps de-risk the fund for private investors and sets the stage for additional capital inflows from institutional and impact-driven investors.
Cyril Shonibare, Principal at TLCOM—one of Africa’s largest early-stage VC funds—sits down with Launch Base Africa to discuss the firm’s deployment strategy, the collapse of open banking pioneer Okra, and hard-won lessons in early-stage African venture capital.
