Savannah Fund launches $25M fund to invest in African startups

Mbwana Alliy, Founder and Managing Partner, Savannah Fund, a pan-African venture capital firm, on Wednesday announced a $25 million fund as it looks to back more early-stage startups on the continent.

Since launching in 2012, Savannah Fund — led by Mbwana Alliy and Paul Bragiel — has backed more than 30 startups. Some of its well-known investments include South African car subscription company, Flexclub; Kenyan on-demand logistics company, Sendy; and Nigerian fintech company, Lidya.

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Before becoming a VC firm, Savannah Fund started as an accelerator program in Kenya. Startups that got accepted participated in cohorts for three months and received up to $30,000 in funding. However, in 2016, Savannah transitioned into venture capital investing, focusing on seed and Series A stages with $25,000 to $500,000 checks.

This is the second fund for thenine-year-old Mauritius-headquartered investment firm.

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