A pretty common investment trend right now, is one where the rich and established commit part of their portfolio into startups; it’s called Angel Investing (I wrote a think-piece about it a while back, check here) Sometimes a company's future growth (or birth) is contingent on landing angel investment funding. The challenge is to find the right angel investor or angel network with as much passion for your business as you.
Angel investors invest their own money, and since angel investors are very often individuals that have held executive positions at large corporations, they can more often than not provide fantastic advice and introductions to the entrepreneur, in addition to the funds.
Today, we shine our spotlight on an African-focused Angel Network. Africa Angels Network (AAN), founded by Pule Taukobong, is a network of angel investors that invests in Africa-focused startups, primarily in the Tech sector. Their mission as stated on their website is “to fuel economic growth in Africa by identifying and investing in high potential startups.”
What makes it even better is that they match the selected entrepreneurs with highly qualified mentors specifically related to their industries.
Here are a couple of ventures they have supported:
Andela
Andela is a global talent accelerator that trains developers to attain world-class status and then connects them with top employers.
Prepclass
PrepClass is an indigenous Nigerian company that provides online platforms for hosting educational material and tutors relevant to local exams and institutions.
MyDoorHandle
DoorHandles are short, memorable weblinks that point to any physical location.Whether for an individual, business, event organiser or just want to share an address with others, you can share it with a DoorHandle.
CrowdBnk
CrowdBnk is a crowdfunding platforms that offers new and experienced investors access to exciting, early-stage and established businesses with no management fees.
Bozza
Bozza is a digital distribution platform, offering services that are trusted and transparent, enabling artists to connect with fans who want locally relevant content via their mobile device and desktop.
You can check out the rest of their supported ventures here
