Might Olumide Soyombo’s Voltron Africa be the most efficient homegrown firm on the continent for 2022? Beneath is a listing and evaluation of all 53 startups that Voltron has invested in.
Voltron Capital is a enterprise capital agency co-founded by entrepreneurs and angel buyers, Olumide Soyombo and Abe Choi.
Earlier than they got here collectively to discovered Voltron, Soyombo and Choi had collectively invested in over 41 startups as angel buyers. Soyombo has invested in 26 startups Whereas Choi invested in 15.
Launched within the third quarter of 2021Voltron is on a mission to “help extraordinary entrepreneurs from Africa to unravel essential issues in giant markets.” Their funding thesis is to help fascinating founders in giant markets, the place giant markets imply giant exits, and investing early means giant multiples.
With the Voltron 1 Fund, they meant to take a position $20,000 – $100,000 in 30 startups primarily based in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and North Africa. However she is past that.
You probably have a very good repute in angel investing, you’ll get some huge cash coming in and your preliminary outlook will stretch.
Of the tons of incoming merchandise Voltron acquired they had been in a position to Meet with 500 firmswhich signifies that they met two startups each working day.
?️
Together with public holidays, there have been 260 working days in 2022, and that is after eradicating 53 Saturdays and 52 Sundays.
I requested Olumide how his group managed to realize this and he defined that that they had a very good sign. “Most of our deal move comes from the founders we have supported and different co-investors,” says Olumide Soyombo.
By September 2022, Voltron Fund 1 closed having invested in 53 startups, an acceptance charge of 10% paying homage to what we see from main enterprise faculties. In 2016, the acceptance charge for Harvard Enterprise College was 12%, Wharton 9%, and Columbia 18.2%.
?
True to trend 53 startups run by non-individual founders, with a complete of 113. Thus, each startup Voltron invested in had a minimum of two co-founders, one in every of whom was possible a technical co-founder. in February 2021, Olomide advised Benjamindada.com He want to put money into a bunch of founders that features a technical co-founder. Right here is an excerpt from this text:
What particular traits are you on the lookout for within the founders you put money into? Are you on the lookout for technical founders?
I normally like groups greater than particular person founders. And I feel the technical founders are the important thing. I want tech co-founders/co-founders as a result of it reduces the quantity of increase. Think about in the event you needed to increase to your growth and also you outsourced it to a growth store or to India. This will increase the quantity to be raised for proof of viability. So yeah, we love the tech founders as a part of the group.
Additionally, they backed all of those startups, however one, within the pre-seed stage.
It’s the headquarters for all startups that Voltron has invested in Seven African international locations– Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Morocco, Senegal, Rwanda, and Uganda.
The primary three are members of the “Massive 4,” which is to be anticipated. However it’s fascinating to search out Rwanda and Uganda on the listing, as that they had very low startup funding exercise in 2022. In keeping with Africa Startup Funding Tracker, there was just one disclosed funding exercise for startups headquartered in Rwanda and three in Uganda.
Voltron’s Fund 1 startups function in 14 main industries Which incorporates monetary companies (43.4%), crypto (11%), training and healthcare (7.5%).
Evaluating the proportion of investments in Voltron’s portfolio to the continent common, it was properly consistent with the remainder of the trade when it got here to investing in HealthTechs (7.5%). It aligns intently with EdTechs (5%) whereas it is vitally bullish on Crypto (3.9%) and fintechs (30%).
Greater than 30% of Voltron’s portfolio firms (portcos) have been accepted into main international accelerators comparable to YC and Techstars. Thus, attracting the eye of Tier 1 capitalists.
Study concerning the 53 startups in Voltron’s first fund
The 53 startups are: