CASE STUDY
Customer
Industry: Venture Capital
Project: Establishing and managing the new Startup Wise Guys Africa Fund
Company: Startup Wise Guys
Contact person: Cristobal Alonso
Challenges
Jointly establish a new venture capital fund for early-stage investments in Sub-Saharan Africa, where Startup Wise Guys had an existing interest in investments. Activate the local ecosystem to get a good deal-pipe, invest and manage the portfolio to achieve a good fund performance. Establish brand awareness in the ecosystem.
Solution
Startup Wise Guys Africa Fund was founded in December 2021. General Partner team established. Sourcing, partnering, fundraising, investing and portfolio development processes established and managed together with Startup Wise Guys.
Results
- The first closing for the Fund was in February 2022.
- 17 investments during the first year of operations.
- 2 cohorts of accelerators running.
- Recognition as 1 of the 4 most important accelerators in Africa in 2022.
- Winning the award “Global Ecosystem Hero of the Year” for the work done.
- The project is ongoing.
About the collaboration
Cristobal Alonso about the collaboration:
„I have to admit it, last night in #copenhagen I jumped of joy and pride.
Cristobal Alonso, LinkedIn
And not once but twice as our Africa General Partner, friend and colleague Petra Wolkenstein also got recognised as “Global Ecosystem Hero of the year”. I have always stated and envisioned that we wanted Startup Wise Guys to be the best global accelerator, and yesterday Global Startup Awards recognized us as “Best Global Accelerator Program” 2023. This is for all those founders in our portfolio (more than 800) and despite the most difficult year in funding in the last decade, they are fighting to keep their companies alive and go back to growth. This is for our 60 people, employees and General Partners that despite a very difficult year, keep working day and night to support founders. This is the year to keep investing, thanks to all our Limited Partners for their trust and for those considering joining our investor family to make that jump.“
Petra Wolkenstein about the collaboration:
„Establishing the new fund in Africa together with Cristobal and Franziska gives us the possibility to make a change in early-stage startups, bring the spotlight to their work and push them to the next level with acceleration and the investment support we are bringing. But it does not end there as we are heavily involved in our portfolio in follow-on funding and market expansion. I am blessed to work with the team and jointly drive the Startup Wise Guys Africa Fund.“