Obuntu Foundation Reveals 2nd Class of its Emerging Venture Investors Fellowship

The Obuntu Foundation has announced the second class of its Africa-focused emerging venture investor fellowship.

In order to stimulate creativity and economic progress in Africa, the Obuntu Foundation launched the Obuntu Launchpad Fellowship, which is co-designed and delivered by African and global professionals in venture capital.

The Launchpad’s sessions are led by leaders from leading African venture capital firms such as Partech, TLcom, and Helios, as well as worldwide VC firms such as Hustle Fund, Better Tomorrow Ventures, and Rarebreed Ventures.

The new fellows are from South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt, Kenya, Zambia, Mauritius, and the United States.

“We’re in a climate where many global and Africa-focused LPs have not only held back from making new commitments to true emerging GPs, but have in some cases pulled back from fulfilling earlier commitments to invest in first time GPs in Africa. At the Obuntu Foundation we believe that now is exactly the time to ramp up commitment to trailblazers that will define the future of VC in Africa,” said Asta Diabaté, co-founder of Obuntu Foundation.

The 15 new fellows – who will join a network of nine fellows who began their fellowship in January – include Aly El Shalakany of Acacia Ventures, Egypt; Thandeka Xaba of Digital Africa Ventures, South Africa; Ayodeji Arikawe of Velocity Digital, Nigeria; Thaheer Mullins of Savant, South Africa; Laurent Fayolle of DotExe Ventures, Mauritius; Laissa Mouen of Kinaya Ventures, Senegal; Shiluba Mawela of Tshiamo Impact Partners, South Africa; and Amaka Opara of WEAV Capital, Nigeria.

“The foundational components of a strong venture capital ecosystem are diversity and founder experience. The inclusion of varied lived experiences not only captures the complexity of our reality but also offers a wide range of viewpoints. This diversity encourages innovation and makes sure that investment choices are not made in a vacuum. Additionally, founder experience is a very helpful compass that leads VCs through the challenging landscape of entrepreneurship. The intricacies, dangers, and benefits are best understood by those who have actually experienced them. Aaron Fu, a co-founder of the Obuntu Foundation, stated that the organization “champions diversity and founder experience to not only build a more fair environment but also pave the path for more educated, meaningful, and sustainable investments.