Top 20 Impact Startup Investors in South Africa in October 2023

Portfolio highlights

• Inseco — Inseco is an IT company that specializes in management solutions, ERP, CRM, GED, HR, and business solutions.
• SweepSouth — Book a home cleaning online from your mobile, tablet or computer. SweepSouth connects you with a cleaner in minutes. Cleaners are experienced, reliable, efficient and insured.
• Inseco — Sustainable insect protein producers, converting organic by-products into nutritious protein. This high in protein product is used in animal feed, pet food, crop production, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

Portfolio highlights

• Swoop Aero — Transforming how the world moves by making access to the skies seamless.
• Regen Organics — Regen Organics decarbonizes the production of food, feed, and fuel by locally manufacturing regenerative products. Explore more here.
• Decentral Energy — Decentral develops, owns, and manages clean energy assets in South Africa. We offer risk-free and fully financed solar energy solutions for our clients.

Portfolio highlights

• Balad — Balad is Egyptian Cross Border Payout Network primarily serving Money Transfer Operators (MTOs), fintechs and mobile wallets. Targeting sending markets including GCC, EU, US, Canada, and UK
• Anchor — Anchor is a Lagos-based banking-as-a-service platform for African businesses. Anchor provides APIs and infrastructure to build, embed and launch powerful financial products in a secure and scalable way.
• Itana — Talent City’s mission is to build a network of charter cities that focuses on creating technology-enabled jobs within a free trade zone with its own regulation and bylaws.

Portfolio highlights

• Championfy — Championfy's mission is to empower and unleash everyone's inner champion through Esports and ignite the region with hope, inspiration, respect, strengths, and friendship.
• MetaVersus World — MetaVersus combines gaming with Web3 to provide a hyper-realistic digital environment for brands to build in and for users to discover as MetaCitizens
• REV3AL — Linktree. Make your link do more.

Portfolio highlights

• ShapesXR — ShapesXR is a provider of a web-based platform for content creation and collaboration for VR applications.
• Space DOTS — The first modular pico-labs for active in-space testing of advanced materials, from LEO to Cis-lunar and Interplanetary orbits.
• Cascade Biocatalysts — Cascade Biocatalysts is built on a novel way to immobilize enzymes. Our technology keeps enzymes active and stable under difficult industrial conditions.

Portfolio highlights

• The Sun Exchange — The Sun Exchange is the peer-to-peer solar leasing marketplace. We leverage financial innovation and the power of the crowd to drive sustainable energy development and make the environmental, social and economic benefits of solar accessible and affordable for all. Through the Sun Exchange online platform, anyone, anywhere in the world, can buyremotely-located solar cells and then lease them to power businesses and organisations in sunny emerging markets. Solar cell owners earn income from the electricity that’s generated, while schools, businesses, clinics and other organisations gain access to affordable clean energy, reducing electricity costs and carbon emissions.

Portfolio highlights

• Inseco — Inseco is an IT company that specializes in management solutions, ERP, CRM, GED, HR, and business solutions.
• Inseco — Sustainable insect protein producers, converting organic by-products into nutritious protein. This high in protein product is used in animal feed, pet food, crop production, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
• Netbank — Netbank provides various banking solutions like alternative lenders, payment solutions, neobanks, and wallets.

Portfolio highlights

• Decentral Energy — Decentral develops, owns, and manages clean energy assets in South Africa. We offer risk-free and fully financed solar energy solutions for our clients.

Portfolio highlights

• Baobab+ — Baobab+ is a social business committed to providing access to energy and digital. We commercialize innovative products with financing solutions that meet the needs of local populations.
• Yellow — Yellow enables a distributed network of sales agents to serve rural households with life-changing products and services through a digital technology platform called Ofeefee.
• Decentral Energy — Decentral develops, owns, and manages clean energy assets in South Africa. We offer risk-free and fully financed solar energy solutions for our clients.

Portfolio highlights

• CrossBoundary — CrossBoundary Energy's renewable energy solutions help decarbonize enterprise by providing cleaner, cheaper and more reliable power.
• Sun King — Sun King solar lanterns and home systems enables underserved communities to achieve more with inclusive distribution and flexible financing options.
• The Sun Exchange — The Sun Exchange is the peer-to-peer solar leasing marketplace. We leverage financial innovation and the power of the crowd to drive sustainable energy development and make the environmental, social and economic benefits of solar accessible and affordable for all. Through the Sun Exchange online platform, anyone, anywhere in the world, can buyremotely-located solar cells and then lease them to power businesses and organisations in sunny emerging markets. Solar cell owners earn income from the electricity that’s generated, while schools, businesses, clinics and other organisations gain access to affordable clean energy, reducing electricity costs and carbon emissions.

Portfolio highlights

• Voltpost — The lamppost electric vehicle charger.
• Earthodic — Earthodic is an Australian materials science company creating functional biobased coatings. Paperbarc by Earthodic is a biobased water-resistant coating for pulped or paper products. It has better water-resistance than wax coatings, more sustainable and circular than plastic coatings. Repulpable. Re
• Ocean Rainforest — Ocean Rainforest offer a collection of premium fully-traceable seaweed products, mostly for food and cosmetic producers.

Portfolio highlights

• I-G3N — I-G3N is a South African developer of lithium-ion batteries. The company’s core market is on stationary storage in conjunction with Solar PV and focuses on superior products and on the incorporation of the latest technologies to battery functionality. One of the key focus areas is on exporting to the SADC region and the rest of Africa, asextraordinary opportunities exist on the rest of the continent, especially in the development of mini and micro-grids to impact development.
• FarmTrace — Transform your farm into a data-driven powerhouse with FarmTrace! Streamline HR, Asset, Energy, Stock, and Chemical Management.
• Herbivore Earthfoods — South Africa's leading plant based food shopping destination. Save between 10-30% on vegan meals, delivered to your door. Treat yourself with everyday goodness.

Portfolio highlights

• Inoxico — Inoxico is a provider of business-to-business credit risk solutions. We combine quality data and cutting edge technology to deliver predictive analytics.
• Kombo King — Kombo King Ventless Fryer Tech removes the need for plumes of steam & the constant eye of an inconsistent employee to Revolutionize & solve the frying industry!
• Kusini Water — Kusini Water builds water treatment systems from nanotechnology and macadamia nut shells.

Portfolio highlights

• upOwa — upOwa brings electricity to Africa through our innovative Pay-As-You-Go solar technology for the poorest.
• Hohm Energy — We make the process of going solar simple. Generate your free, custom solar proposal and get matched with an accredited solar provider in under 5 mins.
• Solar Taxi Ghana — Solar Taxi Ghana app provides various electronic vehicles that are powered by solar energy.

Portfolio highlights

• I-G3N — I-G3N is a South African developer of lithium-ion batteries. The company’s core market is on stationary storage in conjunction with Solar PV and focuses on superior products and on the incorporation of the latest technologies to battery functionality. One of the key focus areas is on exporting to the SADC region and the rest of Africa, asextraordinary opportunities exist on the rest of the continent, especially in the development of mini and micro-grids to impact development.
• Syafunda — Syafunda is an educational platform that provides access to digital content through mobile technology. Inspired by personal experiences growing up in townships where there was a shortage of textbooks and math and science teachers.
• ProfitShare Partners — ProfitShare Partners utilises tech to fast-track SME performance and delivery through its profit-sharing business model. ProfitShare Partners financially partners on transactions with SMEs to deliver successfully on their orders and contracts with reputable organisations, allowing them to access bigger business and grow exponentially in shortperiods of time.

Portfolio highlights

• I-G3N — I-G3N is a South African developer of lithium-ion batteries. The company’s core market is on stationary storage in conjunction with Solar PV and focuses on superior products and on the incorporation of the latest technologies to battery functionality. One of the key focus areas is on exporting to the SADC region and the rest of Africa, asextraordinary opportunities exist on the rest of the continent, especially in the development of mini and micro-grids to impact development.
• Pineapple — In short, Pineapple see the traditional insurance model, user journey and products as lacking and set out to remedy these by doing the following: 1) Changing the business model to align incentives, show people how premiums are used and award members leftover premium back 2) Making insuring as easy as snapping a picture where AI does the rest andcover is issued in under 60 seconds 3) Allowing per-item insurance and new product innovation to address cover not currently offered or accessible to manyPineapple launched in South Africa in 2018 with their "My Stuff" per-item insurance and have since launched their auto offering "My Ride". They have also partnered with Travelers in the US and have white-labeled their platform in the US.
• Aviro Health — We believe that empowering and supporting people to manage their own health benefits everybody.We built the Aviro Pocket Clinic to support self-care and provide access to services. We give people what they need to perform important health checks like regular HIV self-testing and connect them to experts and services who can offer hands-on and supported care when needed.

Portfolio highlights

• Terraa — Terraa is a B2B distribution platform in Moroccan.
• OmniBiz — Omnibiz is a digital platform for small businesses willing to attract new customers.
• Revivo — Revivo is an online marketplace for electronics spare parts, tools & accessories.

Portfolio highlights

• Kovalee — Kovalee is a mobile app publisher. They empower app creators. They partner with app owners through a publishing model and bring their apps to the top of the charts. They provide product enhancement, monetization boost, user acquisition, and app store optimization services.
• EyeLights — EyeLights is a Head Up Display GPS. It allows motobikers to truly experience the ride by keeping their eyes on the road. Eyelights is the first universal motorcycle accessory that projects guidance, danger zones and traffic directly into your field of vision. A dangerous bend, a nearby stopper or speed over limitations, EyeLights warns you. Simple,uncluttered, they adapted the display for motorcycle riding.The EyeLights product installs in less than 5 minutes on your full-face, convertible or jet helmet. Their compact optical technology allows you to view your GPS more than 2 meters away while enjoying audio functions for more than 8 hours. The product is compatible with sun visors, insensitive to rain or fog and weighs less than 100g.
• PIXmania.com — PIXmania is a pan-European electrical e-tailer operating in 26 countries. PIXmania has been growing its market positions across Europe while leveraging the benefits of being part of the Dixons Retail Group. Pixmania now serves more than 7 million customers over Europe with a wide range of product categories.

Portfolio highlights

• Ozow — i-Pay is an instant EFT payment service in South Africa that allows your customer to make secure online payments directly into your bank account in real time.
• Howler — Howler, is the powerful event technology platform designed at the uppermost benchmarks of service and technology to help consumers and event organisers to make moments that matter.
• The Sun Exchange — The Sun Exchange is the peer-to-peer solar leasing marketplace. We leverage financial innovation and the power of the crowd to drive sustainable energy development and make the environmental, social and economic benefits of solar accessible and affordable for all. Through the Sun Exchange online platform, anyone, anywhere in the world, can buyremotely-located solar cells and then lease them to power businesses and organisations in sunny emerging markets. Solar cell owners earn income from the electricity that’s generated, while schools, businesses, clinics and other organisations gain access to affordable clean energy, reducing electricity costs and carbon emissions.

Portfolio highlights

• Talk360 — Talk360 is an easy-to-use calling app that helps people make affordable international calls to any mobile and landline number. They believe that reliable communication and digital services must be affordable and accessible to everyone, regardless of someone's background. Especially people in emerging countries in Africa, who often need theseservices the most, do not always have the necessary banking possibilities. To bridge this distance, Talk360 will launch the world's first single checkout platform for Africa. This platform will combine all locally available payment methods and currencies across Africa, together with over 1.25 million cash points of sales, and will eventually be available to other companies as well. This means that 500 million Africans will be able to purchase digital services they never had access to before.
• SweepSouth — Book a home cleaning online from your mobile, tablet or computer. SweepSouth connects you with a cleaner in minutes. Cleaners are experienced, reliable, efficient and insured.
• Yebo Fresh — Powering South Africa's Township Economy.