Launch Africa Ventures co-founder Zach George sat down with Kieno Kammies, founder of Innovate Africa, to unpack how the firm backs seed-to-pre-series A founders and where local investors can find real upside. Launch Africa is widely cited as the continent’s most active early-stage venture capital (VC) operator, a claim backed by deal volume across multiple markets.
George started out on Wall Street at Lehman Brothers and Barclays. In 2010 he moved to Africa and never left. He built Launch Africa with Janade du Plessis, an experienced investment banker and VC operator.
Since 2020, Fund I closed at US$36.3m (R629.28m) and invested in 133 startups in more than 22 countries. Fund II is already deploying, with US$4.3m (R74.53m) invested in 16 startups by mid-2024. These numbers show a clear, repeatable model at the earliest stages.
In the interview, George breaks down what strong teams do before they pitch, how follow-on rounds are won, and why the post-accelerator stage is a prime entry point for African capital. If you back the right founders early and stay the course, the opportunity is there.
Watch the conversation.
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