Enza Capital

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝘄 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗺𝘂 A few weeks ago, we had the privilege of bringing together an incredible group of our LPs, co-investors, portfolio founders, and industry leaders for an offsite in the breathtaking setting of Lamu, Kenya. 🌍☀️ This gathering wasn’t just about business—it was about deep conversations about the future of venture, the challenges of building and lessons we don't usually get to share in pitch decks or deal memos. We also laughed, explored, and had the kind of conversations that only happen when people let their guard down and truly connect. From sunrise discussions to late-night debates, every moment was a reminder of the power of community in venture.  This offsite was a reminder of why we do what we do. Investing isn’t just about capital—it’s about backing extraordinary people, learning from each other, and building something bigger than ourselves. A huge thank you to everyone who made this offsite such a special experience. Here’s to more moments like this. More real conversations. More building, together. #venture #venturecapital #startups #innovation #investing #africa #building #technology #kenya #people British International Investment IFC - International Finance Corporation LocalGlobe TLcom Capital LLP Kindred Capital VC Seedstars Seedstars Africa Ventures HealthCap Africa Ilara Health Ingressive Capital BREEGA Endeavor Catalyst Endeavor Kenya Al Mada Ventures Paystack SeamlessHR MNZL Tuteria ORDA Jumba Gigmile tabb Tugende Ndovu EarthAcre

ORDA is digitizing Africa's restaurants. They raised over $4M to do so. This week, The Realistic Optimist interviewed Orda co-founder Guy Futi. Orda offers a full-suite of products, from inventory management to POS systems. Its newest product line is lending to restaurants, underwritten by the first-party data harvested from its existing products. Here's how Guy explains: "We don’t actually disburse the loans because we don’t have the cash and that isn’t our specialty. Instead, we partner with fintechs who have that disbursement capacity (such as Carbon). This is a virtuous circle: we offer Orda restaurants an additional service and Carbon gets more loan volume. We can also give Carbon visibility on restaurants’ performance, since we host their financial data. Because we operate the restaurant’s payment gateway, we can also take care of the loan repayment part, by slicing a small chunk of restaurants’ revenue to repay the loan provider. We make money via an origination fee that our fintech partner pays us when we send them a client. Of the four revenue streams, this is the one I’m most bullish on because the first-party data we’re collecting is unique and supremely important to loan providers. [...] Other fintech startups, who paradoxically can be both partners (through the loan product) and competitors (if they compete in the payment processing space, for example). Many fintechs realize, after dabbling in the ethereal internet world, that there’s real money in serving brick-and-mortar stores. The ideal fit for a fintech is a business with a high velocity of transactions and a consistent volume of payments: restaurants fit the bill. I predict more and more fintechs to come after our slice of the pie." Link to Guy's full The Realistic Optimist interview in the comments. 📝 The Realistic Optimist is a paid publication covering the globalized startup scene. Paid subscribers include teams at Sturgeon Capital, Norrsken22, 54 Collective, Razor Capital, inDrive, 500 Global and more. 

Shout out from Capital FM - a 2-minute read about our 2-minute response times. Speed is only part of our story — every emergency call means somebody's life is on the line, and our mission is to ensure everyone gets the right care (and that we coordinate the optimal route to that care). Every rescue is coordinated using: 🖥️ Our dispatch and logistics technology 🚑 An optimized fleet of ambulances, with trained emergency responders 🤝 Partnerships with the region's largest hospitals and insurers for faster hospital admissions How prepared our team is to expertly handle each case can determine the difference between life and death — affecting not just the individuals involved, but their families and communities. And that's why we do what we do. We're building the infrastructure for fast, reliable, and quality emergency response - and appreciate the shoutout - thanks Capital FM Kenya! https://lnkd.in/eupNA64R

TL;DR: Africa just committed $60B to invest in AI —ethically, inclusively, and sustainably. WHAT HAPPENED On April 4, 2025, when 50+ African nations (including Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, Rwanda & South Africa) signed The Africa Declaration on AI in Kigali during the Rwanda Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Global AI Summit on Africa. 🇿🇦 🇷🇼 🇳🇬🇰🇪 Goal? Make AI work for Africa🌟. WHY SHOULD YOU CARE - $60 BILLION FUND 💸: A massive pot to boost AI startups, infrastructure, and research. - "AFRICA-FIRST" AI 🤖: Homegrown solutions for healthcare, farming, climate, and more. - JOBS, JOBS, JOBS 💻: Free AI training for youth, revamped university programs, and a new African AI Scientific Panel to lead R&D. 3 Highlights - Scaling hub: Gates Foundation and Ministry of ICT & Innovation, Rwanda signed and agreement for the first scaling hub to accelerate the development and responsible deployment of AI technologies in Rwanda and across the continent. https://lnkd.in/dZxCEDXM - Data Sets: Africa’s building open datasets and model that are open sourced for multiple use cases. - GPU access for All: Startups and schools get cheap access to high-power tech. Cassava Technologies and NVIDIA announced the set up for AI factories with over 10,000 GPUs already available. The first counties are South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Egypt and Nigeria. - AI Sandboxes: A “playground” for testing innovations across borders (thanks to the African Free Trade Zone!). 🙌 AFRICA’S SECRET WEAPON Collaboration. Think: - A new Africa AI Council (backed by the African Union + global partners). - Shared policies, open datasets, and a continent-wide network to fight cyber threats. 🌱 GREEN AI: AFRICA’S SUSTAINABLE EDGE Kenya is leading the charge with 10,000 MW of geothermal energy—a key driver for carbon-neutral tech. Already, Microsoft and UAE’s G42 are investing in a 1 GW green data center in Kenya, powered entirely by renewables. This aligns with Africa’s push to: - Deploy AI-optimized energy grids for climate resilience. - Build sovereign data centers with minimal carbon footprints. - Attract global tech giants seeking sustainable compute solutions. 📈 WHY THIS MATTERS FOR BUSINESS Africa’s AI strategy isn’t just visionary—it’s actionable: - Untapped markets: 1.3B people, booming digital adoption. - Green tech leadership: Geothermal, solar, and hydro-powered AI infrastructure. - Talent pipeline: A young, tech-savvy population set to drive AI R&D. 🚀 Ready to Engage? Tag investors, tech leaders, and sustainability champions. Africa’s AI revolution is open for business—and the world is invited. #Innovation #GreenTech #AI #AfricaRising #SustainableBusiness P.S. Kenya’s geothermal-powered data centers are just the start. Think bigger. 🌍⚡

🚀 Calling all AI builders in Nairobi 🧠 At Enza Capital we back bold founders solving hard problems across Africa, and we know that great innovation often starts in #community 🌍 That’s why we’re hosting AI Tinkerers – #Nairobi: a meetup for researchers, engineers, and machine learning practitioners who are building the future with AI 👩🏾💻 Whether you're experimenting with LLMs, training your own models, or just getting started — this is your space to share ideas, swap learnings, get feedback, and build relationships with peers (and potential investors 👀). Expect: 🔍 Live demos 📦 Shared code & practical takeaways 🤝 An open, collaborative environment 🚀 A chance to connect with the Enza team and many others in the space If you're working on something in AI, or want to be — join us: 👉 Apply to join here -> https://lnkd.in/dtGAEk8n #AITinkerers #NairobiTech #MachineLearning #AIinAfrica #EnzaCapital #VentureCapital #TechCommunity Please like and share with relevant builders, and look forward to meeting incredible minds including: John Lazar Mesh Alloys Mutembei Kariuki Ngugi Karega Benson Wainaina Willie Ng'ang'a Macharia Ian Wambai Janet Sawari Terry Mochire Keith Owira Ananth Gudipati Kate Kallot Nzwisisa Chidembo Peter Kanda (PK) Timothy Waema, Ph.D Dr. Melissa Omino (LLD) Annita Mwagiru Leonida Mutuku Joe Heitzeberg Lubanga M. Kisaame Mike Mompi

The Enza Capital team is thrilled to be supporting and sponsoring the inaugural meeting of the amazing AI Tinkerers programme in Nairobi on 9th April. There is so much excellent and ingenious AI talent in Africa, and we looking forward to playing our part in amplifying it! Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eizpZQdr Mike Mompi Lubanga M. Kisaame Nzwisisa Chidembo Joe Heitzeberg

Big milestone for fintech in Francophone Africa 🚀 Major congrats to Hassan Bourgi and Régis Bamba and the whole Djamo team for the meaningful progress over the past years! We’re thrilled to have been an early investor at Enza Capital. Djamo raised $17M in equity funding - the largest VC round ever for an Ivorian startup. Most people don’t know that Cote D’Ivoire is projected to be one of the world’s fastest growing countries at 6.5% real GDP this year, and at the end of 2024 had lower inflation that the United States. Congrats to lead investors Janngo.africa and co-investors Partech Oikocredit Y Combinator Finance in Motion and others. Some key figures below 👇🏽 🌍1M+ users across Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal 🇸🇳 🇨🇮 💳55% unbanked now financially included 🏦90% using Djamo as their primary account 🚺 1 in 3 users are women helping narrow the gender gap in finance 🚀 $4.5B+ in transactions processed 📈10,000+ small businesses onboarded Djamo is building more than a digital bank. It’s a financial operating system for Francophone Africa—combining sleek mobile experiences with offline agents for last-mile inclusion, and expanding into savings, investments, and business payments. Next up: deeper engagement, interest-bearing savings, and SME lending. Massive kudos to the team for building one of the most consequential fintech companies on the continent. Full story via TechCrunch: https://lnkd.in/d5vn_mUy #AfricanTech #FrancophoneAfrica #Fintech #Djamo #FinancialInclusion #VC #Startups #EnzaCapital

Félicitations à Djamo pour cette étape incroyable ! 🎉 Nous sommes immensément fiers d’être des premiers investisseurs dans cette entreprise visionnaire qui transforme la finance en Afrique 🌍 Atteindre 1 000 000 d’utilisateurs actifs témoigne de l’impact et de la confiance qu’inspire Djamo auprès de sa communauté. Ce n’est que le début, et nous sommes ravis de poursuivre cette aventure à leurs côtés ! 🚀 #Djamo #Fintech #Innovation #1Million

Investing in Africa’s Future: Local Capital, Big Opportunities 🚀 The Safaricom PLC Spark Demo Day here in Nairobi featured an insightful panel discussion on venture capital investments in Africa, and it was a privilege to see such strong voices shaping the conversation. Enza Capital colleague Nonnie Wanjihia Burbidge shared insights on a panel with the inspirational Joyce-Ann Wainaina from Chui Ventures, pension fund whisperer Njeri Muhia from FrontEnd Ventures, and Isaac Otolo from PwC. It was a thoughtful discussion, expertly facilitated by Maryanne Ochola from Endeavor in Kenya, and it focused on the evolving venture landscape in Africa, and what that means for founders. One of the most encouraging shifts we’re seeing is the rise of local capital, this is capital that is deeply embedded in Africa, better attuned to the challenges and opportunities here, and more capable of providing the kind of long-term, locally relevant support that founders need. This capital is “rooted” here, and committed to the Continent, and it’s an encouraging trend to see. The opportunities in Africa are immense, particularly for those solving large, meaningful problems, as there are many of those to solve. But sustainable success isn’t just about raising capital—it’s about using it wisely as a precious and non-renewable resource. The best founders focus on capital efficiency, de-risking over time and scaling with discipline rather than overspending. Exciting times ahead for the ecosystem. Grateful to Safaricom Spark for bringing together such a stellar group of investors, founders, and ecosystem leaders. Congrats to all the founders who pitched today! Let’s keep building. #africatech #growth #homegrown #talent #opportunity

𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝘄 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗺𝘂 A few weeks ago, we had the privilege of bringing together an incredible group of our LPs, co-investors, portfolio founders, and industry leaders for an offsite in the breathtaking setting of Lamu, Kenya. 🌍☀️ This gathering wasn’t just about business—it was about deep conversations about the future of venture, the challenges of building and lessons we don't usually get to share in pitch decks or deal memos. We also laughed, explored, and had the kind of conversations that only happen when people let their guard down and truly connect. From sunrise discussions to late-night debates, every moment was a reminder of the power of community in venture.  This offsite was a reminder of why we do what we do. Investing isn’t just about capital—it’s about backing extraordinary people, learning from each other, and building something bigger than ourselves. A huge thank you to everyone who made this offsite such a special experience. Here’s to more moments like this. More real conversations. More building, together. #venture #venturecapital #startups #innovation #investing #africa #building #technology #kenya #people British International Investment IFC - International Finance Corporation LocalGlobe TLcom Capital LLP Kindred Capital VC Seedstars Seedstars Africa Ventures HealthCap Africa Ilara Health Ingressive Capital BREEGA Endeavor Catalyst Endeavor Kenya Al Mada Ventures Paystack SeamlessHR MNZL Tuteria ORDA Jumba Gigmile tabb Tugende Ndovu EarthAcre