Octavia Carbon
Seed Round in 2024
Octavia Carbon is the Global South's pioneering Direct Air Capture (DAC) company, focused on developing innovative technology to filter carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere. By utilizing Kenya's abundant geothermal energy and geological resources, Octavia Carbon aims to significantly reduce the costs associated with DAC technology. The captured CO2 can be transformed into stable rock formations underground or repurposed as an industrial gas, providing a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels. This approach not only addresses climate change but also supports industrial power users in East Africa, contributing to the fight against energy poverty in the region.
The Daily Sale Shop
Pre Seed Round in 2023
The Daily Sale Shop is an online marketplace based in Zimbabwe that provides customers with access to a diverse selection of products. The company is committed to enhancing the shopping experience by offering free nationwide delivery, reliable customer support, and a seamless checkout process. This allows customers to shop conveniently from their homes and receive their orders with ease.
Kashat
Convertible Note in 2022
Kashat is a mobile financial services company focused on addressing the financial needs of the unbanked and underbanked populations in Egypt. Through its user-friendly mobile app, Kashat provides instant small loans to individuals who typically lack access to traditional banking services. The platform employs alternative cellular data to assess creditworthiness for customers with limited credit histories, helping them establish a financial identity. Once approved, users can withdraw their loans via mobile wallets and other digital payment services, ensuring a seamless digital experience. Kashat's mission is to empower its customers by offering accessible and affordable microloans, enabling them to bridge financial gaps and improve their overall financial well-being. The company operates under the regulation of the Financial Regulatory Authority in Egypt.
Pharmacy Mart
Seed Round in 2022
Pharmacy Marts is an online business-to-business marketplace based in Cairo, Egypt, that facilitates the procurement of daily prescriptions and medications for pharmacists. Founded in 2021, the platform aggregates offerings from various suppliers, allowing medical providers to list their products in one centralized location. By providing access to discounts and eliminating delivery charges, Pharmacy Marts streamlines the purchasing process for pharmacists, enabling them to efficiently meet their supply needs. The company also integrates fintech and logistics solutions to enhance its marketplace, ensuring that pharmacists can easily find suitable offers for their daily supply requests.
Zuri Health
Pre Seed Round in 2022
Zuri Health is a telemedicine company based in Nairobi, Kenya, established in 2020. It aims to provide affordable and accessible healthcare solutions through its app, website, and SMS services. The platform allows patients to schedule lab and diagnostic tests, consult with doctors via chat, purchase medications from pharmacies, and arrange home visits with qualified medical professionals. Zuri Health also employs an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot to enhance user experience. By catering to individuals without smartphones and those in rural or underserved areas, the company strives to ensure that healthcare is universally accessible, thereby addressing gaps in the traditional healthcare system.
Elevate Pay
Pre Seed Round in 2022
Elevate Pay is a financial technology company that specializes in providing digital banking services and products. The company has developed a digital banking application that allows users to open bank accounts online and access fee-free accounts in both local currency and US dollars. Additionally, Elevate Pay offers free remittance services, enabling users to receive international transfers from various countries without incurring fees. The company also issues a free USD Mastercard, facilitating seamless transactions. Through these offerings, Elevate Pay aims to deliver regulated banking services that are innovative, fair, and accessible, ultimately enhancing the financial well-being of its consumers.
Amitruck
Seed Round in 2022
Amitruck Limited is a logistics platform that connects cargo owners with trucking logistics professionals, streamlining the delivery process. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the company offers a mobile and web-based application that allows customers to easily book deliveries for their loads. Amitruck also provides a driver application, enabling transporters to access clients and communicate effectively. The platform enhances user experience by allowing clients to track their deliveries in real-time, receive timely updates, and obtain instant quotes while ensuring access to the nearest available trucks. Through its intuitive interface, Amitruck aims to improve the efficiency and transparency of the logistics process.
Numida Technologies is a digital financial institution based in Kampala, Uganda, founded in 2015. The company specializes in serving micro- and small businesses in East Africa by offering application software that helps these enterprises maintain up-to-date digital financial records. Numida's proprietary credit scoring system enables it to provide unsecured growth and working capital loans to businesses, which not only results in high portfolio yields but also significantly impacts the livelihoods of borrowers. The platform aims to lower risks and costs for lending institutions, leading to improved lending terms for borrowers and fostering a thriving small business sector that creates employment, increases tax revenues, and enhances living standards for entrepreneurs and their staff.
Kashat
Convertible Note in 2021
Kashat is a mobile financial services company focused on addressing the financial needs of the unbanked and underbanked populations in Egypt. Through its user-friendly mobile app, Kashat provides instant small loans to individuals who typically lack access to traditional banking services. The platform employs alternative cellular data to assess creditworthiness for customers with limited credit histories, helping them establish a financial identity. Once approved, users can withdraw their loans via mobile wallets and other digital payment services, ensuring a seamless digital experience. Kashat's mission is to empower its customers by offering accessible and affordable microloans, enabling them to bridge financial gaps and improve their overall financial well-being. The company operates under the regulation of the Financial Regulatory Authority in Egypt.
Elmetr inc. (500 startups portfolio company)
Venture Round in 2021
Elmetr Inc. operates an online legal platform aimed at connecting users in Egypt and the Middle East with suitable lawyers for various legal needs, including family law, commercial law, criminal law, and administrative judiciary matters. By providing a comprehensive lead-generation hub for legal professionals, Elmetr enhances transparency in legal case handling and facilitates improved client reviews. The platform features detailed lawyer profiles, enabling better specialization and sub-specialization within the legal field. Additionally, it streamlines case management, billing, and client interactions, ultimately increasing the reach of law offices and elevating the quality of legal services available to clients.
Pawame
Venture Round in 2021
Pawame Limited is a company focused on providing off-grid solar home systems to households in sub-Saharan Africa. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, Pawame develops solar kits that include essential components such as solar panels, LED lights, wall switches, flashlights, radios, and phone chargers. The company employs a pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) model, allowing customers to access electricity through an affordable monthly subscription. This innovative approach not only facilitates energy access but also enables the provision of additional products and services, including electrical appliances, micro-insurance, education loans, and remote health services. By leveraging customer relationships and data, Pawame aims to enhance the quality of life for off-grid communities and contribute to poverty alleviation in the region.
Bypa-ss
Convertible Note in 2021
Bypa-ss is a health-tech startup based in Egypt focused on digitizing health information exchange to enhance the quality of care for both healthcare providers and patients. The company's primary offering, HealthTag, is a versatile platform that connects individuals, physicians, pharmacies, laboratories, and radiology centers, facilitating better communication and interaction between all parties involved in healthcare. By enabling patients to share their experiences and feedback about medical facilities and professionals, Bypa-ss empowers users to make informed decisions regarding their healthcare options. This innovative approach aims to streamline healthcare processes and improve overall patient outcomes in the region.
Cassbana
Pre Seed Round in 2021
Cassbana is a financial lending platform based in Egypt that focuses on building financial identities for underserved communities. The company employs artificial intelligence and machine learning to create a behavior-based credit scoring system, which assesses individuals and businesses' access to credit. By analyzing behavior patterns, Cassbana enables financial institutions to make low-risk investments while providing micro-lending and monetary payment options. This approach facilitates short-term financing for small businesses and individuals, enhancing their access to essential financial resources.