10 VC Firms Actively Investing in East Africa Right Now
If you're a founder trying to figure out who actually writes checks in Nairobi, Kigali, or Dar es Salaam, or an investor trying to map the competitive landscape, the honest answer is that the list changes faster than most directories can keep up with. Funds close, merge, or quietly go dormant. New ones show up with fresh capital and a narrower thesis. Here's a current, verified snapshot of ten firms genuinely active in East Africa right now, what they invest in, and the East African companies that prove it. 1. TLcom Capital TLcom Capital , headquartered in Nairobi with additional offices in Lagos and London, is one of the longest-running Africa-focused tech VCs, investing on the continent since 1999. Its TIDE Africa Fund II closed at $154 million , making it Africa's largest early-stage VC fund, and the firm writes checks between $500,000 and $10 million from pre-seed through growth stage. TLcom has backed some of East Africa's most recognisable names, including Twiga...
