The African Catalyst
The African Catalyst
Introducing the latest CatalyzU Fellows - Summer'23
As we wrap up an incredible year for CatalyzU, we want to thank you for being a part of our community. It’s been a whirlwind year for our small team - from launching our first cohort and participating in Techstars to sharing our newsletter, webinar series and three new cohorts in the fourth quarter. Phew!
Your support and engagement are the building blocks of our shared success, and we are excited for what the new year holds!
Speaking of 2024 - a massive thank you to everyone who joined our inaugural webinar in November. If you missed it, you can catch the replay here. Building on this momentum, we are excited to announce that starting in January 2024, we will be hosting monthly events, providing a platform for continuous learning and networking, for our community.
In this edition, we shine a spotlight on the new fellows in our CatalyzU into Venture Capital Advanced and Fundamentals Fellowships. The calibre of our participants is nothing short of exceptional adding diverse experiences and perspectives to our community. Click this link to learn more about them.
If you’re looking to hire top-tier talent for your company, we proudly present our cohort as a pool of exceptional candidates. The quality and diversity of skills within this group make them an invaluable asset. If your company is interested in hiring through us, please reach out to Benjamin at benjamin@catalyzu.io.
Finally, get ready for a dynamic start to the new year as we launch fresh new fellowships designed to meet the evolving needs of the startup community, and continue to build up our talent pool of exceptional non-tech talent for Africa, and the world.
Here's to a wonderful holiday season and a prosperous New Year!
Until next time,
Anthea
Head of Platform & Community
👉 Program Associate at Prevail Fund
The Program Associate will be a key interface with partners and help to facilitate and coordinate work within the Prevail team.
Key requirements: 2-5 years experience facilitating and coordinating projects, with a strong legal background
Applicants can be based anywhere in Sub-Saharan Africa
Are you interested in this position? Email our Ecosystem Associate Benjamin Udokwu.
🎤Alumni Spotlight
Can you describe your current job?
I currently work with UNDP Lagos Innovation Center as the Digital Innovation Officer, where I lead the digital innovation and transformation efforts for the development work of the UNDP in Nigeria and also midwife a portfolio of projects related to digital transformation for Nigeria.
One career highlight since completing the CatalyzU fellowship?
The CatalyzU fellowship helped me build relationships with people I respected in the Nigeria VC ecosystem and nurtured relationships with participants in the program who were also exploring their VC journeys. I have also had some opportunities presented by two top VC firms and two other firms requesting me to help midwife their setup for funding operations.
A project/topic/company you're currently obsessed with?
Ventures Platform and its impressive investment portfolio with demonstrated ability to support mission-driven founders while making good returns on investment. I am still very enthusiastic about exploring the relationship between thesis and mandate creation, and investment portfolio performance. I think there's some interesting strip there that hasn't been uncovered for the Nigerian/African case.
What type of person would you like to have coffee with next and why?
Kola Aina, because he has a unique position within the African VC space. Straddling across generations of entrepreneurship, being a pioneer of the VC wave and achieving consistency in his portfolio. That's amazing, especially since he only had prior business development experience and has not directly built a startup.
One piece of advice for incoming fellows?
Engage with other fellows, share your story, be proactive about learning and ensure you start building relationships for your next opportunity, don't wait until the end of the program. Also, talk to the YAC team a lot!
🗞️ News from the Ecosystem
Funding raised by start-ups in Africa reached a 6-month high in November, courtesy of MNT-Halan.
One of Africa’s most active VCs, Partech, launches a new Growth Impact Fund
Tappi, a startup that allows small business owners to place ads using airtime, raises 1.5m pre-seed funding
🗓 Events
London Africa Network’s 2nd Anniversary mixer special will be held on 13 December in London.
Tech Connect Africa is hosting several events in sequence, primarily in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana. Purchase tickets here.
Applications are still open to apply for the Africa Tech Summit investment showcase 2024. Founders apply here.
