Portfolio
Backing Bold Ideas from Unlikely Places, and Turning Them into Global Success Stories
Thursday, April 3, 2025
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In the early days of venture capital, geography and pedigree often shaped where checks went. But today, some of the most transformative ideas are coming from founders who don’t check the traditional boxes — and that’s exactly where we focus.
Investing Beyond the Usual Zip Codes
Silicon Valley is no longer the center of innovation. From Lagos to Lisbon, Dhaka to Detroit, founders are solving deeply local problems with globally scalable solutions.
At our firm, we’re intentionally sourcing and backing companies in emerging and underestimated markets. Why?
Because we believe constraints breed creativity — and these founders are innovating not in spite of their environments, but because of them.
What We Look For
We don’t expect polished decks or Ivy League resumes. Instead, we look for:
Urgency of mission: Founders who are close to the problem and obsessed with solving it.
Market timing: Solutions that align with a macro shift — economic, cultural, or technological.
Founder clarity: A sharp articulation of what they’re building and why now is the time.
The best ideas are often overlooked at first glance.
Three Startups We're Proud to Back
Here are a few portfolio companies that embody this thesis:
SokoPay (Kenya): Mobile-first financial infrastructure for informal traders — now powering over 12,000 merchants.
Farmcloud (Portugal): IoT-powered climate tech for smallholder farmers, boosting yield by 30% in its first year.
Hilo Health (Philippines): A decentralized telehealth network serving remote islands with AI-assisted diagnostics.
They didn’t fit the mold — but they’re reshaping their categories.
Closing the Capital Gap
We're not just writing checks — we’re building bridges. We work closely with local angel networks, accelerators, and talent hubs to support founders long after the first investment.
Because capital without context often fails. But capital paired with community? That scales.
Final Word
The future isn’t reserved for the few. It belongs to the relentless, the curious, and the overlooked. And we’re here to help them win.
In the early days of venture capital, geography and pedigree often shaped where checks went. But today, some of the most transformative ideas are coming from founders who don’t check the traditional boxes — and that’s exactly where we focus.
Investing Beyond the Usual Zip Codes
Silicon Valley is no longer the center of innovation. From Lagos to Lisbon, Dhaka to Detroit, founders are solving deeply local problems with globally scalable solutions.
At our firm, we’re intentionally sourcing and backing companies in emerging and underestimated markets. Why?
Because we believe constraints breed creativity — and these founders are innovating not in spite of their environments, but because of them.
What We Look For
We don’t expect polished decks or Ivy League resumes. Instead, we look for:
Urgency of mission: Founders who are close to the problem and obsessed with solving it.
Market timing: Solutions that align with a macro shift — economic, cultural, or technological.
Founder clarity: A sharp articulation of what they’re building and why now is the time.
The best ideas are often overlooked at first glance.
Three Startups We're Proud to Back
Here are a few portfolio companies that embody this thesis:
SokoPay (Kenya): Mobile-first financial infrastructure for informal traders — now powering over 12,000 merchants.
Farmcloud (Portugal): IoT-powered climate tech for smallholder farmers, boosting yield by 30% in its first year.
Hilo Health (Philippines): A decentralized telehealth network serving remote islands with AI-assisted diagnostics.
They didn’t fit the mold — but they’re reshaping their categories.
Closing the Capital Gap
We're not just writing checks — we’re building bridges. We work closely with local angel networks, accelerators, and talent hubs to support founders long after the first investment.
Because capital without context often fails. But capital paired with community? That scales.
Final Word
The future isn’t reserved for the few. It belongs to the relentless, the curious, and the overlooked. And we’re here to help them win.
