Africa Corporate Venture Capital List
Welcome to Dream VC's Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) List, a compilation of ~100 domestic and international corporations with CVC units, arms, or funds that have made investments in or predominantly focused on African markets. Whether you are a corporate innovator, an aspiring corporate disruptor or a fast-growing African startup founder, this list serves as a valuable resource to understand the landscape of corporate venture capital across the continent. With a focus on both established and emerging players, this list highlights key CVC initiatives that bridge industries, geographies, and investment strategies, fostering growth and innovation across Africa and beyond.
About This Project
The Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) List is part of Dream VC’s broader initiative to provide accessible, practical resources that offer both educational value and real-world insights into the world of corporate innovation and venture investing in Africa. With a curated selection of corporations that have established CVC units or funds, this list will immerse you in the strategies and approaches corporates are using to fuel innovation, nurture startups, and drive growth across the continent. As a special partnership offering with Edge by Dream VC, this list speaks to the opportunity for corporate investors to thrive across African markets.
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How We Did It
This collection was curated through a blend of primary and secondary research, leveraging a combination of digital platforms (Tracxn, Crunchbase, Pitchbook); industry research from Edge by Dream VC; and existing research from Dream VC's modules on corporate venture capital. The results were reviewed and assessed by Dream VC's team to be adequate to provide an initial glance into most of the corporate venture capital and corporate innovation efforts in Africa. Dream VC IA Venture Fellow Victor Murithi played a key role in leading the secondary research ensuring a well-rounded selection of content. Each recommendation has been thoroughly quality-checked for accuracy and relevance.
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For feedback, suggestions, or any recommendations for additional titles, please contact the team at:
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Researchers
Victor Murithi (IA, 2023)
Thibaut Murengerantwari (Inaugural, 2021)
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This resource wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and contributions of our Dream VC Fellows and Alumni. Their research on African startups, entrepreneurship, and investment strategies has played a pivotal role in curating this list. We’re grateful for their dedication in ensuring this project reflects the needs of today’s VC-backed companies and startup ecosystems globally.
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Special thanks also go to Samakab and Marianna from Lateral Frontiers for their support in the research effort.
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Get Involved
Are you interested in contributing to Dream VC’s future research? Or do you have feedback on this resource? Let us know!
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Are you interested in exploring corporate venture capital? Have you ever thought about how digital disruption may disrupt your firm? Are you keen to leverage VC as a solution to build a cutting-edge investment or innovation practice? Our team would be happy to help with our range of CVC strategy, design and implementation solutions. Contact us to learn more.
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​This African CVC List is a resource designed to give readers an idea into the range of corporate firms investing in African startups. If you decide to take on the venture world yourself outside CVC, our flagship Launch Into Venture Capital (LIVC) or Investor Accelerator (IA) fellowships can then help. Otherwise, if you are ready to see how you can build, launch or improve a Corporate Venture Capital entity - contact our CVC team directly.