Kola Aina’s Ventures Platform Is Doubling Down On An Ambitious Gameplan

Ventures Platform, a prominent Pan-African early-stage venture capital (VC) firm, has released its 2023 Impact Report, offering a detailed examination of its role in the continent's rapidly growing tech ecosystem.

With a portfolio that spans 72 startups and over 126 founders across the continent, contributing to the creation of more than 4,264 direct jobs and an estimated 20,650 indirect jobs, Ventures Platform is emerging as a key player in driving both financial growth and socio-economic progress across Africa.

Founder and Managing Partner, Kola Aina, takes pride in Ventures Platform's impressive track record, highlighting in a recent interview with WT that four out of its six investment vehicles have achieved a DPI (Distributed to Paid-In Capital) above one.

“That basically means in four out of six vintages, we've made more money than we invested, and we turned actual capital back to investors, something we're proud of,” he said,  a significant achievement in the venture capital scene.

The firm’s model balances commercial success with a strong commitment to social impact, the tech investor emphasised, noting the potential of VC funding to shape and shore up the future of African innovation while fostering widespread societal benefits.

And, every now and then, that can mean putting out fires.

Saving The Day

Notable in Ventures Platform’s success is its unique approach to crisis management, which has proven critical in an often volatile market. The firm’s intervention in companies like agritech startup Thrive Agric and business banking solution Brass highlights its proactive stance in safeguarding both financial investments and broader ecosystem stability.