Hello,
Hope you are doing well, and welcome to the first edition of my monthly digest. My goal with this newsletter is to provide updates on my professional activities, key developments at Antler Africa, and highlights from the global Antler team. I hope to keep you informed and to identify opportunities for partnership and collaboration.
I want this digest to be valuable to you. If you'd prefer not to receive future updates, please let me know. If you find it useful, then I encourage you to share this with others who might benefit from these insights.
Antler Africa Updates
We're at the midpoint of our Lagos Cohort 2. From over 6,550 applications, we selected 24 exceptional founders for our residency program. These entrepreneurs are building transformative companies that address some of Africa's most pressing challenges, and we're excited to support their progress🎉.
Our Portfolio Updates
🚀 HoneyCoin has raised $4.9 million in seed funding to expand its stablecoin-powered payment infrastructure across Africa, Latin America, and Asia. The round was led by Flourish Ventures, with participation from Antler, TLcom Capital LLP, Stellar Development Foundation, LAVA, Musha Ventures, 4DX Ventures, and Visa Ventures.
🥳 Since receiving Antler’s investment, Forti Foods has made strong early progress. The team has placed their first container order of 38,000 ready-to-eat packs and recently launched the Forti Box festive campaign, which supports vulnerable communities through CSR partnerships.
🎉 Cubbes, one of our latest portfolio companies, emerged as the winner of Zeckathon 5.0, Zenith Bank's fifth annual hackathon competition and incubation program. The company secured first place and was awarded the top prize of ₦30 million.
Antler Global Updates
Antler launched The Further, Faster Podcast, featuring conversations with world-class founders, experienced operators and global innovators.
Listen to the latest episodes here:
Episode 1 | Magnus Grimeland (Founder and CEO of Antler): Antler’s Bede Moore sits down with Magnus to explore Antler’s journey - from its origins to where it stands today.
Personal Updates
I had the privilege of speaking at TechCabal's Moonshot Conference on a panel titled "Financing Models that Support Scale in Commerce," alongside Bernard Ghartey and Lavanya Anand, moderated by Emmanuel Paul. The discussion explored how to balance innovation, sustainability, and scale in African commerce. A key insight: there is no one-size-fits-all financing model; success depends on matching the right capital to the right stage of growth.
Anil Atmaramani (Partner, Lagos), Lola Masha (Partner, Lagos), Marie Nielsen (Partner, Nairobi)
In September, I attended my first Antler Partner Retreat in Oxford, where partners from across our global network gathered to share insights and best practices. We also hosted our third annual European Founder Conference in London, bringing together institutional investors, leading VCs, and our most promising portfolio companies. This year's theme—The Outlier State of Mind—explored the intersection of entrepreneurship and elite sports performance.
Co-Panelists: Adesuwa Rhodes (Aruwa Capital), Changwe Kumalinga (Good Nature Agro), Kisa Giebink (Okra Solar)
I participated in the EDFI MC Corporate Day: Beyond the Crossroads event in Brussels, Belgium. It was an excellent opportunity to connect with stakeholders in the impact investment and development finance sectors. I discussed the impact of blended finance and investments on the African continent and its catalytic ability to allow businesses scale faster.
That's all for this month. Please reach out if you see opportunities to partner or collaborate. Do not hesitate to share feedback and suggestions and send to others who might find it relevant.
Lola