Lagos · Pre-Seed–Seed · 3 people tracked
Investment thesis
FirstCheck Africa believes Africa's most successful future companies will be technology-enabled and led by more diverse teams, including significantly more women. Noting that female-founded African startups receive a small fraction of venture capital yet deliver strong revenue per dollar invested, the fund sees backing female founders as a commercial opportunity rather than a risk. It is a mission-driven fund seeking solid financial returns from for-profit, high-growth ventures with at least one female founder, aiming to be the first institutional check and to shorten founders' time to market by providing meaningful launch capital.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 3 people
from the firm's website
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What they invest in
from 11 of 18 portfolio companiesFintech ×5Consumer ×3Digital Health ×2Direct to Consumer ×2Media & Entertainment ×2SaaS ×2Wellness & Fitness ×2B2B Marketplaces ×1
HQs:Kenya×2Nigeria×2South Africa×2China×1United States×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 5 portfolio companiesAccelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
Investments · 18 tracked
founders shown can be your intro path
Akiba Digital offers a suite of APIs with low-code integration that connects to over 100 datasets, providing identity verification (KYB/KYC), bank account verification, AML/PEP screening, risk scoring, financial insights, and open banking data.
CybersecurityData & InfrastructureFintechSaaS
Co-investorsAlumni VenturesBasecamp FundExpert DOJOFlori VenturesLoftyInc CapitalOui Capital+1 more
Media & Entertainment
Co-investorsAdvance Venture PartnersAltorBeyond CapitalCool Climate CollectiveDesignXFootPrint Coalition+2 more
QQ.com is a Chinese web portal and content platform operated by Tencent that aggregates news, entertainment, gaming, and other digital services.
Media & EntertainmentShenzhen, CN
Co-investorsChina Growth CapitalChina Impact VenturesMing capitalMonolith Venture Advisory LimitedSource Code Capital
Cleva provides USD accounts and virtual USD cards for receiving international payments, with features including ACH/wire transfers, currency conversion, rewards programs, and point redemptions.
FintechLagos, NG
Tolu Alabi(Founder/CEO)inPhilip Abel(Founder/CTO)inPhilip Adama Abel(Founder)
Co-investorsNewfund CapitalThe Raba PartnershipWayfinder VenturesY CombinatorRainfall Ventures
Co-investorsLoftyInc CapitalEmerge Education
HealthTracka offers at-home and walk-in lab testing in Lagos, with a catalog of 500+ tests and packages, sample collection by phlebotomists, results delivered digitally within 48 hours, and free doctor consultations.
ConsumerDigital HealthHealthtechWellness & FitnessLagos, US
Co-investorsHoaQIngressive CapitalStone Mountain VenturesTechstars
Jumba provides an app and operating system for hardware stores to order cement, offering local purchase orders (LPOs), secure payment processing, credit, and self-collection options.
B2B MarketplacesConstruction TechFintech
Kagure Wamunyu(Founder)in
Co-investorsEnza CapitalLocalGlobe
Co-investorsBeta.VenturesConsonance Investment ManagersDigital Currency GroupTLcom Capital
Co-investorsTLcom Capital
Full-stack B2B e-commerce platform offering sales-as-a-service, smart inventory and product financing to SMEs.
MoneyHash provides a payment orchestration platform that lets businesses integrate multiple payment methods—cards, cash, wallets, BNPL, bank accounts, and crypto—customize checkout experiences, and localize payments by market.
FintechSaaS
Nader Abdelrazik(Founder)in
Co-investorsLoftyInc CapitalNuwa CapitalPreston-Werner VenturesTofino CapitalVentureSouqVision Ventures+5 more
Pivo provides bank accounts, debit cards, and digital invoicing tools to truck owners and drivers in Africa, with plans to expand into credit and expense management products.
FintechLagos, NG
Ijeoma Akwiwu(Founder)in
Co-investorsRising Tide Africa (RTA)Sprint VcVentures PlatformVestedWorldY Combinator
Tushop is an online grocery and essentials delivery service operating in Nairobi that offers express delivery within 90 minutes, standard next-day delivery, and features a marketplace for Kenyan artisanal brands and preloved goods.
ConsumerE-commerceMarketplacesNairobi, KE
Co-investors4DX VenturesBreyer CapitalDFS Lab
Uncover is a skincare brand that combines K-Beauty formulations with African botanicals to create dermatologist-tested products for melanated skin.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerWellness & FitnessNairobi, KE
Jade Oyateru(Founder)
Co-investorsigniteXL VentureNairobi Business Angel Network
Co-investors4DX Ventures
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
MoneyHash · empowerafrica.com · Aug 20, 2026
Broadband Access · santafenewmexican.com · Aug 15, 2026
Cleva · x.com · Jul 15, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has FirstCheck Africa made?
- FirstCheck Africa has 23 tracked investments.
- What stage does FirstCheck Africa invest at?
- FirstCheck Africa invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What is FirstCheck Africa's typical check size?
- FirstCheck Africa typically writes checks of $50K – $250K.
- What sectors does FirstCheck Africa focus on?
- FirstCheck Africa focuses on Impact & Social Good, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is FirstCheck Africa located?
- FirstCheck Africa is headquartered in Lagos, NG.
- Does FirstCheck Africa lead rounds?
- Yes, FirstCheck Africa leads investment rounds.
- Who does FirstCheck Africa co-invest with?
- FirstCheck Africa most often shares deals with LoftyInc Capital, 4DX Ventures, Beyond Capital, among 55 tracked co-investors.
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