Nairobi · Seed–Late Stage · 7 people tracked
Also known as LATERAL CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP · Lateral Frontiers · Lateral Frontiers VC
Investment thesis
Lateral Frontiers partners with visionary founders in emerging markets who leverage frontier technologies to solve pressing global challenges, particularly in fintech and cleantech. The firm believes the world's greatest opportunities will be created in the Global South and emphasizes founder quality, resourcefulness, and long-term value creation. Beyond capital, the firm provides team-building support, client introductions, regulatory guidance, and fundraising assistance to drive transformative tech innovation across frontier economies.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 25, 2026.
Team · 7 people
from public directories
Founder mafia
2 people who came through Lateral Capital went on to found or lead other companies.
What they invest in
from 17 of 38 portfolio companiesFintech ×10Data & Infrastructure ×4Enterprise Software ×4SaaS ×4Cleantech ×3Hardware ×3AI & Machine Learning ×2Energy ×2
HQs:United States×8Nigeria×3Kenya×2Egypt×1Jersey×1Tunisia×1
Investments · 38 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2025 · 12024 · 32023 · 12018 · 16 dated
San Francisco, US
Board seatJohn Lilly· per SEC Form D · $415.7M raise · filed May 2024
Los Altos, US
Board seatJohn Lilly· per SEC Form D · $7.5M raise · filed Aug 2025
4G Capital provides business loans, financial training, and digital financial services to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across Africa, using mobile money for loan disbursement and repayment.
AI & Machine LearningFintechImpact & Social GoodSt Helier, JE
Co-investorsCapria VenturesCeniarthGlobal Innovation FundIFC
Aperia develops tire management technology that monitors and maintains tire inflation and predictive maintenance for commercial fleets and consumers.
HardwareIoTLogistics & Supply ChainBurlingame, US
JOSHUA CARTER(Executive Officer, Director)BRANDON RICHARDSON(Executive Officer)
BoardJACK FUCHS(Director)HAL KRUTH(Director)ANDREW SMITH(Director)STEPHEN GRAND(Director)
Co-investorsBlackhorn VentureseLab VenturesEnerTech CapitalTrucks VCAugment Ventures
Asoko Insight provides data, research, and analysis on African companies, drawing on proprietary datasets and in-country research across 25+ African countries.
Data & InfrastructureEnterprise Software
Co-investorsCapria Ventures
Autochek is an automotive technology company that builds solutions for auto loans, vehicle maintenance and after-sales services, warranties, and transactional marketplaces within Africa's automotive sector.
FintechMarketplacesMobility & Transportation
Iyamu Mohammed(Founder)inEtop Ikpe(Founder)in
Co-investors4DX VenturesCapria VenturesEndeavor CatalystEnza CapitalMSA NovoNorrsken22+5 more
Carry1st provides payment processing, game distribution, and marketing services for publishers entering African and Middle Eastern markets.
B2B MarketplacesFintechGaming
Lucy Hoffman(Founder)in
Co-investorsBitkraft Esports VenturesSony Ventures CorporationAndreessen HorowitzAvenir Growth CapitalCapria VenturesCRE Venture Capital+8 more
Nelly Chatue Diop(Founder)in
Co-investorsAdaverseCapria VenturesLoftyInc CapitalMercy Corps Ventures
Kashier is a digital payment platform that lets businesses accept online payments from customers and partners through tools such as payment links, e-invoicing, e-commerce integrations, QR code payments, and subscriptions.
E-commerceFintechSaaSCairo, EG
Khaled Raslan(Founder)
Co-investorsCapria VenturesDigital Currency GroupFirst CircleSawari VenturesThe Fintech Fund
Co-investorsVKAV (Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures)Waarde CapitalNovastar Ventures
San Francisco, US
CHRIS HALE(Executive Officer, Director)Christopher Hale(Founder)inCatherine Nomura(Founder)in
BoardSTEVEN SCHOW(Director)
Co-investorsCapria VenturesMS&AD VenturesBootstrapLabs
Co-investorsCapria VenturesFounders Factory AfricaSeedstarsMusha Ventures
Co-investorsCapria VenturesODBA
Minka builds payments infrastructure that lets clearinghouses, banks, and fintechs network and clear payments in real time.
Data & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFintechSaaSBogota, US
Domagoj Rozic(Chief Executive Officer)Paola Sánchez(Founder)Kai Schmitz(Director)Jorge Kuljis(Director)
Co-investorsTiger Global ManagementCapria VenturesCollab+CurrencyColle Capital PartnersKaszek Ventures
Mono provides financial data access, identity verification, and direct bank payments for businesses in Africa through an open banking platform.
Data & InfrastructureEnterprise SoftwareFintechLagos, NG
Abdulhamid Hassan(Founder)inPrakhar Singh(Founder)in
Co-investorsY CombinatorCapria VenturesEntrée CapitalHoaQIngressive CapitalLoftyInc Capital+5 more
Octavia Carbon designs modular Direct Air Capture (DAC) systems that remove CO2 from the atmosphere and store it permanently in basaltic rock formations, offering carbon removal and offsetting services.
CleantechClimate TechDeep Tech
Co-investorsE4E AfricaLaunch Africa VenturesRenew Capital
Pngme is a data infrastructure platform that aggregates financial data from institutions across emerging markets and transforms it into machine learning-ready features for credit scoring, risk assessment, and customer segmentation.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureFintech
Co-investorsBeresford VenturesCapria VenturesConsenSys MeshOctopus VenturesRaptor GroupRising Tide Africa (RTA)+3 more
Qore provides multi-tenant core banking infrastructure and related technology, including automated lending, cloud-based API integrations, account management, card services, analytics, and white-label solutions.
Cloud ComputingFintechSaaS
Co-investorsGreen Visor CapitalSilverton PartnersTAU Ventures
Rhaeos develops FlowSense, a noninvasive wireless wearable skin patch that monitors fluid flow in the body, initially targeting hydrocephalus patients who depend on implantable shunts for cerebrospinal fluid management.
HardwareHealthtechMedical DevicesEvanston, US
Dr. Chad WebbJohn A. Rogers(Executive Officer, Director)Roozbeh Ghaffari(Director)Anna Lisa Somera(Executive Officer)Chad Seaver(Director)R. Chad Webb(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsCreative VenturesPortal Innovations
SeamlessHR provides an all-in-one HR software platform covering recruitment, onboarding, payroll, performance, time management, and employee benefits for businesses.
FintechHR TechSaaS
'Deji Lanain
Co-investorsArgonautic VenturesCapria VenturesConsonance Investment ManagersEnza CapitalHelios Digital VenturesIngressive Capital+5 more
SparkMeter provides metering and low-voltage transformer-sensing hardware combined with software for billing, payments, prepaid metering, customer and asset management, and grid management.
CleantechEnergyHardwareWashington, US
Daniel Schnitzer(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardDaniel Goldman(Director)inBunmi Adekore(Director)Tokunboh Ishmael(Director)inRaymond Jay Dunn(Director)Allison Archambault(Director)
Co-investorsAlitheia CapitalBreakthrough Energy VenturesCapria VenturesEndgame CapitalClean Energy VenturesGoodwell Investments
Lateral Frontiers is a venture capital firm that invests in and works alongside portfolio companies, with a focus on the African market.
Sector Agnostic
Co-investorsCapria Ventures
Wattnow provides an energy management system combining smart sensors, software dashboards, and predictive algorithms to monitor consumption in real time, detect waste, and reduce energy costs for businesses across sectors such as manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, telecom, and retail.
CleantechEnergyIoTTunis, TN
Co-investorsE3 CapitalOcterra CapitalSatgana216 Capital
Workstyle Serviced Offices Limited operates furnished, shared office spaces in Westlands, offering flexible membership plans, amenities, and a community network for businesses to work, meet, and collaborate.
Future of WorkPropTechNairobi, KE
Co-investorsCapria Ventures
Zone operates a regulated blockchain network and payment infrastructure that routes and settles transactions directly between financial institutions without a central intermediary.
Crypto & Web3Enterprise SoftwareFintechLagos, NG
Obi Emetarom(Co-Founder & CEO)inWale Onawunmi(Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer)
Co-investorsAlter GlobalCapria VenturesDigital Currency GroupTimon CapitalTLcom CapitalTofino Capital+1 more
Rows marked “SEC filing” are inferred from directors named on the company's SEC Form D — public regulatory data, not a portfolio list published by the firm.
Exits · 1
IPOs and acquisitions across the tracked portfolioFigma, Inc.NYSE: FIG
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies4G Capital · techinafrica.com · Aug 10, 2026
Octavia Carbon · sebastianmanhart.com · Jun 24, 2026
Qore · fintechfutures.com · Feb 16, 2026
Mono · ycombinator.com · Jun 24, 2025
Wattnow · outlierzventures.com · May 14, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Lateral Capital made?
- Lateral Capital has 33 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited via acquisition or IPO, including 2 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Lateral Capital invest at?
- Lateral Capital invests at the Seed, Series A, Late Stage stages.
- What is Lateral Capital's typical check size?
- Lateral Capital typically writes checks of $100K – $1M.
- What sectors does Lateral Capital focus on?
- Lateral Capital focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Cleantech, Climate Tech, Crypto & Web3, Energy, Fintech, Marketplaces, Mobility & Transportation.
- Where is Lateral Capital located?
- Lateral Capital is headquartered in Nairobi, KE.
- Does Lateral Capital lead rounds?
- Yes, Lateral Capital leads investment rounds.
- Who does Lateral Capital co-invest with?
- Lateral Capital most often shares deals with Capria Ventures, Ingressive Capital, TLcom Capital, among 59 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamRob Eloff of Lateral Capital // the history and future of venture capital in Africa [CC066]
upside podcast · Rob Eloff
Startup Investors: An Intro to Lateral Capital, With Steven Grin of Lateral Capital
Mindset Startup Academy-Verlin Gradney · Steven Grin
Startup Investors: Lateral Capital's Investment Thesis, With Steven Grin of Lateral Capital
Mindset Startup Academy-Verlin Gradney · Steven Grin
Co-investors · 2
SOSV is a deep tech venture capital firm that makes first-check pre-seed investments and follow-on rounds in startups focused on human and planetary health, providing lab space and hands-on support at its US locations.
Expert Dojo is an early-stage startup accelerator and investor that focuses on sales and marketing growth strategies, offering an investment program plus a non-dilutive growth program with mentorship, training, and demo days.
Firms observed investing alongside Lateral Capital, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Lateral Capital's recorded portfolio.
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