About the Startup Academy

The VC4A Startup Academy offers direct access to expertise, proven to work for entrepreneurs, mentors and investors. Founders can learn about the latest business theory, download tools and listen to startup advice from 80+ experts active in the African and Latin American startup ecosystem.

Expert insights

We thank the following people for taking the time to speak to us and enrich the VC4A Startup Academy with their ‘expert insights’:

Eghosa Omoigui
Eghosa Omoigui
EchoVC
Nigeria


Rebecca Enonchong
Rebecca Enonchong
AppsTech
Cameroon


Khaled Ismail
Khaled Ismail
HIMAngel
Egypt


Tomi Davies
Tomi Davies
Lagos Angel Network
Nigeria


Fatoumata Ba
Fatoumata Ba
Jumia
Ivory Coast


Brett Commaille
Brett Commaille
Hlayisani Capital
South Africa


Ian Carnevale
Ian Carnevale
Andela
Nigeria


Hesham Wahby
Hesham Wahby
Innoventures
Egypt


Kola Aina
Kola Aina
Ventures Platform
Nigeria


Adedana Ashebir
Adedana Ashebir
Village Capital
Kenya


Stephen Gugu
Stephen Gugu
Viktoria Ventures
Kenya


Mustafa Othman
Mustafa Othman
Shaqodoon
Somaliland


Danai Musandu
Danai Musandu
Goodwell Investments
South Africa


Stephen Haggard
Stephen Haggard
Eneza Education
UK


Ike Eze
Ike Eze
Tranzact
Nigeria


Lexi Novitske
Lexi Novitske
Singularity Investments
Nigeria


Aaron Fu
Aaron Fu
MEST
Ghana


Emeka Afigbo
Emeka Afigbo
Facebook
Nigeria


Justin Spratt
Justin Spratt
Uber Africa
South Africa


Viola Llewellyn
Viola Llewellyn
Ovamba
USA


Charlene Chen
Charlene Chen
BitPesa
UK


Dima Rifai
Dima Rifai
Paradigm Change Capital
UK


Ibanga Umanah
Ibanga Umanah
Brave Venture Labs
Kenya


Lauren Cochran
Lauren Cochran
Blue Haven Initiative
United States


Yemi Keri
Yemi Keri
Lagos Angel Network
Nigeria


Juliet Wanyiri
Juliet Wanyiri
Foondi Workshops
Kenya


Simeon Ononobi
Simeon Ononobi
SimplePay
Nigeria


Aurelien Duval-Delort
Aurelien Duval-Delort
Bizao
France


Stephan Breban
Stephan Breban
Dean Wetton Advisory
United Kingdom


Fabian Guhl
Fabian Guhl
Ampion
Germany


Russell Southwood
Russell Southwood
Balancing Act
United Kingdom


Peter Allerstorfer
Peter Allerstorfer
Silvertree Capital
South Africa


Vusi Thembekwayo
Vusi Thembekwayo
Watermark Afrika Fund
South Africa


Sylvie Dalode
Sylvie Dalode
Strategic Bridges
France


Wim van der Beek
Wim van der Beek
Goodwell Investments
South Africa


Chams Diagne
Chams Diagne
Talent2Africa
France


Kamau Gachigi
Kamau Gachigi
Gearbox
Kenya


Llew Claasen
Llew Claasen
Newtown Partners
South Africa


Bernard Chiira
Bernard Chiira
iBiz Africa
Kenya


Fiifi Baidoo
Fiifi Baidoo
iSpace Foundation
Ghana


Jumanne Mtambalike
Jumanne Mtambalike
Sahara Ventures
Tanzania


Anna Ekeledo
Anna Ekeledo
AfriLabs
Nigeria


Mohamed Keita
Mohamed Keita
Impact Hub Bamak0
Mali


Bankole Oloruntoba
Bankole Oloruntoba
NINe
Nigeria


Takunda Chingonzoh
Takunda Chingonzoh
Tech Village
Zimbabwe


Benjamin Meltzer
Benjamin Meltzer
Aerobotics
South Africa


Lolada Maryam Akinsete
Lolada Maryam Akinsete
Electronic Settlement Ltd
Nigeria


Dotun Olowoporoku
Dotun Olowoporoku
Starta Advisory
United Kingdom


Tom Jackson
Tom Jackson
Disrupt Africa
South Africa


Maxime Bayen
Maxime Bayen
GSMA
United Kingdom


Isaak Mogetutu
Isaak Mogetutu
mFarm
Kenya


Erick Yong
Erick Yong
Greentec Capital Partners
Germany


Andrea Böhmert
Andrea Böhmert
Knife Capital
South Africa


Chinedu Enekwe
Chinedu Enekwe
Tiphub Africa
United States


Daniel Yu
Daniel Yu
Sokowatch
Kenya


Grégoire de Padirac
Grégoire de Padirac
Orange Digital Ventures
France


Kerushan Govender
Kerushan Govender
BlacFox
South Africa


Ndidi Nnoli Edozien
Ndidi Nnoli Edozien
Lagos Business School
Nigeria


Bola Ogidan
Bola Ogidan
Rensource
Nigeria


Ben White
Ben White
VC4A
Netherlands


Chinedu Azodoh
Chinedu Azodoh
MAX
Nigeria


Kamal Diaté
Kamal Diaté
Coin Afrique
Senegal


Chika Uwazie
Chika Uwazie
Talentbase
Nigeria


Djiba Diallo Diao
Djiba Diallo Diao
Microsoft 4 Afrika
Senegal


Rob Withagen
Rob Withagen
Asoko Insight
United Kingdom


Trevor Kimenye
Trevor Kimenye
Ongair
Kenya


Ido Sum
Ido Sum
TLcom Capital
United Kingdom


Olawale Ayeni
Olawale Ayeni
IFC Venture Capital
United States


Malaika Judd
Malaika Judd
Sendy
Kenya


Shudhan Kohli
Shudhan Kohli
Grey Elephant Ventures
Kenya


Justin Stanford
Justin Stanford
4DI Capital
South Africa


Anna Samaké
Anna Samaké
MBC Africa
Ghana


Shaun Johnson
Shaun Johnson
Startup Institute
United States


Oluyomi Ojo
Oluyomi Ojo
Printivo
Nigeria


Marek Zmyslowski
Marek Zmyslowski
Angel Investor
South Africa


Yele Bademosi
Yele Bademosi
Microtraction
Nigeria


Chris Schultz
Chris Schultz
Launchpad
United States


Oo Nwoye
Oo Nwoye
Callbase
Nigeria

Expert insights have been recorded at awesome events:


Afrobytes
Paris – France
African Early Stage Investor Summit
African Early Stage Investor Summit
Cape Town, South Africa
ATBN logo
Africa Technology Business Forum
London, UK
AHUB logo
AHUB
Cape Town – South Africa

High Growth Africa

High Growth Africa Summit
Lagos – Nigeria

Theory insights

The theoretical content of the VC4A Startup Academy has been created and edited by a pool of industry experts:

Andrew Sekandi

Andrew Sekandi

Sofala Partners
United Kingdom

Andrew Sekandi is a lawyer-turned-consultant who has enjoyed helping investors, companies and entrepreneurs succeed in Africa for over ten years. Andrew was Associate Director at KPMG where he led the Corporate Intelligence team’s Africa practice. With a background in law and risk analysis, he has experience conducting non-financial due diligence and provides market intelligence for investors looking to acquire stakes in African tech companies and other sectors.

Ben White

Ben White

VC4A
The Netherlands

Ben White has been venturing in the African technology and media space since 2003. Involved in multiple startups, Ben is also the cofounder of AfriLabs, a pan-African network of innovation hubs, and the African Business Angel Network (ABAN). Ben is on the board of ActivSpaces and in 2007 he founded VC4A.

Odun Longe

Odunoluwa Longe

DIYlaw
Nigeria

Odunoluwa is dedicated to building and nurturing African entrepreneurs, and creating access to legal services. She co-founded The Longe Practice LP (TLP), a startup focused law practice. In the course of running TLP, Odun and her co-founder realised they could use technology to make legal and registration processes easier for entrepreneurs so they teamed up to found DIYlaw, an online platform creating access to legal services, processes and resources.

Anneke Evers

Anneke Evers

Consultant
Rwanda

Anneke Evers has experience in the area of SME finance, preparing emerging market entrepreneurs in the final stages for finance and connecting them to financiers. As an overall SME advisor she worked with different support centers in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, capacitating their staff and enhancing their business services to SMEs.

Eelco Benink

Eelco Benink

Rebel Group
The Netherlands

Eelco Benink is a specialist in private equity, venture capital and project finance, especially in relation to emerging markets. Eelco worked in Kenya to help set up and manage SME investment fund InReturn Capital. After four years in East Africa he moved to the Philippines and in 2015 Eelco moved back to The Netherlands where he works at Rebel Group.

Eric Osei

Eric Osei

MBC Africa
Ghana

Eric Osei is an author oriented on business with a focus on entrepreneurship and investment. Some of his books include ‘Principles of Successful Entrepreneurs’, ‘Investing through Crisis in Africa’, ‘Migration & Entrepreneurship’, ‘Doing Business in Ghana’ and the new ‘Funding options for startups and SMEs’.

Presented by

The theoretical content of the VC4A Startup Academy is presented to you by:

Andile Masuku

Andile Masuku

African Tech Roundup
South Africa

Andile Masuku is a Zimbabwean broadcaster and entrepreneur based in Johannesburg, South Africa. When Andile is not covering Africa’s emerging tech industry for African Tech Roundup, he speaks widely and advises high net-worth individuals and leading brands and businesses on media strategy, market-entry plays and investment opportunities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Tania Habimana

Tania Habimana

Nonzēro Africa
South Africa

Tania Habimana is a Rwandan entrepreneur with a passion for digital innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa. She is the co-founder of Johannesburg-based, NONZēRO Africa, a purpose-driven marketing agency focussed on enterprise development and impact programs in Africa.

Special thanks to the people who made the academy happen:

  • Charles Meadows, Poppy Modisane, Thero Gabaraane – Incubate Productions
  • Paolo Mantero, Carolina Mutti – Armonica Film
  • Björn Rudner – Contrast TV Productions
  • Albert-Jan Messenberg – Zilt Design
  • Hendrik Admiraal – Lead developer – VC4A
  • Damien Senger – UX developer – VC4A
  • Nelson Kana – Developer – VC4A
  • Catherine Gray – Product owner – VC4A
  • Thomas van Halen – Investor relations – VC4A
  • Alina Vinogradova – Programs & partnerships lead / ‘Work in Progress!’ manager – VC4A
  • Bertil van Vugt – Business development & Producer VC4A Academy – VC4A

Made possible by:

The VC4A Startup Academy has been developed as part of the ‘Work in Progress!’ program funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of LEAD (Local Employment in Africa for Development) initiative.