We transform entrepreneurial startups in sub-Saharan Africa from what they are today into what they could become tomorrow: Sustainable and Prosperous through Imagination and Innovation

ENTREPRENEURS
WHO SHOULD APPLY

SIMBA Global Startups works exclusively with indigenous entrepreneurs in sub‑Saharan Africa who are aligned with our mission of promoting scalable, sustainable, inclusive, and shared prosperity in the region.

We invest in exceptional and ethical indigenous entrepreneurs involved in early to mid‑stage SMEs in transformative high‑growth industries. Through our SIMBA Capital Fund, we are currently funding post‑COVID‑19 technology‑driven disruptive SMEs in the following socially impactful investment sectors:

  • Education Technologies (EdTech)
  • Healthcare Technologies (HealthTech)

The type of Seed and/or Early Stage company which is invited to apply for funding and mentorship: 

  • Demonstrates some operational maturity with a minimum of 3 years in business, 5-20 employees, and US$ 45,000 to US$ 750,000 in annual revenue
  • Has a high potential for sustained revenue growth (on average: ~50% annual revenue growth rate)
  • Has a high potential for creating local employment (on average: ~25% annual employee growth rate)

The type of indigenous entrepreneur we are looking for is exemplary in business ethics, vision, and execution. S/he must demonstrate a perceptive mindset, confident risk‑taking, and exceptional leadership ability. Integrity, credibility, passion, reliability, and transparency form the foundation for a rewarding mutual relationship with our angel investors.

Our Commitment

We invest in and empower bankable indigenous entrepreneurs who are ready to accelerate their impact in their local communities and globally. Our angel investors provide mentorship, networks, and resources beyond just financial support.

How to Apply

To apply please contact us at our email address: [email protected]

Entrepreneurs

ANGEL INVESTORS
INVESTMENT THESIS

We’re looking for investors who see the huge, untapped opportunity in sub‑Saharan Africa and share our mission for creating socially impactful economic prosperity in the region.

The investment areas we have identified are technology-driven and especially primed for the high‑growth post‑COVID‑19 pandemic. They include the following investment sectors:

  • Education Technologies (EdTech)
  • Healthcare Technologies (HealthTech)

With high growth comes high risk and the potential for high reward. We invite investors who are excited about the potential for high rewarding investment returns and significant social impact on the communities in the region. The funding and mentorship you provide will have an outsize impact because few other venture capital funds are investing and mentoring indigenous entrepreneurs in sub‑Saharan Africa.

Investment Requirements

Minimum participation is US$ 50,000. More importantly, we expect our angel investors to empower our entrepreneurs to succeed through mentorship and networking. To achieve the highest rewards, we don’t believe a simple transaction of capital for equity cuts it. We help our entrepreneurs grow revenue, find phenomenal team members and advisors, and navigate the challenges of building a business.

Join Our Investment Network

Through our joint efforts, we can create jobs, innovation, and thriving communities that strengthen sub-Saharan Africa and the global economy.

How to Join

To join as an Angel Investor, please contact us at our email address: [email protected]

Angel Investors

ENTREPRENEURS
WHO SHOULD APPLY

SIMBA Global Startups works exclusively with indigenous entrepreneurs in sub‑Saharan Africa who are aligned with our mission of promoting scalable, sustainable, inclusive, and shared prosperity in the region.

We invest in exceptional and ethical indigenous entrepreneurs involved in early to mid‑stage SMEs in transformative high‑growth industries. Through our SIMBA Capital Fund, we are currently funding post‑COVID‑19 technology‑driven disruptive SMEs in the following socially impactful investment sectors:

  • Education Technologies (EdTech)
  • Healthcare Technologies (HealthTech)

The type of Seed and/or Early Stage company which is invited to apply for funding and mentorship: 

  • Demonstrates some operational maturity with a minimum of 3 years in business, 5-20 employees, and US$ 45,000 to US$ 750,000 in annual revenue
  • Has a high potential for sustained revenue growth (on average: ~50% annual revenue growth rate)
  • Has a high potential for creating local employment (on average: ~25% annual employee growth rate)

The type of indigenous entrepreneur we are looking for is exemplary in business ethics, vision, and execution. S/he must demonstrate a perceptive mindset, confident risk‑taking, and exceptional leadership ability. Integrity, credibility, passion, reliability, and transparency form the foundation for a rewarding mutual relationship with our angel investors.

Our Commitment

We invest in and empower bankable indigenous entrepreneurs who are ready to accelerate their impact in their local communities and globally. Our angel investors provide mentorship, networks, and resources beyond just financial support.

How to Apply

To apply please contact us at our email address: [email protected]

 Entrepreneurs 

ANGEL INVESTORS
INVESTMENT THESIS

We’re looking for investors who see the huge, untapped opportunity in sub‑Saharan Africa and share our mission for creating socially impactful economic prosperity in the region.

The investment areas we have identified are technology-driven and especially primed for the high‑growth post‑COVID‑19 pandemic. They include the following investment sectors:

  • Education Technologies (EdTech)
  • Healthcare Technologies (HealthTech)

With high growth comes high risk and the potential for high reward. We invite investors who are excited about the potential for high rewarding investment returns and significant social impact on the communities in the region. The funding and mentorship you provide will have an outsize impact because few other venture capital funds are investing and mentoring indigenous entrepreneurs in sub‑Saharan Africa.

Investment Requirements

Minimum participation is US$ 50,000. More importantly, we expect our angel investors to empower our entrepreneurs to succeed through mentorship and networking. To achieve the highest rewards, we don’t believe a simple transaction of capital for equity cuts it. We help our entrepreneurs grow revenue, find phenomenal team members and advisors, and navigate the challenges of building a business.

Join Our Investment Network

Through our joint efforts, we can create jobs, innovation, and thriving communities that strengthen sub-Saharan Africa and the global economy.

How to Join

To join as an Angel Investor, please contact us at our email address: [email protected]

Angel Investors

About Us Our Mission

Our mission at SIMBA Global Startups is to build and grow a robust pan-African Angel Investing and Mentorship firm that invests in and mentors bankable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) founded by indigenous entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa. SIMBA Global Startups mission is to transform and empower human lives through the creation of scalable, sustainable, and inclusive employment opportunities in the sub-Saharan Africa SME ecosystems

Our Vision

To develop the indigenous entrepreneurial engine which will create a robust economically sustainable and prosperous sub-Saharan Africa, and affirm hope for the people who were hopeless

Our Core Values

A person with an alert button next to a shield.

Integrity

We are committed to fair and honest interactions and engagement between investors, entrepreneurs, and SIMBA leadership.

A hand is pointing to four different arrows.

Credibility

We build from a place of trended expertise and commit to nurturing strong foundations across all investment sectors.

A yellow circle with an orange dot on it.

Transparency

We recognize that leadership and growth require open, truthful, and timely communication between all involved parties.

Our Target Market

Few venture capital (VC) firms invest in sub-Saharan Africa’s indigenous entrepreneurial SMEs. Yes, those forgotten visionary young men and women who are passionately building sub-Saharan Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystems from the ground up. Furthermore, few of these VC firms specialize in our carefully selected technology-driven high-growth sectors such as Education, Healthcare, Renewable Resources (e.g., energy, water, & foodstuffs), Agribusiness, and IoT (Internet of Things) technologies, all of which today are integral parts of the transformative engine of the 21st century’s vibrant emerging markets. The SIMBA Capital Fund is therefore focused exclusively on sub-Saharan Africa and the historic opportunity to be a part of building a post COVID-19 vibrant indigenous entrepreneurial ecosystem.

When angel investors and entrepreneurs partner with us, they are joining a network of business experts and organizations committed to the region’s development. Some of the organizations we support include the African Union, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and local data mining and research centers. Our insights into the region include the key economic indicators, technological trends, and unique context of sub-Saharan Africa. We translate this expertise into investment guidance. Through our angel investors, we invest in bankable indigenous entrepreneurs not only financially but through mentorship and networking as well.

Who We Are...

We are SIMBA!

SIMBA Global Startups is an angel investing firm developing partnerships with exceptional indigenous entrepreneurs who are creating society‑impactful solutions to problems across all of sub‑Saharan Africa. Our ideal founding partners develop post-COVID-19 disruptive and innovative solutions in transformative, technology‑driven, and high‑growth sectors such as education, healthcare, renewable resources (e.g., energy, water, and foodstuffs), agribusiness, and information and communication technologies (ICT).

We carefully select our investment portfolio companies with the belief that Africa is poised for the economic revolution of the 21st century in these sectors. Through our in‑house expertise, proprietary resources, and international business partnerships, we seek to empower promising indigenous entrepreneurs while providing attractive investment opportunities for our angel investors. Our investment thesis is built on three distinctive core values: integrity, credibility, and transparency.

Why Sub-Saharan Africa

Urban Annual Growth Rate

%

Cities ≥ 1 million people

Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Who Is Investing

  • United States, the European Union, China, and Russia
  • The clear conclusion they have come to is that securing a place in Africa’s expansion is an opportunity they cannot miss.

Next Big Thing

  • Our networks and partnerships lend us strategic insight into key investment areas in sub-Saharan Africa
  • We leverage those opportunities that are scalable across the larger continent and globally.

Entrepreneurs

  • Exceptional and ethical indigenous entrepreneurs
  • Early to mid-stage SMEs in transformative high-growth industries
  • SMEs in the following socially impactful investment sectors

Investment Sectors Primary Investment Sectors

Healthcare

We believe that healthcare is a basic human right. We know that there is tremendous human and economic cost from poor access to healthcare, hampering the livelihoods and potential of millions, often from childhood.

The healthcare industry in sub‑Saharan Africa reached US$35 billion in 2016. It is growing exponentially and is expected to double by 2022. International companies and private equity firms are increasingly doing business and investing in African healthcare, including GE Healthcare, Siemens, Phillips, LeapFrog Investments, UK‑based Babylon, and Netherlands‑based Investment Funds for Health.

Big investments are being made in hospitals, clinics, diagnostics, and imaging equipment. On a smaller scale, there will be a growing demand for healthcare technologies tailored to the unique needs and context of sub‑Saharan Africa.

We believe that healthcare is a basic human right. We know that there is tremendous human and economic cost from poor access to healthcare, hampering the livelihoods and potential of millions, often from childhood. By contributing to fundamental needs like healthcare, housing, and education, SIMBA hopes to unlock the continent’s creativity as millions progress from insecurity to being able to pursue lasting investments in themselves and their communities.

Opportunities in Healthcare:

  • Healthcare delivery systems using IoT technologies
  • Healthcare education: nurses, healthcare workers
  • Pharmacies, pharmaceuticals, medical clinics, and urgent care diagnostic center’s
  • Healthcare insurance systems using IoT technologies
  • Healthcare retail: production and distribution
Read More
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Education

By including education as one of our strategic investment areas, we are confident in the market viability of recognized needs that have strong support across the private sector, government, and NGOs.

The private education sector in sub‑Saharan Africa had a value of US$1.7 billion in 2017. While small compared to the largest industries, we cannot overlook the outsize impact that scalable innovations in education can have on the region.

Gaps and wide variations in access and quality cannot be addressed by governments alone. For this reason, there is a distinct need for alternative models such as informal private schools and skills‑based programs compared to those in countries like the U.S. Other opportunities include private K‑12 schools and universities, distance learning, publishing, vocational training, teacher training, and educational technology.

By including education as one of our strategic investment areas, we are confident in the market viability of recognized needs that have strong support across the private sector, government, and NGOs. Promoting equality in access to quality education can more than double the pool of untapped talent, especially considering the number of girls and low‑income or rural students who have historically faced numerous barriers to attending and remaining in school. In the long term, education is the most fundamental investment we can make to strengthen Africa’s competitive position in the modern knowledge and innovation economy.

Opportunities in Education:

  • Mid-Priced / Premium K-12
  • Low-Cost K-12
  • Contact Higher Education
  • Distance Higher Education
  • Publishing
  • STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and Entrepreneurship Academies
  • Pre-Primary / Kindergarten
  • Technical and Vocational
  • Teacher Training
  • Supplementary Education
  • Innovative Education Using IoT (Internet of Things) Technologies
Read More

Investment Criteria Build Value for Portfolio Company

Company Attributes Early Stage – Series Rounds

  • Pre-Seed
  • Seed
  • Series A
  • Series B

Enterprise Values: SMEs

  • Revenue: US$ 45,000 - 750,000
  • Revenue CAGR: 50%
  • Human Resources CAGR: 25%

Geography

  • Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)

Ownership Structure

  • Minority Equity
  • Debt Notes

Equity Investments

  • Check Size up to US$ 250,000
  • No more than 10% of investable funds invested in one Portfolio Company except in very special cases

Exit Strategies

  • 5 Years
    • M&A/Buyouts
    • Recapitalization
      Series A
      Series B
  • IPO

Management Team

A man with glasses and a suit on.

Philippe Kisunzu

MANAGING PARTNER & CEO

Dr. Philippe Kisunzu. Philippe is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and Managing Partner & Founder of SIMBA Capital Fund LP and its parent’s company SIMBA Global Startups, LLC (GP) since 2018. From August 2009 to July 2013, Dr. Kisunzu was an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he taught and conducted research in the areas of mathematics, mathematics education, and educational statistics.

Philippe has 20 years of industry expertise across several sectors including financial services, management consulting, and energy. His innovative contributions in these sectors include senior positions in the financial services as Senior Research/MIS Manager – advising and collaborating with Risk Managers in the management of credit risk in consumer lending, banking, and finance; as Senior Business Analyst – advising and collaborating with Risk Managers in property & casualty insurance risk management; as Senior Financial Analyst – advising and collaborating with CFO & Senior VP-Accounting in strategic management of financial planning and forecasting in the energy sector; and as Senior Actuarial Analyst – advising and collaborating with Actuaries & Senior Consultants in the risk management of corporate ERISA retirement and health plans. As an independent management consultant with Smith Hanley Associates, Philippe made innovative contributions in Data Science and Modeling Analytics for consumer banking and finance.

In addition to his 20 years of experience in private industry, Philippe has more than 15 years of teaching and research experience in higher education. He is highly skilled in educational research in psychometrics, educational assessment & evaluation measurements, quantitative and data mining methodologies, mathematics & STEM Education for secondary school, and professional development of secondary school teachers of mathematics. Philippe has had the privilege of teaching mathematics and physics to students from different cultures and mindsets at universities and colleges on three continental regions – Africa, North America, and the Caribbean Islands. While at Northern Illinois University, Philippe developed and implemented a psychometric instrument for the assessment of secondary school students’ mathematical dispositions and mathematics achievement.

Philippe is actively the Managing Partner and Founder of SIMBA Capital Fund LP, a private equity fund under the General Partnership of its parents company SIMBA Global Startups, LLC. He manages the strategic trajectory of the Fund and the mentorship of portfolio companies in five distinct technology-driven sectors including: Education, Healthcare, Renewable Resources (e.g., energy, water, & foodstuffs), Agribusiness, and Information & Communication Technologies (ICT). His objective in the management of the fund is to invest in indigenous portfolio companies in the sub-Saharan Africa region, whose founders share his vision and commitment to launching and nurturing domestic entrepreneurial ecosystems. Philippe’s ultimate dream is to help transform and empower human lives through the creation of scalable, sustainable, and inclusive employment opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa. Philippe is an active investor in equity markets, a lifetime member of the American Association of Individual Investors, and a member of accredited angel investors of the Angel Capital Association.

Philippe holds a Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences and Mathematics Education from Northern Illinois University; a MS in Mathematics & Operations Research from California Polytechnic State University; a MA in Economics & Econometrics from Washington University, in St. Louis; and a BA in Mathematics & Business Administration from Andrews University. As a native to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Philippe is fluent in French and Swahili.

Philippe Kisunzu
MANAGING PARTNER & CEO

A note from SIMBA’s Founder and CEO, Dr. Philippe Kisunzu

“I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and have a deep passion for the sub-Saharan Africa region and the potential of its citizens. I am thrilled to support these indigenous entrepreneurs as they pursue their dreams. The creation of their unique businesses will bring much-needed jobs, strengthen local economies, and affirm dignity and hope for those who were hopeless. Our ultimate aim together is to transform the entrepreneurial startup ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa from what they are today into what they could become tomorrow: Sustainable and Prosperous through Imagination and Innovation.

I look forward to what we can do together. Get in touch and let’s get started!”

Management Team

A man with glasses and a suit on.

Philippe Kisunzu

MANAGING PARTNER & CEO

Dr. Philippe Kisunzu. Philippe is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and Managing Partner & Founder of SIMBA Capital Fund LP and its parent’s company SIMBA Global Startups, LLC (GP) since 2018. From August 2009 to July 2013, Dr. Kisunzu was an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, where he taught and conducted research in the areas of mathematics, mathematics education, and educational statistics.

Philippe has 20 years of industry expertise across several sectors including financial services, management consulting, and energy. His innovative contributions in these sectors include senior positions in the financial services as Senior Research/MIS Manager – advising and collaborating with Risk Managers in the management of credit risk in consumer lending, banking, and finance; as Senior Business Analyst – advising and collaborating with Risk Managers in property & casualty insurance risk management; as Senior Financial Analyst – advising and collaborating with CFO & Senior VP-Accounting in strategic management of financial planning and forecasting in the energy sector; and as Senior Actuarial Analyst – advising and collaborating with Actuaries & Senior Consultants in the risk management of corporate ERISA retirement and health plans. As an independent management consultant with Smith Hanley Associates, Philippe made innovative contributions in Data Science and Modeling Analytics for consumer banking and finance.

In addition to his 20 years of experience in private industry, Philippe has more than 15 years of teaching and research experience in higher education. He is highly skilled in educational research in psychometrics, educational assessment & evaluation measurements, quantitative and data mining methodologies, mathematics & STEM Education for secondary school, and professional development of secondary school teachers of mathematics. Philippe has had the privilege of teaching mathematics and physics to students from different cultures and mindsets at universities and colleges on three continental regions – Africa, North America, and the Caribbean Islands. While at Northern Illinois University, Philippe developed and implemented a psychometric instrument for the assessment of secondary school students’ mathematical dispositions and mathematics achievement.

Philippe is actively the Managing Partner and Founder of SIMBA Capital Fund LP, a private equity fund under the General Partnership of its parents company SIMBA Global Startups, LLC. He manages the strategic trajectory of the Fund and the mentorship of portfolio companies in five distinct technology-driven sectors including: Education, Healthcare, Renewable Resources (e.g., energy, water, & foodstuffs), Agribusiness, and Information & Communication Technologies (ICT). His objective in the management of the fund is to invest in indigenous portfolio companies in the sub-Saharan Africa region, whose founders share his vision and commitment to launching and nurturing domestic entrepreneurial ecosystems. Philippe’s ultimate dream is to help transform and empower human lives through the creation of scalable, sustainable, and inclusive employment opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa. Philippe is an active investor in equity markets, a lifetime member of the American Association of Individual Investors, and a member of accredited angel investors of the Angel Capital Association.

Philippe holds a Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences and Mathematics Education from Northern Illinois University; a MS in Mathematics & Operations Research from California Polytechnic State University; a MA in Economics & Econometrics from Washington University, in St. Louis; and a BA in Mathematics & Business Administration from Andrews University. As a native to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Philippe is fluent in French and Swahili.

Philippe Kisunzu
MANAGING PARTNER & CEO
A woman with short hair is smiling for the camera.

Cheryl Kisunzu

PARTNER & DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES

Cheryl Kisunzu, Co-Founder of SIMBA Global Startups, LLC, is an established and trusted leader in the Healthcare delivery systems and institutions of Higher Education. She oversees our company’s development of Healthcare and Education partnership initiatives for the sub-Saharan Africa region.

Over a period spanning 42 years of teaching and administrative leadership, Cheryl successively served as University Dean of Health & Wellness Programs; Vice President of Human Resources, Diversity & Organizational Development; Grant Administrator of a $1.5 million for Texas Workforce Development; and Director of Nursing & Allied Health Programs. Anchored in her 39 years of progressive teaching at various institutions of higher education including Vanderbilt University, Loma Linda University, St. Louis Community College, Harper College, and Mountain View College, is her current position as Provost & Full Professor at Washington Adventist University, Takoma Park, Maryland.

As Provost at Washington Adventist University, Dr. Cheryl Kisunzu is responsible for all academic and institutional operations for the university. She also serves on the Maryland Board of Adventist Healthcare, and the Maryland Middle States Substantive Change Committee for academic excellence.

Cheryl Kisunzu earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan; M.S. in Nursing from Rush University, Chicago, IL; and a B.S. in Nursing from Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan. Dr. Cheryl Kisunzu is a Registered Nurse and a Family Nurse Practitioner.

Cheryl Kisunzu
PARTNER & DIRECTOR OF PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVES

A note from SIMBA’s Founder and CEO, Dr. Philippe Kisunzu

“I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and have a deep passion for the sub-Saharan Africa region and the potential of its citizens. I am thrilled to support these indigenous entrepreneurs as they pursue their dreams. The creation of their unique businesses will bring much-needed jobs, strengthen local economies, and affirm dignity and hope for those who were hopeless. Our ultimate aim together is to transform the entrepreneurial startup ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa from what they are today into what they could become tomorrow: Sustainable and Prosperous through Imagination and Innovation.

I look forward to what we can do together. Get in touch and let’s get started!”

Contact Us

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