Through its activities, events, and partnerships, Founders Factory Africa helps stimulate innovation and economic growth in Africa. It helps solve the social and economic problems facing many countries.

Founders Factory Africa, a startup accelerator and investor, is reshaping the startup landscape in Africa. Established in 2018 by Roo Rogers, Alina Truhina, and Sam Sturm, and headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, the firm is dedicated to fostering and scaling innovative startups, channeling fresh capital into the African continent, and generating systemic impact.

It aims to equip founders with the necessary funding, knowledge, and hands-on support to achieve commercial success. The firm cultivates and grows businesses in Africa across four sectors: healthcare, energy, fintech, and education, with an emphasis on scalability, technology, and impact.

Founders Factory Africa boasts a portfolio of over 55 companies, including Lipa Later and Asaak, spread across 11 countries in East, West, North, and Southern Africa. In August 2023, the accelerator raised $114 million to broaden its model to better cater to founders in the African tech ecosystem. Its hybrid investment approach merges company building, business engagement, and strategic investment to deliver large-scale solutions to consumers in sub-Saharan Africa.

The accelerator team, under the leadership of CEO Bongani Sithole, is entirely African, supplemented by key members from around the globe. It also benefits from the backing of corporate partners such as Standard Bank, Small Foundation, Netcare Group, and Mastercard Foundation.

Melchior Koba