Rising Tide Africa

Decisions are made collectively by the network’s members rather than by a dedicated investment committee. Co-founder Yemi Keri and a board of directors — including Chairman Evelyn Oputu and board members Bolaji Akinboro, Ivana Osagie, and Eghosa Omoigui — provide governance and deal-quality oversight, but individual members choose which opportunities to fund from the pipeline presented at pitch events.

Deal flow originates through member networks, ecosystem partnerships, and a public call for pitches ahead of its periodic Deals Days. The network then screens submissions and selects a shortlist — six companies pitched at the inaugural 2018 event, for example — before members conduct their own diligence and decide individually whether to invest.

It operates as a women-focused angel network, not a single family office or a traditional venture firm. Members pool knowledge and co-invest personal capital rather than deploying from a single committed fund. This structure makes each investment decision a member-level allocation, with the Rising Tide Africa organization providing the pipeline, community, and educational backbone.

The disclosed portfolio is entirely composed of direct startup investments. There is no public evidence that Rising Tide Africa has made fund commitments as an LP, though its members may individually hold fund interests outside the network’s recorded activity.

The network targets early-stage companies, spanning seed and startup phases through to growth equity. Confirmed portfolio entries such as Bankly (FinTech) and Shuttlers (Mobility) sit at various points on this early-stage continuum, with the network's pitch-day format optimized for businesses seeking initial or follow-on institutional capital.

Rising Tide Africa operates as the African chapter of The Rising Tide Program, a global movement that establishes women-led angel networks. While the network shares the parent program's educational and community-building DNA, it makes independent investment decisions and maintains its own governance structure headquartered in Lagos.

There is no disclosed philanthropic entity or foundation associated with Rising Tide Africa. The network's mentoring and educational programs — including the Entrepreneurship 101 accelerator — are integrated into its investment mission and are not separately structured grant-making vehicles.