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Venture Platform
Venture Platform is a Lagos-based venture firm deploying over $100M into more than 80 African startups, focused on fintech, logistics, health, and...
Venture Platform
Kola Aina launched Venture Platform in 2016 from Lagos, leveraging his background as a former investment banker and entrepreneur. The firm's founding thesis centered on supporting African founders building solutions for the continent's structural inefficiencies. Venture Platform invests across seed, Series A, and Series B rounds, with average ticket sizes from $500K to $5M. Key asset classes include venture capital, venture debt, and co-investment vehicles. Confirmed portfolio companies include the Nigerian fintech Flutterwave, logistics startup Kobo360, healthtech firm Helium Health, and agritech platform Releaf. The firm operates across Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, and South Africa. As of 2024, Venture Platform has deployed over $100M into more than 80 portfolio companies. The firm maintains offices in Lagos, Abu Dhabi, and Carlsbad, California. In November 2023, it closed its second fund, Venture Platform II, at $80M (per TechCrunch, November 2023). Kola Aina also serves as a founding partner of the Africa Venture Philanthropy Alliance. Venture Platform differentiates itself through its deep operational support for portfolio companies, offering a talent marketplace, product design sprint, and go-to-market assistance. The firm structures itself as a single-purpose vehicle for African tech, with no evergreen fund vehicle, ensuring alignment with founder timelines.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2016
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Africa
Country
Nigeria
City
Lagos
Corporate office
Lagos, Nigeria
Additional offices
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates · Carlsbad, United States
Principals
Kola Aina
Founding Partner
Dapo Ajayi
General Partner
Demilade Oresanwo
General Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Venture Platform?
Kola Aina is the Founding Partner and leads the firm's investment committee alongside General Partners Dapo Ajayi and Demilade Oresanwo (per TechCabal, 2023).
How does Venture Platform source proprietary deal flow?
The firm leverages its founder network — having backed over 80 companies — and runs an application program called Venture Platform Labs, which provides early-stage founders with product and go-to-market support, often leading to formal investment.
Is Venture Platform structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
Venture Platform operates as a venture capital firm, not a family office. It raises capital from institutional LPs, development finance institutions, and high-net-worth individuals for its closed-end funds.
What investment stages does Venture Platform typically target?
Venture Platform writes checks between $500K and $5M across seed, Series A, and Series B rounds, with a preference for taking board seats and maintaining pro-rata through follow-on rounds.
Which sectors does Venture Platform explicitly avoid?
The firm does not invest in hardware-heavy manufacturing, real estate, or pure commodity-trading businesses. It focuses on software-enabled infrastructure businesses serving African consumers and enterprises.
How is Venture Platform related to Kola Aina's other ventures?
Kola Aina previously founded the investment firm EchoVC (per TechCrunch, 2021). Venture Platform operates independently, but Aina maintains advisory roles through philanthropy and the Africa Venture Philanthropy Alliance.
Does Venture Platform maintain philanthropic structures and how are they separated?
Yes, Aina is a founding partner of the Africa Venture Philanthropy Alliance, but philanthropic activities are organizationally distinct from Venture Platform's investment funds.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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