Nigeria's most active early-stage VC
Ventures Platform is Nigeria’s most active early-stage VC and accelerator. They write first cheques of up to US$3M, averaging around US$1.5M for a 10% to 12% stake, from pre-seed to Series A, focusing on software companies solving African problems. Portfolio includes Paystack (acquired by Stripe), Helium Health, Farmcrowdy, and many more. Also runs the VP Labs incubation program.
Use when
You're a Nigerian founder raising a pre-seed or seed round and want a local investor who understands the market deeply.
Skip when
You want non-dilutive money, or you have no route to a warm introduction. Being listed here does not mean an open call, and a fund targeting 10% to 12% ownership is a priced round with the governance that comes with it.
Status (21 Sep 2026): actively deploying Fund II, which reached final close at US$84 million in August 2026. This is a venture fund, not a grant: first cheques run up to US$3 million with an average around US$1.5 million, and the fund targets a 10% to 12% stake at entry, leading rounds from pre-seed to Series A with capital reserved for follow-ons. There is no public application form; entry is through warm introduction.
Alternatives
Equity-free acceleration plus up to $500,000 follow-on in Morocco
Kigali's venture studio and early-stage investor
Mini-MBA and seed prizes for Cameroonian women entrepreneurs
