How to apply to Chandaria Capital as an African founder

TL;DR

Chandaria Capital invests in sector-agnostic companies at Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A, writes cheques of $250K -- $5M, and takes applications through direct outreach to the team.

Who Chandaria Capital is

Chandaria Capital is a Sub-Saharan Africa investor headquartered in Nairobi. The fund describes its mandate as sector-agnostic. The thesis, in the fund's own words: Backing scalable, high-impact businesses with unique competitive advantages across Sub-Saharan Africa, powered by one of the continent's largest industrial family networks.

On the ground, Chandaria Capital operates as a Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A investor with an Africa focus described as "100% Africa-focused mandate". The fund's co-founder & ceo is Darshan Chandaria, alongside Neer Chandaria (Co-founder & Director of Sales, Marketing & BD).

What they invest in

Stages: Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A
Sectors: Sector-agnostic. The fund calls itself sector-agnostic, but its actual portfolio tells a more concentrated story: 22% of classified portfolio companies are in Consumer, and 22% are in E-commerce.
Cheque size: $250K -- $5M
Geography focus: Sub-Saharan Africa / Yes -- 100% Africa-focused mandate

How to apply

Chandaria Capital's application path is: "mailto:invest@chandariacapital.com". This reads as direct outreach rather than a public form, which means the fund is more reachable through a warm introduction or a well-targeted cold message than through a portal. Darshan Chandaria (Co-founder & CEO) is the name most associated with the fund publicly, and a specific, well-prepared message referencing why you fit their stated thesis is a better opener than a generic pitch blast. Check https://chandariacapital.com first in case a form or dedicated email address has since gone live.

Portfolio pattern

Chandaria Capital's portfolio, as listed in their Trampoline fund page, includes:

Carry1st (South Africa): Mobile games publishing and digital content platform for Africa
Ilara Health (Kenya): Diagnostic devices and health products distribution for clinics
TradeDepot (Nigeria): B2B e-commerce and embedded finance for informal retailers
Craydel (Kenya): Higher education marketplace connecting African students with global universities
Tushop (Kenya): Social commerce platform for group buying in residential communities

That spread gives you a sense of what a real check from Chandaria Capital has funded, not just what the thesis claims it funds.

Before you apply

Have these ready before you reach out:

Deck: Check your readiness first so you know where the gaps are
Metrics dashboard: Set up your metrics dashboard so you can show real traction, not slides
Cap table
A one-line description of what your company does
A short, specific note explaining why you fit their stated thesis, ready to send cold or through a warm intro

FAQ

Does Chandaria Capital have a sector focus?

Chandaria Capital describes its mandate as sector-agnostic, meaning it does not restrict itself to a fixed list of sectors.

What stage does Chandaria Capital typically write cheques at?

Chandaria Capital invests at Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A, with cheque sizes of $250K -- $5M.

Do you need a warm intro to apply to Chandaria Capital?

Chandaria Capital's application path is direct outreach rather than a public form, so a warm introduction generally carries more weight than a cold message, though it is not stated as a hard requirement.

Does Chandaria Capital invest outside Sub-Saharan Africa?

Chandaria Capital's Africa focus is described as "100% Africa-focused mandate". Check the full fund profile for the exact geographic boundaries before you apply.

Is Chandaria Capital a remote or in-person fund?

Chandaria Capital's format is listed as Equity investment via family-backed venture fund.