How to apply to Convergence Partners as an African founder

TL;DR

Convergence Partners invests in sector-agnostic companies at Growth, writes cheques of $10M -- $50M+ (growth equity and infrastructure scale), and takes applications through a form on their website.

Who Convergence Partners is

Convergence Partners is a Sub-Saharan Africa investor headquartered in Johannesburg, with deal team in Lagos. The fund describes its mandate as sector-agnostic. The thesis, in the fund's own words: Closing the digital divide across sub-Saharan Africa by investing in the critical digital infrastructure that connects people to education, financial services, and healthcare.

On the ground, Convergence Partners operates as a Growth investor with an Africa focus described as "Sub-Saharan Africa (South Africa, Nigeria, East Africa, Pan-African)". The fund's ceo and founding partner is Brandon Doyle, alongside Andile Ngcaba (Chairman and Founding Partner) and Idan Segal (CIO and Founding Partner).

What they invest in

Stages: Growth
Sectors: Sector-agnostic. The fund calls itself sector-agnostic, but its actual portfolio tells a more concentrated story: 73% of classified portfolio companies are in Infrastructure, and 20% are in Fintech.
Cheque size: $10M -- $50M+ (growth equity and infrastructure scale)
Geography focus: Sub-Saharan Africa / Yes -- Sub-Saharan Africa (South Africa, Nigeria, East Africa, Pan-African)

How to apply

Convergence Partners takes applications through a form on https://www.convergencepartners.com/. The apply field in their Trampoline entry describes it as "Warm introductions preferred. Contact via the website or reach out to the deal team on LinkedIn.". Go to the site, find the apply or contact path, and submit through that channel rather than emailing partners cold, since a fund that has built a form generally routes everything through it first.

Portfolio pattern

Convergence Partners's portfolio, as listed in their Trampoline fund page, includes:

Seacom (Pan-African): Submarine and terrestrial fibre bandwidth provider, Growth
Vumatel / CIVH (South Africa): Open-access fibre-to-the-home broadband network, Growth
Rack Centre (Nigeria): Carrier-neutral data centre operator in West Africa, Growth
inq. (Pan-African): Edge computing and digital services provider, Growth
Paradigm (Pan-African): Shared wireless infrastructure for growth markets, Growth

That spread gives you a sense of what a real check from Convergence Partners 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

FAQ

Does Convergence Partners have a sector focus?

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

What stage does Convergence Partners typically write cheques at?

Convergence Partners invests at Growth, with cheque sizes of $10M -- $50M+ (growth equity and infrastructure scale).

Do you need a warm intro to apply to Convergence Partners?

No. Convergence Partners takes applications through a form on their website, so a warm intro is not required to apply, though it can still help your submission stand out.

Does Convergence Partners invest outside Sub-Saharan Africa?

Convergence Partners's Africa focus is described as "Sub-Saharan Africa (South Africa, Nigeria, East Africa, Pan-African)". Check the full fund profile for the exact geographic boundaries before you apply.

Is Convergence Partners a remote or in-person fund?

Convergence Partners's format is listed as Hybrid.