How to apply to Development Partners International (DPI) as an African founder

TL;DR

DPI is a $3B+ Africa-focused private equity firm that co-led Moniepoint's $110M Series C alongside BII and LeapFrog. It invests growth and late-stage only, so most founders reading this are not yet a fit, but it's worth knowing as a signal of what the next stage of fundraising can look like.

Who DPI is

Development Partners International runs the African Development Partners (ADP) fund series, targeting high-growth, profitable, market-leading companies across Africa. The firm's clearest fintech infrastructure bet is Moniepoint, backed at $110M alongside BII and LeapFrog when the company was processing $17 billion in monthly transaction volume and growing revenue over 150% year over year.

What they invest in

Stage: Growth and later-stage private equity, not early-stage venture
Sectors: Broad impact-driven mandate, with fintech infrastructure (Moniepoint) as a proof point
Cheque size: $20M to $110M+ in disclosed deals
Bar: Profitable or near-profitable, market-leading businesses with proven scale

How to apply

DPI does not run a founder-facing pitch process. Companies at genuine growth-stage scale, with institutional financials, can reach the deal team directly via dpi-llp.com. For most earlier-stage founders, the more useful thing to know is that DPI co-invests alongside BII and LeapFrog, both of which appear elsewhere in this directory, and that reaching DPI's stage is a realistic multi-year goal rather than a near-term application.

Portfolio pattern

Moniepoint (Nigeria), co-invested with BII and LeapFrog at $110M Series C. The through-line across DPI's 25-company ADP portfolio: proven profitability or a clear near-term path to it, market leadership, and growth-stage scale.

Before you apply

If you're at or approaching growth stage:

Deck: Check your readiness first so you know where the gaps are
Metrics dashboard: Set up your metrics dashboard to show institutional-grade growth and profitability trends
Audited financials and a clear path to profitability
Evidence of market leadership in your category

FAQ

Does DPI invest at seed or Series A?

No. DPI's disclosed deals are growth-stage and later, typically nine-figure rounds for companies with proven market leadership.

Is DPI a venture capital fund?

No, DPI is a private equity firm. Its bar for profitability and scale is higher than a typical venture fund's.

How do earlier-stage founders benefit from knowing DPI?

DPI co-invests with funds like BII and LeapFrog that back companies earlier in their lifecycle. Building a relationship with those funds is a more realistic near-term path than a direct DPI pitch.