How to apply to E4E Africa as an African founder

TL;DR

E4E Africa invests in sector-agnostic companies at Series A, writes cheques of $500K -- $3M, and takes applications through a form on their website.

Who E4E Africa is

E4E Africa is a Sub-Saharan Africa investor headquartered in Cape Town & Amsterdam. The fund describes its mandate as sector-agnostic. The thesis, in the fund's own words: Entrepreneurs investing in entrepreneurs -- backing high-impact technology companies across sub-Saharan Africa that create jobs and drive inclusive economic growth.

On the ground, E4E Africa operates as a Series A investor with an Africa focus described as "South Africa (primary), with pan-African reach across sub-Saharan Africa". The fund's managing partner is Bas Hochstenbach, alongside Bakang Komanyane (Principal).

What they invest in

Stages: Series A
Sectors: Sector-agnostic. The fund calls itself sector-agnostic, but its actual portfolio tells a more concentrated story: 39% of classified portfolio companies are in Fintech, and 15% are in Consumer.
Cheque size: $500K -- $3M
Geography focus: Sub-Saharan Africa / Yes -- South Africa (primary), with pan-African reach across sub-Saharan Africa

How to apply

E4E Africa takes applications through a form on https://e4eafrica.com/. The apply field in their Trampoline entry describes it as "Via the website or direct outreach to the team". 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

E4E Africa's portfolio, as listed in their Trampoline fund page, includes:

SweepSouth (South Africa): On-demand home services marketplace
Pineapple (South Africa): Peer-to-peer insurance technology
Kwara (Kenya/Nigeria): Savings and credit cooperative digitisation
Octavia Carbon (Kenya): Direct air capture and carbon removal
TUNL (South Africa): Cross-border logistics platform

That spread gives you a sense of what a real check from E4E Africa 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 E4E Africa have a sector focus?

E4E Africa describes its mandate as sector-agnostic, meaning it does not restrict itself to a fixed list of sectors.

What stage does E4E Africa typically write cheques at?

E4E Africa invests at Series A, with cheque sizes of $500K -- $3M.

Do you need a warm intro to apply to E4E Africa?

No. E4E Africa 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 E4E Africa invest outside Sub-Saharan Africa?

E4E Africa's Africa focus is described as "South Africa (primary), with pan-African reach across sub-Saharan Africa". Check the full fund profile for the exact geographic boundaries before you apply.

Is E4E Africa a remote or in-person fund?

E4E Africa's format is listed as Hybrid.