How to apply to Foundation Ventures as an African founder

TL;DR

Foundation Ventures invests in sector-agnostic companies at Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A, writes cheques of ~$300K average (with follow-on capacity), and takes applications through direct outreach to the team.

Who Foundation Ventures is

Foundation Ventures is a Egypt / Africa investor headquartered in Cairo. The fund describes its mandate as sector-agnostic. The thesis, in the fund's own words: Backing exceptional teams building industry-defining companies in Egypt and Africa.

On the ground, Foundation Ventures operates as a Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A investor with an Africa focus described as "Egypt (primary), expanding pan-African". The fund's managing partner & co-founder is Mazen Nadim, alongside Omar Barakat (Partner & Co-founder) and Ziyad Hamdy (Partner & Co-founder).

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: 34% of classified portfolio companies are in E-commerce, and 22% are in Fintech.
Cheque size: ~$300K average (with follow-on capacity)
Geography focus: Egypt / Africa / Yes -- Egypt (primary), expanding pan-African

How to apply

Foundation Ventures's application path is: "mailto:info@foundationventures.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. Mazen Nadim (Managing Partner & Co-founder) 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://www.foundationventures.com/ first in case a form or dedicated email address has since gone live.

Portfolio pattern

Foundation Ventures's portfolio, as listed in their Trampoline fund page, includes:

NowPay (Egypt): Employee salary advance and financial wellness
Flextock (Egypt): End-to-end digital fulfillment
Rabbit Mart (Egypt): Quick-commerce via neighbourhood dark stores
Abwaab (Egypt/Jordan): Edtech for supplementary educational content
Sakneen (Egypt): Real estate sales platform for developers

That spread gives you a sense of what a real check from Foundation Ventures 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 Foundation Ventures have a sector focus?

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

What stage does Foundation Ventures typically write cheques at?

Foundation Ventures invests at Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A, with cheque sizes of ~$300K average (with follow-on capacity).

Do you need a warm intro to apply to Foundation Ventures?

Foundation Ventures'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 Foundation Ventures invest outside Egypt / Africa?

Foundation Ventures's Africa focus is described as "Egypt (primary), expanding pan-African". Check the full fund profile for the exact geographic boundaries before you apply.

Is Foundation Ventures a remote or in-person fund?

Foundation Ventures's format is listed as Hybrid.