How to apply to Knife Capital as an African founder

TL;DR

Knife Capital invests in sector-agnostic companies at Series A and Series B+, writes cheques of ~$3M initial (with follow-on reserve from $50M fund), and takes applications through a direct online application.

Who Knife Capital is

Knife Capital is a Southern Africa investor headquartered in Cape Town, with offices in London and Jersey. The fund describes its mandate as sector-agnostic. The thesis, in the fund's own words: We accelerate the international expansion of African innovation-driven businesses by using Knowledge, Networks, and Funding.

On the ground, Knife Capital operates as a Series A and Series B+ investor with an Africa focus described as "South Africa and SADC (opportunistic co-investments elsewhere in Africa)". The fund's co-founder and partner is Keet van Zyl, alongside Eben van Heerden (Co-Founder and Partner (London)) and Catherine Young (Partner).

What they invest in

Stages: Series A and Series B+
Sectors: Sector-agnostic. The fund calls itself sector-agnostic, but its actual portfolio tells a more concentrated story: 15% of classified portfolio companies are in E-commerce, and 15% are in AI-ML.
Cheque size: ~$3M initial (with follow-on reserve from $50M fund)
Geography focus: Southern Africa / Yes -- South Africa and SADC (opportunistic co-investments elsewhere in Africa)

How to apply

Apply directly at https://knifecap.com/. That link is the fund's own application channel, listed in their Trampoline entry as of 2026-07-24. Fill out whatever the form asks for completely: skipped fields read as a rushed application, and a rushed application is an easy first-pass reject at any fund fielding more submissions than it can meaningfully review.

Portfolio pattern

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

Quicket (South Africa): Self-service ticketing and event management, Growth (Exited to Ticketmaster)
DataProphet (South Africa): AI-powered manufacturing process optimization, Series A
InQuba (South Africa): AI customer journey management, Growth
Snapplify (South Africa): Digital educational content platform, Growth
Outsized (South Africa): Freelance professional marketplace, Growth

That spread gives you a sense of what a real check from Knife 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

FAQ

Does Knife Capital have a sector focus?

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

What stage does Knife Capital typically write cheques at?

Knife Capital invests at Series A and Series B+, with cheque sizes of ~$3M initial (with follow-on reserve from $50M fund).

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

No. Knife Capital 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 Knife Capital invest outside Southern Africa?

Knife Capital's Africa focus is described as "South Africa and SADC (opportunistic co-investments elsewhere in Africa)". Check the full fund profile for the exact geographic boundaries before you apply.

Is Knife Capital a remote or in-person fund?

Knife Capital's format is listed as Hybrid.