How to apply to QED Investors as an African founder

TL;DR

QED Investors is a fintech-only VC firm that has backed Moniepoint, Raenest, Stitch, FlapKap, and Precium since building a dedicated Africa practice in 2022. Typical initial cheques run $3M to $10M, mostly at Series A and later. Pitch via the contact form at qedinvestors.com.

Who QED is

QED invests exclusively in financial services companies globally, with nearly $5B in AUM and a portfolio that includes Nubank, Credit Karma, and Klarna. The firm hired its first Africa-focused investor in 2022 and made its first African bet that year in TeamApt, now Moniepoint.

Since then, QED has backed African fintech across payments infrastructure, cross-border payroll, embedded finance, BNPL, and insurance data, mostly in Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt.

What they invest in

Stages: Seed through growth, though the African deals so far have mostly landed at Series A or later
Sectors: Fintech exclusively, banking, credit, lending, insurance, wealth management, proptech, banking-as-a-service, embedded finance
Cheque size: $3M to $10M typical initial cheque from the early-stage fund; $15M-$20M from Growth Fund II
Geography: Global fintech fund with an active, standing Africa practice since 2022

How to apply

Submit a pitch deck (PowerPoint or PDF, under 10MB) through the contact form at qedinvestors.com. QED explicitly says it's never too early to connect, so reaching out well before you're raising is a reasonable approach.

Partners are active on LinkedIn and X. A direct message that references a specific thesis point or portfolio company, rather than a generic pitch, is a stronger second channel than the form alone.

Portfolio pattern

Moniepoint (Nigeria, payments infrastructure), Raenest (Nigeria, cross-border payroll), Stitch (South Africa, embedded finance and payments infrastructure), FlapKap (Egypt, BNPL), and Precium (South Africa, insurance data). Every one of these is a fintech-exclusive business with real transaction volume by the time QED wrote the check, which tracks the fund's stated preference for durable unit economics over early conviction bets.

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 transaction volume, not slides
Cap table
A one-line description of what your company does
Unit economics: QED's public thesis is explicit that it wants durable unit economics, not a growth story alone

FAQ

Does QED invest at pre-seed in Africa?

QED runs formation-stage vehicles (Belay and Fontes) globally, but its named African deals so far have all landed at Series A or later. Earlier-stage African founders should still reach out, but expect the bar to be proof of a working business model.

Is QED a generalist fund?

No. QED invests exclusively in financial services businesses: banking, credit, lending, insurance, wealth management, proptech, banking-as-a-service, and embedded finance.

Do you need a warm intro to QED?

No, the contact form is a real channel and QED says so directly. A warm intro or a specific, informed direct message to a partner likely moves faster than a cold form submission.

What size is a typical QED cheque?

$3M to $10M for an initial early-stage investment, with $15M-$20M available through Growth Fund II for later-stage companies.