TL;DR
Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures invests in sector-agnostic companies at Series A and Series B+, writes cheques of $1M -- $3M (with follow-on capacity), and takes applications through a form on their website.
Who Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures is
Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures is a Pan-African investor headquartered in Lagos and Nairobi, with Japan-Africa bridge through Tokyo. The fund describes its mandate as sector-agnostic. The thesis, in the fund's own words: We back exceptional founders in and from Africa who are addressing deep gaps between the status quo and the ideal.
On the ground, Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures operates as a Series A and Series B+ investor with an Africa focus described as "Pan-African (Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa)". The fund's partner is Ory Okolloh, alongside Ryosuke Yamawaki (Partner) and Satoshi Shinada (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: 44% of classified portfolio companies are in Fintech, and 19% are in Logistics.
- Cheque size: $1M -- $3M (with follow-on capacity)
- Geography focus: Pan-African / Yes -- Pan-African (Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa)
How to apply
Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures takes applications through a form on https://vkav.vc/. The apply field in their Trampoline entry describes it as "Warm intros preferred. Contact via the website or directly through team members on LinkedIn.". 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
Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures's portfolio, as listed in their Trampoline fund page, includes:
- Moove (Nigeria): Vehicle financing for ride-hailing and logistics, Series A
- KOKO Networks (Kenya): Clean-cooking fuel and last-mile distribution, Series C
- Shuttlers (Nigeria): Shared mobility and employee transportation, Series A
- Chari (Morocco): B2B e-commerce and fintech for informal retail, Pre-Seed
- Djamo (Ivory Coast): Consumer neobank for Francophone Africa, Series B
That spread gives you a sense of what a real check from Verod-Kepple Africa 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
FAQ
Does Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures have a sector focus?
Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures describes its mandate as sector-agnostic, meaning it does not restrict itself to a fixed list of sectors.
What stage does Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures typically write cheques at?
Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures invests at Series A and Series B+, with cheque sizes of $1M -- $3M (with follow-on capacity).
Do you need a warm intro to apply to Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures?
No. Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures 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 Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures invest outside Pan-African?
Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures's Africa focus is described as "Pan-African (Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa)". Check the full fund profile for the exact geographic boundaries before you apply.
Is Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures a remote or in-person fund?
Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures's format is listed as Hybrid.