MENA and Africa · HQ: Cairo, with portfolio reach across Egypt, Kenya, UAE, Saudi Arabia

A15

We partner with exceptional founders building category-defining companies across the Middle East and Africa.

Data verified 2026-07-24

At a glance

RegionMENA and Africa
Offers for AfricansYes to Egypt primary, with selective investments across East Africa and MENA
SectorsSector-agnostic
Overview

Overview

A15 is a Cairo-based venture capital firm founded in 2014 by Karim Beshara, a serial entrepreneur who previously co-founded LINKdotNET (Egypt's first ISP, acquired by Orascom Telecom) and served as CEO of Orascom Telecom's internet businesses. The firm has invested in over 50 companies and built a track record that includes a reported 9.7x MOIC on Fund I, which puts it among the strongest-performing early-stage funds in the MENA region.

What makes A15 distinctive is the operator-led approach. Karim Beshara built and scaled technology companies in Egypt before the venture ecosystem existed, and that operational DNA runs through the firm's investment process and portfolio support. The team does not just write cheques: they actively help portfolio companies with hiring, product strategy, go-to-market, and follow-on fundraising, which matters enormously in a market where the talent pool for senior operators is still developing.

The portfolio spans seven sectors and includes several breakout names. Paymob (digital payments infrastructure, one of Egypt's largest payment gateways), Sympl (buy-now-pay-later), Wuzzuf (job marketplace), and RemotePass (global HR and payroll for remote teams) represent the consumer and fintech side. Buguard (cybersecurity) and VAIS (AI-powered solutions) show the firm's willingness to back deep tech. FlapKap (revenue-based financing) and Lami (embedded insurance in Kenya) demonstrate reach beyond pure Egyptian consumer plays.

A15 has also achieved notable exits. TPAY Mobile (mobile payments) and Connect Ads (digital advertising) are described as "dragon exits" by the firm, and there have been at least six exits across the portfolio. The combination of strong returns on Fund I and a diversified portfolio across sectors and stages makes A15 one of the more proven early-stage investors in Egypt.

The firm's estimated AUM is approximately $150 million across its funds, and roughly 90% of the portfolio is Egypt-based, which means A15 is deeply embedded in the Cairo tech ecosystem while selectively expanding into East Africa and the broader MENA region.

Key Partners

Key Partners

Name Role LinkedIn X/Twitter
Karim Beshara Managing Partner and Co-Founder Not disclosed Not disclosed
Fadi Antaki Partner Not disclosed Not disclosed
Bassem Raafat Principal Not disclosed Not disclosed
Ahmed Azzam Associate Not disclosed Not disclosed
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