Delta40, a new venture studio dedicated to increasing incomes and tackling climate change in Africa through the building and investment of technology-driven ventures, has been launched by Factor[e] Ventures.
Led by experienced entrepreneur Lyndsay Holley Handler, Delta40 aims to connect African and women founders with technology, talent, capital, and leadership support to build successful companies and thrive in Africa’s booming tech scene.
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The venture studio has already secured funding and support from a range of private and public institutions, including the Autodesk Foundation, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, and leading climate tech law firm Wilson Sonisi.
Delta40 is focused on developing ventures in energy, agriculture, and mobility, led by diverse and experienced founders. In addition to providing capital, it acts as a co-founder, offering fast, iterative product testing, technology brokering, early-stage commercialisation, and working side-by-side to increase the speed of venture building.
The unique approach of Delta40 leverages the momentum of a record year for African tech start-ups, which raised a total of $6.5 billion. However, investment still lags in diverse founders and key sectors such as energy, agriculture, and mobility. Delta40 aims to address this gap by investing in and building ventures that can drive innovation from idea to scale to exit.
Factor[e] Ventures co-founder Morgan DeFoort emphasized the importance of investing in African start-ups and entrepreneurs, saying, “A decade of investing in energy, agriculture, mobility, and water innovations in emerging markets has affirmed that there is a great opportunity at the formation stage to support local and diverse founders as they connect their technologies and markets.
“Factor[e] Ventures is proud to launch Delta40 to scale our ability to identify, test, invest in and grow technology-driven ventures leading the fight against climate change in this important market.”
With Africa projected to be home to 40% of the world’s population by 2100, Delta40’s launch comes at a crucial time. The venture studio aims to help entrepreneurs scale their ventures with organic growth or strategic corporate partnerships and acquisitions.
Jean Shia, managing director of the Autodesk Foundation, expressed confidence in Delta40’s ability to accelerate African start-ups and their life-changing climate innovations, saying, “We invest for impact, and are confident that Delta40’s blend of operating experience in Africa, technology expertise, and commitment to investing in diverse founders will successfully accelerate African start-ups and their life-changing climate innovations.”
Overall, Delta40 represents a significant investment in Africa’s future, with a unique approach that combines capital, co-founder support, and a commitment to building diverse and sustainable ventures in key sectors.
As Lyndsay Holley Handler, Delta40’s co-founder and managing partner, stated, “Together with our founders, we aim to build a portfolio of transformative ventures across this important continent that improve lives, amplify the entrepreneurial ecosystem and protect the planet for generations to come.”
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