About Catalyst Fund
Catalyst Fund is a venture capital firm founded in 2015. It is primarily based out of Nairobi, Kenya. As of Sep 2026, Catalyst Fund is an active investor, having invested in 79 companies, with 3 new investments in the last 12 months. It primarily invests in Seed round in Kenya based startups. Its investments are spread across a wide range of sectors from Food and Agriculture Tech to Enterprise Applications and FinTech. Most recently it participated in the $***** Seed round of OKOA Energy Overall, Catalyst Fund portfolio has seen 1 unicorn and 4 acquisitions including key companies like Chipper Cash, Leaf Global Fintech and Kandua. A lot of funds co-invest with Catalyst Fund, with names like Digital Africa sharing a substantial percentage of its portfolio. Catalyst Fund has team of 14 people including 3 partners.Key Metrics
Team Members
Portfolio Count
Portfolio Sectors
Rounds of Entry
Seed & Grant (prize money)
Portfolio Unicorns
Deals in last 12 months
Catalyst Fund's List of Top Investments
Catalyst Fund has a portfolio of 79 companies, one of which is a Unicorn. Their most notable investments are in Thola and Mazao Hub.Their portfolio spans across Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and 15 more locations. They have invested in Food and Agriculture Tech, Enterprise Applications, FinTech and 22 other sectors, across stages such as Seed, Grant (prize money) stages. Here is the list of top investments by Catalyst Fund:1. Chipper Cash
Cross-border remittance platform for individuals. It enables users to connect multiple mobile money accounts to the wallet and use the wallet to transfer money globally. The application is available on iOS and Android platforms.
Key facts about Chipper Cash
- Founded Year: 2018
- Location: San Francisco (United States)
- Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Series C
- Total Funding till date: $305M
- Employee Count: 237 as on Sep 30, 2026
- Investors: 137 Ventures, Rocketship and 45 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series C, Nov 02, 2021, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
2. Wasoko
Online retailer of everyday consumer goods providing delivery services to shops. It offers an application for shop owners to order products. Customer service agents and field sales agents are available to assist with registration. The company provides a credit facility for purchasing goods and later payment.
Key facts about Wasoko
- Founded Year: 2013
- Location: Nairobi (Kenya)
- Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $152M
- Employee Count: 578 as on Sep 30, 2026
- Investors: TriplePoint Capital, Summit Partners and 40 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Mar 16, 2022, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
3. Zippi
Provider of an online personal loans platform for drivers. It provides users with a platform where users can apply for loans by submitting an online application. The platform serves Uber, 99, and Cabify application drivers. Loan repayments are made weekly via bank slips.
Key facts about Zippi
- Founded Year: 2019
- Location: Sao Paulo (Brazil)
- Stage: Series B
- Total Funding till date: $58.5M
- Employee Count: 108 as on Aug 31, 2026
- Investors: Zillionize, MSA Capital and 20 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series B, Feb 11, 2026, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
4. FarMart
Provider of digital infrastructure, market linkages, and financial capital for food enterprises. The company enables resilient, reliable, and rewarding food supply chains. It offers services such as new product development, custom branding, and packaging solutions. AI-powered quality checks, traceable supply chains, and carbon-efficient supply chains are also provided.
Key facts about FarMart
- Founded Year: 2015
- Location: Gurugram (India)
- Annual Revenue: ₹1,000+ Cr as on Mar 31, 2025
- Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Series C
- Total Funding till date: $50.6M
- Employee Count: 269 as on Feb 01, 2026
- Investors: Orios Venture Partners, Innoven Capital and 68 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Venture Debt, Apr 23, 2025, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
5. CowryWise
CowryWise is an online & app-based savings platform for individuals. It offers services such as savings & mutual funds, goal-based savings, portfolio management, and more. It enables users to save for long-term goals such as education, housing, retirement, wedding, and more. App is available on iOS & Android devices.
Key facts about CowryWise
- Founded Year: 2017
- Location: Lagos (Nigeria)
- Stage: Seed
- Total Funding till date: $3.69M
- Employee Count: 5,776 as on Aug 31, 2026
- Investors: Actions Capital, Quona and 9 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Jan 28, 2021, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
Catalyst Fund's Year-on-Year Investment Trends
Catalyst Fund has invested in 79 companies over the last 9 years, with an average of 6 new investments annually in the last 5 years. In 2025, it made 4 investments, while as of Sep 2026, it has made 5 investments in this year. Its most recent first time investment was in OKOA Energy and most recent follow-on round was in Bekia.Year | No. of Investments | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1st Round | Follow-on | Total | |
2026 (YTD) | 3 | 2 | 5 |
2025 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
2024 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
2023 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
2022 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
2021 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
2020 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2019 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2018 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
2017 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Catalyst Fund's Investments by Stage
Catalyst Fund has made 30 investments in Seed stage with an average round size of $576K and 4 investments in Grant (prize money) stage with an average round size of $110K.Stage of entry | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Seed | 30 |
Grant (prize money) | 4 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Catalyst Fund's Investments by Sector
Catalyst Fund has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the Enterprise Applications, Sustainability Tech, Environment Tech, Food and Agriculture Tech and FinTech. Notably, it has invested in 62 Tech companies, 43 Enterprise (B2B) companies, 33 Software companies and at least 32 companies focusing on Consumer (B2C).Sector | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Enterprise Applications | 10 |
Sustainability Tech | 9 |
Environment Tech | 8 |
Food and Agriculture Tech | 7 |
FinTech | 5 |
Others | 35 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Catalyst Fund's Investments by Geography
Catalyst Fund has made most investments in Kenya (6), followed by Nigeria where it has made 6 investments.Country | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Kenya | 6 |
Nigeria | 6 |
Ghana | 4 |
Egypt | 3 |
United States | 3 |
Others | 13 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Catalyst Fund's recent investments
Catalyst Fund has made 5 investments in 2026 so far. OKOA Energy and Biochar Industrial Group are the latest among them.Here are the most recent investments by Catalyst Fund:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sep 19, 2026 | Kenya | Seed | 4521 | - | |
Sep 18, 2026 | United States | Seed | 7246 | [+1] | |
Sep 15, 2026 | Egypt | Seed | 5815 | [+2] | |
Apr 10, 2026 | Nigeria | Seed | 4469 | [+2] | |
Jan 29, 2026 | France | Seed | 3534 |
Unicorns in Catalyst Fund's Portfolio
Catalyst Fund has 1 unicorn in its portfolio - Chipper Cash. The most recent unicorn in their portfolio is Chipper Cash which became a unicorn in 2021, 5 years before Catalyst Fund first invested in it.Here is a list of unicorns in Catalyst Fund's portfolio:
Tracxn Score | Company | Short Description | Founded year | Sector | Location | Company Stage | First Investment/ Acquisition Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
68 | Cross-border remittance platform for individuals | 2018 | San Francisco | Series C | oo{irsz |
Acquired companies in Catalyst Fund's Portfolio
4 companies from Catalyst Fund's portfolio have been acquired. The most recent acquisition was Shopa in Nov 2024 by Tendo for $*****.Here are Catalyst Fund's portfolio companies that got acquired most recently:
Company | Acquisition Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Nov 01, 2024 | Oct 28, 2021 | Grant (prize money) | 4945 | |
May 27, 2024 | - | - | 7799 | |
Apr 28, 2023 | - | - | 4494 | |
Mar 14, 2022 | - | - | 4733 |
Team profile of Catalyst Fund
Catalyst Fund has a team of 14 members including 3 Partners, 5 Venture Partners and 1 Principal located in Kenya, United Kingdom and 3 more locations. Catalyst Fund's team does not sit on the board of any company as of now.Here is a list of top team members in Catalyst Fund:
Name | Designation | Location | Board Memberships | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Partner | Paris | - | ||
Partner | Kenya | - | ||
Partner | - | - | ||
Venture Partner | Nairobi | - | ||
Venture Partner | London | - | ||
Venture Partner | Nigeria | - | ||
Venture Partner | Kenya | - | ||
Venture Partner | Mexico | - | ||
Principal | London | - |
Co-investors of Catalyst Fund
Over the past 9 years, 87 investors have co-invested in Catalyst Fund's portfolio companies. This includes funds and angels.
- Invested before Catalyst Fund: Black Founders Fund, EIC Fund and 28 others have invested in rounds before Catalyst Fund. There are 2 companies where Black Founders Fund has invested before Catalyst Fund and 1 company where EIC Fund has invested before Catalyst Fund.
- Top Co-investors of Catalyst Fund: 19 investors entered a company along with Catalyst Fund. These include investors like Digital Africa (2 companies).
- Invested after Catalyst Fund: A total of 38 investors have invested in Catalyst Fund's portfolio after their investments. Top Investors include Madica (3 companies), Renew Capital (2 companies) and Mercy Corps (2 companies).
Recent News related to Catalyst Fund
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Egyptian startup Bekia raises $765K for B2B recycling platformIncubees•Sep 30, 2026•Catalyst Fund, Jambaar Capital, Madica
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Biochar Industrial Group Secures $1.5 Million to Convert African Farm Waste into Carbon CreditsTechMoran•Sep 20, 2026•Breega, Mulago Foundation, Catalyst Fund
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Catalyst Fund Raises $30 Million for Africa Climate-Tech StartupsTechMoran•Jul 02, 2026•Catalyst Fund
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Rewriting Africa’s Energy Playbook: Toyin Emmanuel-Olubake on Why Catalyst Fund Backed PowerLabstechbuild.africa•Jun 05, 2026•Catalyst Fund, PowerLabs
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Nigeria’s Powerlabs Raises Funding Led by Breega VCTechawkng•Apr 13, 2026•Breega, PowerLabs, Kaleo Ventures, Catalyst Fund and 3 others
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Cassava Technologies Expands Digital Access Across AfricaNigeriacommunicationsweek•Apr 11, 2026•PowerLabs, Breega, Catalyst Fund, Mercy Corps and 1 other
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Morocco’s Enakl raises $2.3 M to promote intelligent shared mobilityIncubees•Feb 16, 2026•Enakl, Catalyst Fund
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Enakl Raises $2.3M Seed to Scale Shared Mobility in MoroccoStartup Scene•Jan 29, 2026•Enakl, Azur Innovation Management., MFounders, Digital Africa and 2 others
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IFC Steers $6 Million Into Catalyst Fund to Fuel Africa’s Climate-Tech LeapTechgist Africa•Oct 24, 2025•IFC, Catalyst Fund
