About Next176
Next176 is a venture capital firm founded in 2021. It is primarily based out of Johannesburg, South Africa. As of Aug 2026, Next176 has invested in 5 companies. It primarily invests in Seed round in South Africa based startups. Its investments are spread across a wide range of sectors from Enterprise Applications to Gig Economy and FinTech. Most recently it participated in the $***** Series A round of Jem A lot of funds co-invest with Next176, with names like Michael & Susan Dell Foundation sharing a substantial percentage of its portfolio. Next176 has team of 9 people.Key Metrics
Team Members
Portfolio Sectors
Portfolio Locations
Rounds of Entry
Seed
Next176's List of All Investments
Next176 has a portfolio of 5 companies. Their most notable investments are in Kena Health and Jem.Their portfolio spans across South Africa and China. They have invested in Enterprise Applications, Gig Economy, FinTech and 3 other sectors, across stages such as Seed stage. Here is the list of all investments by Next176:1. Jem
Provider of workforce management software accessible through mobile messaging applications. This platform enables employers to distribute documents, manage rosters, track attendance, and facilitate communication with staff members. It provides tools for processing leave requests, distributing payslips, and managing employee benefits. The system integrates with existing payroll and human resources infrastructure to streamline administrative tasks for teams without dedicated office workstations.
Key facts about Jem
- Founded Year: 2020
- Location: Cape Town (South Africa)
- Stage: Series A
- Total Funding till date: $14M
- Employee Count: 138 as on Sep 30, 2026
- Investors: Creator Ventures, Musha Ventures and 12 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series A, Aug 17, 2026, $*****
2. CoverGo
Insurance claim management and quoting solutions for the insurance industry. It features software for sales & marketing, customer management, policy management, claims management, and more. It also offers solutions for underwriting, payment, reporting, and more.
Key facts about CoverGo
- Founded Year: 2017
- Location: Hong Kong (China)
- Stage: Series A
- Total Funding till date: $15M
- Employee Count: 231 as on Sep 30, 2026
- Investors: Old Mutual, Tribeca ESP and 14 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series A, May 09, 2022, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
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3. JOBJACK
Online multi industry marketplace for freelancers. The platforms allows recruiter to post jobs and connect with candidates. It allows candidates to search for jobs based on keywords and location. It provides postings for job areas including digital marketing, writing and translation, bartending, cashiers and more. It also provides postings for permanent jobs.
Key facts about JOBJACK
- Founded Year: 2018
- Location: Cape Town (South Africa)
- Stage: Seed
- Total Funding till date: $2.5M
- Employee Count: 85 as on Sep 30, 2026
- Investors: Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Next176 and 4 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Nov 07, 2023, $*****
4. Kena Health
Online platform offering remote consultation services with doctors. The platform provides text, audio, or video connections to contact medical experts like nurses, doctors, and mental health specialists. The app's goal is to enable everyone's access to high-quality medical care and mental health assistance easy, affordable, and accessible.
Key facts about Kena Health
- Founded Year: 2021
- Location: Johannesburg (South Africa)
- Stage: Seed
- Total Funding till date: $2.1M
- Employee Count: 10 - 49 as on Mar 01, 2026
- Investors: Next176, Webrock Ventures and 2 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Jun 01, 2023, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
Developer of situational awareness software for energy, water, property sectors. The company provides a platform for data creation and insights automation. The software integrates data from mobile devices, IoT, systems, and cameras. It offers issue detection to improve resource efficiency and profitability.
Key facts about Awareness Company
- Founded Year: 2018
- Location: South Africa
- Stage: Seed
- Total Funding till date: $1.6M
- Employee Count: 10 as on Sep 30, 2026
- Investors: Next176, Catalyst Fund and 5 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Jan 14, 2025, $*****
Next176's Year-on-Year Investment Trends
Next176 has invested in 5 companies over the last 3 years, with an average of 1 new investment annually in the last 3 years. In 2025, it made 2 investments, while as of Aug 2026, it has made 1 investment in this year. Its most recent first time investment was in Jem and most recent follow-on round was in Jem.Next176's Investments by Stage
Next176 has made 4 investments in Seed stage with an average round size of $2.38M.Next176's Investments by Sector
Next176 has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the Enterprise Applications, Gig Economy, Consumer, HealthTech and Vertical SaaS. Notably, it has invested in 4 Enterprise (B2B) companies, 4 Tech companies, 3 Software companies and at least 2 companies focusing on Consumer (B2C).Sector | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Enterprise Applications | 2 |
Gig Economy | 2 |
Consumer | 1 |
HealthTech | 1 |
Vertical SaaS | 1 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Next176's Investments by Geography
Next176 has made most investments in South Africa (4).Next176's recent investments
Next176 has made 1 investments in 2026 so far - Jem.Here are the most recent investments by Next176:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aug 17, 2026 | South Africa | Series A | 6470 | [+3] | |
Mar 25, 2025 | South Africa | Seed | 7373 | - | |
Jan 14, 2025 | South Africa | Seed | 9654 | [+4] | |
Nov 07, 2023 | South Africa | Seed | 6243 | ||
Jun 01, 2023 | South Africa | Seed | 4236 | [+1] |
Team profile of Next176
Next176 has a team of 9 members including 2 Principals located in South Africa. Next176's team does not sit on the board of any company as of now.Co-investors of Next176
Over the past 3 years, 17 investors have co-invested in Next176's portfolio companies. This includes funds and angels.
- Invested before Next176: Chris Lister James, LoftyInc Capital and 3 others have invested in rounds before Next176. There is 1 company where Chris Lister James has invested before Next176 and 1 company where LoftyInc Capital has invested before Next176.
- Top Co-investors of Next176: 8 investors entered a company along with Next176. These include investors like Michael & Susan Dell Foundation (1 company).
- Invested after Next176: A total of 4 investors have invested in Next176's portfolio after their investments. Top Investors include Quona (1 company), UTF (1 company) and E4EAfrica (1 company).
Recent News related to Next176
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Tunisian legal-tech startup Juridoc has secured an undisclosed amount of fundingTechgist Africa•Mar 30, 2025•Jem, Next176
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Jem HR, a South African startup has closed a US$3.3 million pre-Series A funding roundTechgist Africa•Mar 30, 2025•Jem, Next176
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Jem Hr Closes $3m In Pre-series A Funding To Accelerate Growth And Product Developmenttechbuild.africa•Mar 25, 2025•Jem, Next176, Old Mutual, E4EAfrica and 5 others
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TACo, South African SaaS Startup Raises $1.6M to Power AI Sustainability PlatformTechMoran•Jan 17, 2025•Next176, Catalyst Fund, Holocene, E-squared and 3 others
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The Awareness Company Secures $1.6 Million in Seed Funding to Drive AI-Powered Operational SustainabilityJan 14, 2025•Awareness Company, Next176, Catalyst Fund, E Squared Investments and 4 others
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SC Ventures partners with NEXT176 for financial wellness platformThe Paypers•Apr 05, 2024•SC Ventures, Next176, Standard Chartered, Old Mutual
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JOBJACK, a South African recruitment startup, has raised $2.5 million in pre-Series A fundingTechgist Africa•Nov 23, 2023•JOBJACK, Next176, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
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SA’s recruitment startup, JOBJACK, raises $2.5m. 2 other stories and a triviaRipples Nigeria•Nov 07, 2023•JOBJACK, Next176, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
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SA health-tech draws global investors as Kena bags R41mITWeb•Jun 02, 2023•Kena Health, Next176, Tofino Capital
