Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #africatech
Most recents (10)
#AfricaTech #Reflections and the importance (plus issues) with how some think about #TAM (Total Addressable Market) in our ecosystem. Here we go 👇🧵:
1/ We(#VCs) care a lot about TAM. If it’s not big enough, it makes our ability to imagine a large enough exit problematic. What is large enough exit? One where our share at exit (say 5-12% post dilution in future rounds) is a fund returner. On $150m fund – you can do the math.
2/ Africa has many ‘large problem’ or ‘large verticals’. #Agri, #Health, #Education, #Logistics, #Agri and many more. There are also horizontal ones such as access to payments, and B2B ones. While data is thin, many get the part of how big is the overall market somewhat right.
Well... It's been a while. Crazy busy + a world economic crisis , felt like it’s a good time to go back to think. Here are some #AfricaTech #reflections given the many 'we're all gonna day' recent hype from all over. Might be long, so bare with me… 👇🧵
1/ Everyone shared views. From @ycombinator (too generic and unexciting to me), to @sequoia (worth the 52 pgs…). Lot’s of reading later, one point is clear > it’s all super US centric. The center of the world for many, but what does it entail for us? for tech in #Africa?
@ycombinator @sequoia 2/ Starting from the end, we’re not all gonna die. Tech + startups & innovation will make it through as a sector, and like in every other financial crisis in history, economy will recover. Those who manage this period well, can become much more meaningful (see '00 and '08).
Well... a bit over hyped for what it is:
Someone at #YC woke up and felt inspired to share the obvious (but in 10 points - so its feels special). Jokes aside, what's NOT there is much more important than what is. Bare with me... 🧵👇
Someone at #YC woke up and felt inspired to share the obvious (but in 10 points - so its feels special). Jokes aside, what's NOT there is much more important than what is. Bare with me... 🧵👇
1/ Dear friends who pushed (pre) seed to a cap of $30-$50m with no DD till a month ago, reality is happy to have you joined.
What still strikes weird - is the whole thing is still 99% only about fund raising and valuations and how to manage both...
What still strikes weird - is the whole thing is still 99% only about fund raising and valuations and how to manage both...
2/ what it's not about is the only thing that will matter. #CreateValue. In a world with 6-10% inflation, with public markets melting away and money becoming expensive - customers become much much #smarter spenders.
#AfricaTech #Reflections: So boards and DD aren't 'cool' anymore I hear. Both are wasting #founders time, and entrepreneurship is all about 'move fast and break things'. So - some #oldschool stuff here - or as they say, yes... *BUT*... (thread 🧵👇)
1/ Two different topics - but very related. So starting from DD, and will develop thoughts from there.
We are still in the 'money falling from the sky' era to an extent. Public markets are in the deep red, multiples are so south that IPOs and SPACs are almost irrelevant.
We are still in the 'money falling from the sky' era to an extent. Public markets are in the deep red, multiples are so south that IPOs and SPACs are almost irrelevant.
2/ Many of the larger funds, sitting on billions in cash, understood returns will not come from pre-IPO rounds. As cash raised recently, and model requires quick cycles and showing uprounds, best turn to early, and why not do so in 'exotic'/less crowded geographies...
#ESOP > time to demystify, and talk openly about the opportunities and implications for both founders and employees (to be clear – this isn’t tax advice or legal advice > just trying to make some sense of it for the many questions I recently got…)
Long #Thread, here we go…👇
Long #Thread, here we go…👇
1/ To start with, ESOP (Stock Options), can come in many shapes & forms. It serves 2 main things: (i) for founders, one of the best ways to attract+retain top talent;(ii) for employees - a potnetial for material upside making #AfricaTech, one of the most attractive options around
2/ Before focusing more on what’s important to know & consider as an employee (much hairier topic in my view) let me share this: #founders need to think through/plan for ESOP right from the start. Maybe not at pre-seed, but I’d argue that latest right after, and preferably before
#Saturday #Africatech #reflections: @Google just invested $1b in Airtel 18months after investing $4.5b in @reliancejio - but why? and whay does it mean for #AfricaTech?
1/ doing my weekend catch-up, came across this by @TheKenWeb: the-ken.com/the-nutgraf/wh…
Which made me think a but more about the role of Telcos, channels and how we might differ from some developped markets conventional wisdom...
Which made me think a but more about the role of Telcos, channels and how we might differ from some developped markets conventional wisdom...
2/ While I think @TehKen made some very valid points, to me, one thing overlooked in our developing markets is channel and (and consumer data/reach profiles) ownership.
#AfricaTech #Reflections: Where we might go from here?
2021 gave us many reasons to celebrate. More startups. More money. More deals. More global and local investors. Feels like the stage is set. But is it? And even if yes, what can we expect?
Few pre-weekend thoughts - long 🧵👇
2021 gave us many reasons to celebrate. More startups. More money. More deals. More global and local investors. Feels like the stage is set. But is it? And even if yes, what can we expect?
Few pre-weekend thoughts - long 🧵👇
1/ Reading this great piece from @fcollective – was a good reminder of value creation and the fact it is measured over time and not just on the first fundraising rounds.
link.medium.com/FjwZPlQvYmb
link.medium.com/FjwZPlQvYmb
2/ A giant drop in public markets tech multiples across the board + eye-watering pre-seed & seed valuations – are a reason to stop & think.
Is this a sustainable track and the best way to embark in '22 onwards?
Or are there frameworks to help #AfricaTech grow healthier & better?
Is this a sustainable track and the best way to embark in '22 onwards?
Or are there frameworks to help #AfricaTech grow healthier & better?
#AfricaTech #reflections - How founders can go about choosing investors and why you should care. #deepdive 👇
1/ With fast growing amounts of money purring into #AfricaTech in 2021, found myself asked by few founders baout 'what value we add'. Yet, the more interesting piece is that most times they don’t bother asking. This is not only weird, it’s just pure wrong in my view. Here’s why:
2/ These are long term relationships. Very long. On average 5-10 years of shared journey, of which your lead investors may spend several years on your board or close to you. How much time did they spend getting to know you? Getting to know your team? Your space?
(1/) #unicorns and where less obvious opportunity in #AfricaTech might hide…
#India produced +35 #unicorns in 2021. While the number is staggering, it's much more interesting to see in which verticals value was created and what one can learn in relation to. Hold on #deepdive:
#India produced +35 #unicorns in 2021. While the number is staggering, it's much more interesting to see in which verticals value was created and what one can learn in relation to. Hold on #deepdive:
(2/) 38% #eCommerce. Many in #B2B (not just food and retail). Starting to see some unique & alternative models in continent, but a long way to go. Weaker manufacturing infrastructure and fragmentation makes it more challenging. Could be huge wins for those who crack this one up.
1/ I want to share the tragic story of one of Africa’s most brilliant minds in tech.
A thread.
A thread.
2/ By the time he was 25, he had already obtained a doctorate in Electronic Engineering from City University in London. He was then recruited by a top tech firm in California. So many people, Americans, Europeans, asked me if I knew this Cameroonian genius. I was so intrigued.
3/ Back then, there weren’t that many of us that were successful in IT in America. I finally met him through my cousin, another genius, who worked with him and they were simply stars.
