Cayleigh Bright
1 min read
Chandaria Capital
Sector: Early stage, sector-agnostic
Chandaria Capital is a venture capital fund that invests in high-impact businesses with unique competitive advantages backed by innovative entrepreneurs creating sustainable growth for Africa.
Chandaria Capital always has an eye on the future. An investor in East African businesses, the fund has helped to build brands and companies in the region that are forward thinking and impactful. Since its foundation in 2017, it has endeavored to aid the most promising startups in East Africa and has focused on early-stage businesses.
The fund was established by brothers and serial entrepreneurs Darshan and Neer Chandaria and is managed by investment professionals Bruce Nsereko-Lule and Hamza Butt. A key part of Chandaria Capital’s success comes from its involvement in the local business community and contributions to the East African startup ecosystem. The fund aspires to be approachable, advising entrepreneurs and listening to countless proposals, as well as providing detailed feedback, in its search for the next big idea. The result is a considerable network throughout Africa that allows the fund to find businesses early and help them build routes towards market. Chandaria works with its investees to create strategies while also finding them partners who can help them expand. Ultimately, the firm is looking for businesses that can truly scale and ideas that can transform Africa.
Sokowatch is one of many Chandaria Capital–funded success stories. The tech company developed an app that allows store owners to easily order goods at affordable prices and have them delivered within twenty-four hours. The service provides convenience at wholesale prices, creating more efficient, profitable operations for small-business owners with the goal of reinventing informal retail across Africa. Chandaria has also invested in Kobo 360, a company that has improved the efficiency of long-haul logistics through an on-demand request platform. Both businesses have achieved profitable results, provided impactful services to their larger communities and expanded to several countries, demonstrating the success of Chandaria Capital.
Checklist
- Try to solve a problem.
We prefer to invest in businesses that aim to have an impact on the communities they serve. Those that work in underserved markets, aim to address pain points and try to transform are ideal. - Deliver on your ideas.
We are looking for entrepreneurs who are strong leaders and have the skill sets needed to execute their ideas. - Hold yourself and your team accountable.
In building any business, it’s a given that the team will expand, so how you lead your team and maintain responsibility within your company is very important to us. - Be willing to hear feedback.
Those who are willing to hear criticism and respond effectively are preferred. As early-stage investors, our experts will be able to foresee issues and we expect businesses to adapt their strategies accordingly.