Our VC Strategy
Where We Invest
Stage Focus
We invest across seed, Series A, and Series B rounds, with our sweet spot at the Series A stage where a company has demonstrated product-market fit, initial revenue traction, and a scalable go-to-market model. We also participate in select seed rounds where the founding team and market opportunity are exceptionally compelling.
Sector Focus
Our venture investments are concentrated in four sectors where we have developed deep expertise and network advantage: financial technology and payments infrastructure; health technology and digital health services; agricultural technology and food supply chain digitisation; and logistics and last-mile delivery technology.
Geographic Focus
We invest primarily in companies operating in sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa, markets characterised by large underserved populations, rapid mobile penetration, and growing middle-class demand. We believe these markets offer superior growth opportunities relative to more mature venture markets.
Application and Initial Screening
Founders can submit their company for consideration via our project submission form. Our venture team reviews all submissions within two weeks, assessing the founding team, market size, product differentiation, and financial metrics. Companies that pass our initial screen are invited for an introductory call with a member of our investment team.
Deep Dive and Reference Checks
Companies progressing past the initial call undergo a deep-dive assessment covering product demonstration, financial model review, market analysis, customer reference calls, and founder background verification. This process typically takes four to six weeks and culminates in a presentation to our investment committee.
Term Sheet and Legal Close
Companies approved by our investment committee receive a term sheet within one week of the committee decision. Our term sheets are designed to be market standard and fair to both parties. We aim to complete legal documentation and close funding within four to six weeks of term sheet execution.
Post-Investment Support
Our portfolio companies gain access to Polinvest's network of strategic advisers, commercial partners, co-investors, and talent. We take a board seat in most investments and provide active support on strategy, fundraising, key hires, and international expansion. We measure our success by the success of our portfolio companies, not just by our returns.
FAQ
Common Questions
Does Polinvest invest in pre-revenue companies?
We consider pre-revenue investments only at the seed stage and only where the founding team has exceptional credentials and the market opportunity is very large and well-defined. The majority of our investments are made in companies generating at least USD 500,000 in annual recurring revenue.
What equity stake does Polinvest typically take?
We target ownership stakes of 10% to 25% depending on the stage and the size of our investment. We do not seek majority ownership in venture-stage companies but do require pro-rata rights in future funding rounds to maintain our position.
Can international companies apply?
Yes. We invest in companies operating across our target geographies regardless of the nationality of the founders. We do require that the company has a legal entity established in its primary operating market and that it maintains audited financial records.
What happens if my company needs bridge funding between rounds?
We can provide bridge facilities to portfolio companies between funding rounds where the bridge is supported by a credible plan to close the next round within 12 months. Bridge facilities are typically structured as convertible notes at market terms.
Venture Capital in Practice
Supporting Founders Through Growth
The most important thing we can do for the founders we back is be genuine partners, available when needed, supportive in difficult moments, and honest when we have concerns. We do not believe in high-frequency board interventions or micro-management of portfolio companies. Founders know their businesses better than we do, and our role is to support their vision, challenge it constructively when we think it needs to be challenged, and provide resources and connections that accelerate their progress.
Talent is consistently the most critical constraint on the growth of early-stage businesses in the markets we invest in. We actively support our portfolio companies in hiring key executives, connecting them with candidates from our network, and supporting compensation structures that attract the calibre of management needed to scale a business. We have developed relationships with executive search specialists who focus on the emerging market technology sector and can mobilise quickly when a portfolio company needs to fill a critical role.
Cross-portfolio learning is an underused resource in venture capital. Our portfolio companies are all grappling with similar challenges, building scalable sales processes, managing cash flow through growth phases, navigating regulatory environments, and expanding geographically. We actively facilitate connections between our portfolio companies where their experiences and challenges overlap, creating a community of founders who can learn from each other as well as from our team. This network effect is one of the distinct advantages of working with a firm that has a focused geographic and thematic portfolio strategy.
What We Bring to Founders
Beyond the Capital
Capital is necessary but not sufficient for startup success. The most valuable thing we bring to our portfolio founders is access to a network that takes years to build. Our network includes potential enterprise customers for B2B businesses, potential distribution partners for B2C businesses, technical advisers for sector-specific product questions, regulatory experts for navigating complex licensing environments, and follow-on investors for the next funding round. We actively broker introductions within this network and measure the quality of our portfolio support by the tangible outcomes these introductions produce.
We pay particular attention to the financial discipline of our portfolio companies. Many early-stage founders are product builders first and financial managers second, and they underestimate the importance of rigorous financial management, detailed tracking of unit economics, careful management of burn rate, and proactive planning of fundraising timelines. Our team works with portfolio company CFOs or finance leads to implement the financial reporting and planning frameworks that give both management and investors clear visibility into the business's financial health and trajectory.
Our exit preparation work begins well before a formal sale or listing process. Over the 18 to 24 months preceding a planned exit, we work with management to clean up the cap table, resolve any outstanding legal or regulatory issues, build the financial track record that acquirers or public market investors will scrutinise, and develop the narrative around the business that will make the investment case compelling. This early preparation is what distinguishes exits that close smoothly at target valuations from those that are delayed, complicated, or ultimately priced below expectations.
Polinvest Capital
Submit Your Project Today
New, existing, and stalled projects are all considered. Our team reviews every submission and responds within five business days.
All projects considered
New, existing, or stalled, we evaluate every submission on merit.
5-day response commitment
Our origination desk responds to every submission within five business days.
$500M– $3.5B available
Active capital across syndicated, project finance, equity, and infrastructure facilities.