A capital continuum designed for visionaries, not just valuations.
TELEP Capital was created to serve what traditional capital often forgets: the full arc of transformation. Our dual-fund structure reflects a deep understanding of how African women build — not in a straight line, but in cycles of vision, adaptation, and community anchoring.
We invest across the entrepreneurial journey through two synergistic vehicles:
The Catalytic Fund
Backing the bold. Birthing what’s missing.
Stage: Pre-seed to Seed
Instruments: Equity, recoverable grants, revenue-based finance, hybrid deals
Ticket size: $50K – $500K
This fund is for the overlooked visionaries: the women building what doesn’t yet have a name, metric, or market buzz.
We invest in:
Community-rooted startups with transformative potential
Ecosystem builders redefining how African economies are shaped
Unusual suspects with traction but no traditional “pipeline” access
Cross-sector innovations that center care, dignity, and justice
The Catalytic Fund exists to say yes — where others hesitate.
We de-risk not through spreadsheets, but through proximity, cultural context, and narrative fluency. We trust African women to set the pace, define success, and carry their visions with conviction.
The Imago Fund
Fueling scale with soul. Funding the next evolution.
Stage: Series A and beyond
Instruments: Equity, mezzanine, blended finance, follow-on
Ticket size: $500K – $5M
Imago means metamorphosis — the final stage of transformation. This fund is designed for ventures ready to scale without compromising who they serve or how they serve.
We invest in:
Growth-stage companies led or co-led by African women
Ventures ready to expand with integrity, not extraction
Businesses with proven traction, cultural alignment, and ecosystem impact
Enterprises reimagining what African growth looks like — from tech to textiles, health to heritage
Imago is not a traditional growth fund.
It centers community continuity, ethical exits, and holistic returns. It’s where long-term legacy meets ambitious scale.
What sets our funds apart
🔹 Proximity-Based Due Diligence
We vet with community knowledge, local trust networks, and embedded field presence. No extractive audits, no parachute assessments.
🔹 Flexible Structures
We blend philanthropy and private capital to serve the entrepreneur — not the other way around. What matters is what works for them.
🔹 Feminist and African-Centered Investment Lens
We fund based on lived experience, not abstract models. Power dynamics, racial justice, and gendered labor are part of our analysis — not afterthoughts.
🔹 Strategic Non-Financial Support
From governance to communications, we provide narrative support, stakeholder trust-building, and systems coaching tailored to each stage.
🔹 Exit as Continuity
We don’t walk away when the IRR is reached. We co-design legacy plans that honor community ownership and ongoing relevance.
F.A.Q.
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We strongly recommend that you legally register or incorporate your company. However, not being incorporated should not prevent you from sending us your working concept. If selected, it will likely be under the Catalyst Fund. We’re open to early-stage ideas, particularly if you are embedded in your community and have a clear path to testing your model.
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We fund women-led or women-co-led ventures. But more importantly, we fund enterprises that center the lives, labor, and leadership of African women across sectors.
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We prioritize ventures based and operating in Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa, with strong local presence, proximity to communities, and long-term embeddedness.
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We co-create exit strategies that align with both the enterprise’s purpose and our ethical capital principles. This may include buybacks, community shares, long-term equity holding, or transitions to philanthropic structures.
Why partner with TELEP Capital ?
🔹 You believe in deep change, not performative impact.
You’re tired of extractive models, top-down vetting, and success metrics that erase community context. So are we.
🔹 You want to align your capital with your values.
Whether you’re a family office, foundation, or mission-aligned LP, you know your money can do more — and you want it to.
🔹 You’re seeking intentional exposure to Africa — without the white gaze.
We are African-led, African-centered, and systems-informed. No saviorism. No parachuting. No “pipeline” buzzwords.
🔹 You value ethical exits and long-term continuity.
We don’t just enter deals — we stay accountable. Every exit is planned with dignity, legacy, and relational trust.
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