Capria VC, a global venture firm with $207 million in assets under management, operates a distinctive investment strategy in emerging markets by supporting both startups and local fund managers. While it has directly invested in 41 startups worldwide, its partnerships with 17 fund managers give it indirect exposure to nearly 400 portfolio companies.
In Africa, Capria collaborates with Global Ventures, Lateral Frontiers, and Atlantica Ventures. “This model is powerful because it gives us broad access to market insights. It’s a huge data set, which benefits both us and our portfolio companies,” said Mobola da Silva, Capria’s Africa partner.
Da Silva joined Capria in 2023 as a venture partner before becoming a partner in 2024, relocating from Lagos to Nairobi to strengthen the firm’s presence in Africa. With 14 years of experience in venture capital and emerging markets, she has held senior roles at Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, the uMunthu Fund, and Alitheia Capital.
“The common theme of my career is deploying capital into the most promising opportunities and backing founders best positioned to scale transformative businesses,” she said.
Capria invests between $1 million and $3 million in startups, with additional capital reserved for follow-on funding. It has directly backed six African startups in sectors such as fintech, agtech, HRtech/jobtech, edtech, healthtech, and B2B SaaS—industries seen as key drivers of large-scale innovation. Its direct investments include Moniepoint, Paymob, and Seamless HR, while its indirect portfolio includes LipaLater, Klasha, and Figorr.
Beyond its investment model, Capria also offers a unique support system. It has an in-house AI team led by founding partner Will Poole, a former tech entrepreneur, alongside four developers and a support team member. The AI team is available to portfolio companies looking to integrate AI into their operations.
“They don’t have to use the AI team, but it’s an option. Of course, there’s some prioritisation. The team can’t work with all companies simultaneously, so they phase projects depending on workload,” da Silva explained.
