XA Network Expands to Africa, Invests in Nigeria’s Crop2Cash, Others

By Dipo Olowookere

The vibrant African startup ecosystem has received a further boost with the foray of an exclusive investment platform, XA Network, into the continent.

XA Network was established by tech alumni in Southeast Asia comprising the former Managing Director of Google Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr Nitin Gajria; an architect of the Black Founders Fund at Google, Mr Jason Scott; and the Marketing Director at YouTube, Mr Marek Dawidowicz.

The trio is founding XA Africa to connect exceptional African tech entrepreneurs with seasoned investors and industry experts, primarily from global and regional technology companies, to provide not just capital but also the guidance and support needed to scale their ventures.

Already, the new organisation has invested in four African tech firms. They are Crop2Cash from Nigeria, BuuPass from Kenya, Kaya from South Africa, and Talamus Health from Ghana.

On Thursday, November 7 from 1 to 2 pm, the XA Africa team will host the first public Demo Day webinar where Africa-focused investors can meet and invest in the four founding companies.

“We see an opportunity to build a stronger bridge between ecosystems in Africa and Southeast Asia along the way. In fact, this investment hypothesis has already been proven across some of the African founders we are currently supporting,” Mr Gajria said.

He said further that, “Founders of technology startups in Africa are uniquely placed to solve some of Africa’s most profound challenges and unlock its greatest opportunities.

“We see the foray of XA Network into Africa as a natural progression, allowing us to connect amazing founders to experienced and expert operators from the tech industry.”

The chief executive of Crop2Cash, Mr Michael Ogundare, while speaking on XA Africa’s investment in his firm, described it as “a game-changer for our company.”

He confessed that, “Their strategic guidance and network have opened doors to new opportunities, and we are excited to see the impact of our collaboration continue to unfold. We are grateful for their trust in our vision.”

The founders of BuuPass, Sonia Kabra and Wyclife Omondi, stated that, “We are excited to have XA network on board because of their strong network of experts who are open to listening and helping. They’ve introduced us to advisors from Expedia and truly understand the dynamics of emerging markets, making them a valuable investor.”

Since its inception six years ago, XA Network has established itself as a significant player in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, making nearly 100 investments in the region, and consistently ranked as the number one investment network in the region.