The Flip podcast: Connecting the dots – Japanese corporates and African tech

The Flip is an editorial-style podcast exploring more contextually relevant insights from entrepreneurs and investors changing the status quo in Africa. Produced and hosted by Justin Norman.

Season 2, Episode 8: Connecting the dots – Japanese corporates and African tech

Kepple Africa Ventures, a Japanese-backed venture investor, has made over 55 investments across eight African countries since its inception in 2019. They are one of the most active – if not the most active – VCs in the ecosystem, which makes this a topic worth exploring further. Why are Japanese investors and corporates interested in early-stage tech, and where may further opportunities lie for startups on the continent?

Beyond Kepple’s insights, we also unpack the case study one 75-year old Japanese multinational investing in a Kenyan startup, with the explicit intention of bringing innovation from Africa back to Japan and other markets in Asia.

In this episode, we hear from Satoshi Shinada and Ryosuke Yamawaki, general partners at Kepple Africa Ventures, and Nick Quintong, the co-founder and CEO of PayGo Energy.

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