“I started Ingressive Capital because every venture capital firm that I applied to work as an analyst turned me down. I had the skill, I had the interest and I was convinced I could do the job but people often said “oh no, Maya…, keep hosting events and bringing foreign investors, you’re good at that” or “nah…you don’t have the right background and need to get experience”. So, I dragged myself out of the seas of ‘no’.
I saw an opportunity to leverage the international networks that I cultivated from a background in private equity research and hustling doing “market entry” to Africa for foreign investors. I started to direct underutilized capital from the West to Africa’s most promising founders and tech ecosystems. It was an easy sell once we got started: now is the time. One cannot ignore the opportunity
I’ve now raised a $10 million fund and backed some of the most exciting emerging startups across Africa, and launched a nonprofit with Sean Burrowes to provide tech resources to African youths. They may not have a model to compare you to, so you don’t seem ‘it’. But that’s because you’re the blueprint.”
“Your dreams are valid“