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About the Academy

The VC4A Startup Academy has been developed as part of the ‘Work in Progress!’ programme funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of LEAD (Local Employment in Africa for Development) initiative.

Theory insights

The theoretical content of the VC4A Startup Academy has been created and edited by a pool of industry experts:

Andrew Sekandi

Andrew Sekandi

KPMG
United Kingdom

Andrew Sekandi is an Associate Director at KPMG where he leads the Corporate Intelligence team’s Africa practice. With a background in law and risk analysis, he has 10 years’ experience conducting non-financial due diligence and provides market intelligence for investors looking to acquire stakes in African tech companies and other sectors.

Eelco Benink

Eelco Benink

Rebel Group
The Netherlands

Eelco Benink is a specialist in private equity, venture capital and project finance, especially in relation to emerging markets. Eelco worked in Kenya to help set up and manage SME investment fund InReturn Capital. After four years in East Africa he moved to the Philippines and in 2015 Eelco moved back to The Netherlands where he works at Rebel Group.

Anneke Evers

Anneke Evers

Consultant
Rwanda

Anneke Evers has experience in the area of SME finance, preparing emerging market entrepreneurs in the final stages for finance and connecting them to financiers. As an overall SME advisor she worked with different support centers in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, capacitating their staff and enhancing their business services to SMEs.

Ben White

Ben White

VC4A
The Netherlands

Ben White has been venturing in the African technology and media space since 2003. Involved in multiple startups, Ben is also the cofounder of AfriLabs, a pan-African network of innovation hubs, and the African Business Angel Network (ABAN). Ben is on the board of ActivSpaces and in 2007 he founded VC4A.

Andile Masuku

Andile Masuku

African Tech Roundup
South Africa

Andile Masuku is a Zimbabwean broadcaster and entrepreneur based in Johannesburg, South Africa. He produces and presents a portfolio of popular audio podcasts — including ‘the African Tech Round-up’, as well as developing and executing content strategy and tactical media plays for leading companies.

Expert insights

We thank the following people for taking the time to speak to us and enrich the Academy with their ‘expert insights’:

  • Profile picture of Ndidi Nnoli Edozien
    Ndidi Nnoli Edozien

    Lagos Business School
    Lagos, Nigeria

  • Profile picture of Rebecca Enonchong
    Rebecca Enonchong

    AppsTech
    Douala, Cameroon

  • Profile picture of Tomi Davies
    Tomi Davies

    Lagos Angels Network
    Lagos, Nigeria

  • Profile picture of Brett Commaille
    Brett Commaille

    Angelhub Ventures
    Cape Town, SA

  • Profile picture of Chams Diagne
    Chams Diagne

    Talent2Africa
    Paris, France

  • Profile picture of Stephen Haggard
    Stephen Haggard

    Eneza Education
    London, UK

  • Profile picture of Ike Eze
    Ike Eze

    Tranzact
    Lagos, Nigeria

  • Profile picture of Lexi Novitske
    Lexi Novitske

    Singularity Investments
    Lagos Nigeria

  • Profile picture of Aaron Fu
    Aaron Fu

    Nest Africa
    Nairobi, Kenya

  • Profile picture of Fabian Guhl
    Fabian Guhl

    Ampion
    Berlin, Germany

  • Profile picture of Justin Spratt
    Justin Spratt

    Uber Africa
    Johannesburg, SA

  • Profile picture of Viola Llewellyn
    Viola Llewellyn

    Ovamba
    Maryland, USA

  • Profile picture of Charlene Chen
    Charlene Chen

    BitPesa
    London, UK

  • Profile picture of Dima Rifai
    Dima Rifai

    Paradigm Change Capital
    London, UK

  • Profile picture of Ibanga Umanah
    Ibanga Umanah

    Brave Venture Labs
    Nairobi, Kenya

  • Profile picture of Yemi Keri
    Yemi Keri

    Lagos Angels Network
    Lagos, Nigeria

  • Profile picture of Juliet Wanyiri
    Juliet Wanyiri

    Foondi Workshops
    Nairobi, Kenya

  • Profile picture of Simeon Ononobi
    Simeon Ononobi

    SimplePay
    Lagos, Nigeria

  • Profile picture of Aurelien Duval-Delort
    Aurelien Duval-Delort

    Orange
    Paris, France

  • Profile picture of Stephan Breban
    Stephan Breban

    Dean Wetton Advisory
    London, UK

  • Profile picture of Fatoumata Ba
    Fatoumata Ba

    Jumia
    Abidjan, Ivory Coast

  • Profile picture of Emeka Afigbo
    Emeka Afigbo

    Facebook
    Lagos, Nigeria

  • Profile picture of Russell Southwood
    Russell Southwood

    Balancing Act
    London, UK

  • Profile picture of Peter Allerstorfer
    Peter Allerstorfer

    Silvertree Capital
    Cape Town, SA

  • Profile picture of Vusi Thembekwayo
    Vusi Thembekwayo

    Watermark Afrika Fund
    Johannesburg, SA

  • Profile picture of Sylvie Dalode
    Sylvie Dalode

    Strategic Bridges
    London, UK

  • Profile picture of Wim van der Beek
    Wim van der Beek

    Goodwell Investments
    Cape Town, SA

  • Profile picture of Dotun Olowoporoku
    Dotun Olowoporoku

    Starta Advisory
    Lagos, Nigeria

  • Profile picture of Tom Jackson
    Tom Jackson

    Disrupt Africa
    Cape Town, SA

  • Profile picture of Maxime Bayen
    Maxime Bayen

    GSMA
    London, UK

  • Profile picture of Isaak Mogetutu
    Isaak Mogetutu

    mFarm
    Nairobi, Kenya

  • Profile picture of Erick Yong
    Erick Yong

    Greentec Capital Partners
    Frankfurt, Germany

  • Profile picture of Andrea Böhmert
    Andrea Böhmert

    Knife Capital
    Cape Town, SA

  • Profile picture of Danai Musandu
    Danai Musandu

    Goodwell Investments
    Cape Town, SA

  • Profile picture of Chinedu Enekwe
    Chinedu Enekwe

    Tiphub
    Washington DC, USA

Expert insights have been recorded at awesome events:


Afrobytes
Paris – France
African Angel Investor Summit (AAIS) Logo
African Angel Investor Summit
Lagos – Nigeria
ATBN logo
Africa Technology Business Forum
London, UK
AHUB logo
AHUB
Cape Town – South Africa

Special thanks to the people who made the academy happen:

  • Charles Meadows, Sheree Smuts, Thero Gabaraane – Incubate Productions
  • Paolo Mantero, Carolina Mutti – Armonica Film
  • Björn Rudner – Contrast TV Productions
  • Albert-Jan Messenberg – Zilt Design
  • Hendrik Admiraal – Lead developer – VC4A
  • Damien Senger – UX developer – VC4A
  • Nelson Kana – Developer – VC4A
  • Catherine Gray – Product owner – VC4A
  • Thomas van Halen – Investor relations – VC4A
  • Alina Vinogradova – Programs & partnerships lead / ‘Work in Progress!’ project manager – VC4A
  • Bertil van Vugt – Business development & Producer VC4A Academy – VC4A