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Knife Capital Aims To Help Businesses With Market Access And Investee Traction Through Dynamic Partner Network

Knife Capital Aims To Help Businesses With Market Access And Investee Traction Through Dynamic Partner Network. Knife Capital is a venture capital investment manager that accelerates the international expansion of African innovation-driven businesses by leveraging knowledge, networks and funding. In selecting entrepreneurs with deep subject matter expertise and then adding a blend of the business building skills of Knife Capital and the diversified experience of a credible investor base, investees gain a solid knowledge foundation to scale from.

Knife provides market access and accelerates investee traction by leveraging a dynamic partner network to ensure that the solution to virtually every challenge confronting a Sub-Saharan African high-growth business is no more than three phone calls away. With emphasis on each phase of the FMGR (Find-Make-Grow-Realise) investment cycle, Knife responsibly applies funding to take advantage of windows of opportunity for investee companies to close growth gaps and create sustainable exit-ready businesses.

Knife Capital was established in 2010 as the incarnation of the South African venture capital division of ‘Here Be Dragons’ – a privately owned emerging market investment group founded by internet entrepreneur and cosmonaut Mark Shuttleworth. Knife Capital took over the management of seven HBD portfolio companies to create a managed fund. Exits include CSense (Analytics Software) to US technology giant General Electric, Fundamo (Mobile Financial Services) to VISA and orderTalk (online food ordering software) to Uber Eats.

Knife Capital invests in companies that show the potential for international success with a deep technological competence, and: have a well-defined product and recurring revenues, solve a clear pain point of their customers, address a sizeable market, have impressive management teams, achieve high gross margins and have a clear governance process in place.

KNF Ventures is a SARS Section 12J Venture Capital Company – enabling qualifying investors to claim amounts invested as a full and permanent deduction from taxable income in South Africa. By leveraging Knowledge, Networks & Funding, KNF Ventures accelerates the growth of South African innovation-driven SMEs and generates enhanced returns for investors. Knife launched a second Section 12J Venture Capital Company to extend the offering. KNF Ventures II has the same investment mandate as the first section 12J Fund and will continue to build on the success and momentum created.

By Thomas Chiothamisi

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