Founders Factory Africa changes its name to 54 Collective

Founders Factory Africa (FFA) has officially rebranded to 54 Collective, marking a significant shift in its vision and operations. The new name, 54 Collective, embodies the firm’s pan-African ambition to support entrepreneurs in scaling their businesses across all 54 countries on the continent.

The rebranded firm continues to focus on early-stage ventures, from idea to Pre-Series A, providing catalytic capital alongside robust support through its Venture Success platform. This platform, staffed by a team of experienced venture specialists, offers tailored assistance in areas such as product development, growth strategies, business operations, talent acquisition, technology, and data. The goal is to equip founders with the tools they need to build scalable and sustainable businesses.

54 Collective also prioritizes preparing founders for investor engagement by offering guidance on investor readiness, access, fundraising strategies, and unlocking various forms of capital, including debt and impact capital. Additionally, the firm fosters networking and community-building opportunities to ensure that African entrepreneurs are well-positioned for global success.

In terms of financial support, 54 Collective offers equity and non-dilutive capital of up to Ksh. 64 million (USD 500,000) to help founders scale their ventures. Notably, the firm provides additional non-dilutive capital of Ksh. 19 million (USD 150,000) specifically for female founders, further breaking down barriers to access. With over 70 staff members across Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and the UK, 54 Collective stands out as the only Venture Capital firm in Africa offering such comprehensive early-stage support to founders.

Commenting on the firm’s rebrand and name change, 54 Collective CEO Bongani Sithole said, “Our catalytic capital and value-add support to founders, through our Venture Success Platform, signifies our evolution and ongoing mission to support entrepreneurs across Africa and enable them to build without boundaries to drive commercial and impact returns. Our name change to 54 Collective communicates our continued commitment to African founders. We are more supportive than ever of unlocking opportunities for entrepreneurs and ensuring a level playing field for youth and women founders.”

In 2023, Founders Factory Africa was named one of the top venture capital investors in Africa, with an active portfolio of over 50 ventures across 10 countries. To date, the firm has supported more than 70 ventures across Africa and helped its portfolio startups to raise nearly Ksh. 18 billion (USD 140 million) in follow-on capital.