Baobab Network

In the past two years, resilience has become a buzzword in global venture, but in the markets across Africa where Baobab Network invests, it has always been part of the DNA of entrepreneurship. In this clip, Baobab Network Co-Founder, Tom Fairburn reflects on how global VC cycles have shifted - but for many African founders, raising a meaningful seed round has always been tough. Traits like resilience, scrappiness, keeping burn low, and making the most of limited resources aren’t just survival strategies; they’re the foundation of building in Africa. Building here is tough, but our founders are tougher!

Fresh insights on the Future of Logistics from Terminal Africa Inc. (Baobab ’21)! 🆕 Terminal is a global shipping platform built for African businesses, empowering informal logistics operators to manage shipments efficiently and connect local producers with global courier networks. Their newly released 2024 Industry Report highlights the increasing role of these operators in driving Nigeria’s export economy and bridging the gap between local businesses and the diaspora. 🚛 The numbers tell the story: ✅ 500+ tonnes of goods shipped globally via Terminal in 2024 ✅ ₦8.8 billion spent on deliveries ✅ 80% of exports = clothing, beauty products & food ✅ Top destinations: USA, UK & Canada (83.67% of all shipments) With informal logistics operators powering cross-border trade, Nigeria’s export landscape is rapidly evolving. 📖 Get the full picture here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dVCbV4QD WeeTracker TechMoran TechCabal Techpoint Africa

Last week, we hosted our first Demo Day of 2025, where founders from our latest cohort pitched their startups to hundreds of global investors. One of our favourite parts of running the Accelerator? Helping founders crack a clear, powerful one-liner that sums up what they’re building. It’s one of the best ways to sharpen positioning - because if you can’t explain it in one sentence, that’s usually the best place to start! Here’s how the startups from our latest cohort describe themselves in a line - short, sharp, and to the point. How would you pitch your startup in one sentence? Drop it in the comments! TradevuC Community Wolf Regulon IWOMI Creditchek

9 years ago this week, Tom Fairburn and I jumped on a plane to Nairobi. 🇰🇪 Although we had both lived in Africa before, this was different. This was the start of Baobab Network. We (mainly Tom) had spent 6 months planning the launch of our company. We had found two startups willing to join our free 10 day accelerator. We persuaded 6 other people to fly in from across Europe, the US and other parts of Africa to come and support the startups. I slept on a mattress on the floor at Tom’s family home. We wacked all the costs on my credit card. We commuted 2 hours to and from the office each day in Nairobi. I forgot my laptop in the UK. It was the MVP of all MVPs. But it was a start. Happy Anniversary Tom Fairburn! 🥳 “It is not where you start but how high you aim that matters for success.”

Building in Africa often means building for real impact - impact that goes far beyond profit margins. In the West, impact can feel abstract. But here, it often looks like keeping a child in school, unlocking future opportunities, and changing lives in a tangible way. Education - and access to finance for education - remains one of Africa’s biggest challenges. With the fastest growing youth population in the world, solving this problem isn’t optional. It’s urgent. Through iFunza, Inc., Martin Kariithi, CFA is already creating that impact - and at Baobab Network, we are so proud to back him and his team as they work to give more young Africans a chance at a brighter future. What real problem is your startup trying to solve? Let us know in the comments!

Lemonade Payments (Baobab ’24) and Kawu (Baobab '23) have partnered to drive growth across their markets - a collaboration that holds real potential for both companies. Lemonade is a privacy-first digital payments platform helping SMEs manage everything from secure transfers to invoicing and reporting, while Kawu is building a Neo-Bank for the next generation of consumers in Uganda. Partnerships like this show the power of collaboration - and how Baobab companies can leverage the network to grow and unlock new opportunities. We're proud to have played a part in bringing these two companies together. Read more here - https://shorturl.at/sh95i

Twelve months ago we accidentally acquired a company. I had received an email from Sam Tidswell-Norrish with the subject ‘The most epic opportunity’ back in 2023. Little did we know just how epic it was. The opportunity was an introduction to Klyne Maharaj and his team at Reflector. We needed a brand refresh at Baobab Network - as most of our brand was built around photos of Baobab Trees we hadn’t paid for… From day 1 we could see that Klyne wasn't a normal brand consultant... He cared deeply about our vision and what we were building. He voluntarily rebranded one of our portfolio companies at no extra cost, and he transformed our brand and creative strategy in a matter of days. I remember chatting with Klyne and his team afterwards and asking what dreams were for Reflector. He said he wanted to do what he’d done with us, with founders from all across Africa. I phoned Tom Fairburn with an idea (he gets his fair share of these). Within a week, we had acquired Klyne and his team. Now it’s been a year, and the impact it has had has been mind boggling. We had had no plans for such a thing (maybe Sam Tidswell-Norrish did). The accidental acquisition…

We accidently acquired one of South Africa's top brand agencies a year ago 🇿🇦 In March 2024, we were introduced to Klyne Maharaj, founder of Reflector and generally awesome dude. Reflector started doing some work for Baobab Network, particularly focused on re-energising our brand, a brand that had been completely bootstrapped for 8 years, mainly centred around pictures of Baobab trees that we probably didn't have the full rights to use 🌳 From day one we could see that Klyne wasn't a normal brand consultant. He actually cared about our vision, the mission, and what we were building. He voluntarily rebranded one of our portfolio companies at no extra cost, and he transformed our brand and creative strategy in a matter of days. We paid Reflector a retainer for a few months and things were running pretty smoothly. Until Toby rang me with one of his 'big ideas' (he has these every two weeks or so)... He said why doesn't Baobab Network buy Reflector? So we did. And it has probably been the best decision we've made in the last 10 years. Here's to celebrating Klyne's one year anniversary at Baobab Network 🚀 The accidental acquisition...

Everyone’s looking at Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Egypt - and for good reason. These are the markets where we've seen some of Africa’s biggest success stories. But we see founders building in Guinea, Cameroon, and other markets that are often overlooked - these startups are tackling huge problems in markets that are massively underserved by capital, but have the potential to transform entire industries. 🎥 In this clip, Baobab Network Co-Founder Toby Hanington shares why the investors we talk to are paying closer attention to these markets and why others should too.

Creditchek (Baobab '24) was selected by Tech Connect Africa as one of just 20 startups to pitch at Web Summit Qatar! Events like these not only spotlight innovative startups and founders but also create connections that help the ecosystem thrive - and remind us of the power of collaboration. Great to see Kingsley Ibe crossing paths with fellow Baobab portfolio company VOVE ID (Baobab '24) from Cohort 1 2024 while in Qatar! Big shout-out to the Tech Connect Africa team for the work they’re doing to shine a light on and propel African startups onto global stages. Read more here - https://shorturl.at/abgCd