TLcom Capital, a venture capital firm renowned for supporting some of Africa’s most prominent startups, has now deployed 50% of its $5 million pre-seed fund, demonstrating a continued commitment to nurturing the continent’s early-stage entrepreneurs.

The fund, called TIDE Africa Pre-Seed Investments (TAPSI), achieved this milestone after participating in a $2 million seed round for TurnStay, a South African travel payment platform.

Launched in 2022, TAPSI was designed to provide TLcom with earlier access to promising startups by offering investments of up to $200,000. More strategically, it serves as an upstream feeder for TLcom’s primary $154 million TIDE Africa Fund II, ensuring a clear progression for high-performing portfolio companies to secure subsequent, larger funding rounds from TLcom.

This multi-stage investment strategy aims to embed TLcom in a startup’s lifecycle from its initial concept through to a potential exit.

Eloho Omame, Partner at TLcom Capital, explains that the goal is to get involved in a company’s journey from the very beginning.

“Building in Africa is not for the faint-hearted,” Omame remarks to Sifted. “However, the chances of success increase significantly when we support and grow alongside founders early on in their ventures.”

The Feeder Fund in Action
The strategy seems to be paying off. Nigerian edtech company Talstack is a prime example. After receiving initial pre-seed funding from TAPSI, Talstack was able to validate its business model and gain early traction. This success led to a subsequent seed round from the main TIDE Fund II in 2024.

With half of the TAPSI fund now deployed, its portfolio showcases a diverse range of industries and geographies. The current investments include:

• TurnStay (South Africa) — Travel tech
  
• Talstack (Nigeria) — Edtech/HR tech
  
• Bright Financial (Sudan and Ethiopia) — Fintech
  
• Tradehub (Egypt) — B2B commerce
  
• Agrails (Kenya) — Agtech
  

Additionally, the fund has invested in three other startups through a partnership with First Check Africa, a vehicle that focuses on investing in companies led by female founders.

TLcom intends to make up to ten more pre-seed investments from the TAPSI fund before 2026.

A Multi-Stage Investor
By formalizing its pre-seed investment strategy, TLcom is strengthening its involvement in the funding lifecycle of the African tech ecosystem. In a market where early-stage funding is often the riskiest and hardest to secure, this dedicated fund provides a structured entry point for founders.

This approach positions TLcom as a multi-stage investor, capable of supporting companies through their entire growth journey. The firm, with roughly $250 million in assets under management, has a portfolio that includes some of Africa’s most successful scaleups, including Andela, uLesson, Autochek, and FairMoney.

“With TAPSI as a dedicated pre-seed arm of our investment platform, TLcom is uniquely positioned to support companies at every stage, from ideation and product-market fit to scaling and maturity,” Omame says. “It strengthens our role as a long-term partner for Africa’s most ambitious founders.”

Got a Story to Tell?
Share your journey with TechInAfrica.com and connect with thousands of African founders, investors, venture capitalists, tech leaders, and industry decision-makers. Whether you’re building the next big thing or reshaping the future of tech in Africa, we’ll help you get your story in front of the people who matter.

Get Featured