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Kola Aina, a leading Nigerian venture capitalist and a key player in the African venture capital space, is one of the few African entrepreneurs and angel investors who achieved the rare feat of raising more than $45 million in funding for their firms and startups in 2022.
As the founding partner of Ventures Platform, an early-stage “discovery” venture capital fund championing the next generation of African entrepreneurs, Kola Aina combines a powerful mix of entrepreneurial, investment, and technical experience across diverse industries, including technology, finance, media, agriculture, infrastructure, and real estate.
The Nigerian venture capitalist, who is a passionate ecosystem builder, is also the founder of Ventures Park, a co-working space and community for entrepreneurs, as well as the Ventures Platform Foundation, which empowers entrepreneurs by providing access to capital, education, and digital resources.
The foundation also advocates for entrepreneur-friendly policies, highlighting Aina’s commitment to supporting and promoting entrepreneurship in Nigeria.
Aina’s passion for supporting and promoting entrepreneurship in Nigeria is evident in his various roles, including chair of the Advisory Group on Technology and Creativity to the President of Nigeria and co-chair of the Committee on Job Creation and Youth Employment to the President of Nigeria.
These positions demonstrate the high level of trust and respect that Aina has earned from the Nigerian government and solidify his position as a leading figure in the Nigerian entrepreneurial and venture capital landscape.
In December 2022, the Nigerian venture capitalist made headlines after he successfully led his pan-African VC firm, Ventures Platform, to the final close of its early-stage and intercontinental fund at $46 million, thus surpassing its initial $40-million target.
Since the VC firm was founded in 2016 by Aina, it has invested in more than 60 companies working in fields such as healthcare, financial services, agriculture, education, big data, and internet infrastructure.
The $46-million fund, which was secured from global investors, top-tier commercial banks, and corporates, including Standard Bank and the International Finance Corporation, will allow Ventures Platform to double down on backing category-leading companies across the continent and provide follow-on capital for portfolio companies.
This will further solidify the firm’s position as it continues to leverage its on-the-ground presence on the continent and expertise in corporate partnerships, talent, growth, regulation, and operations to strengthen the venture capital ecosystem in Africa.
Kola Aina leads Ventures Platform to set up post-investment support for African companies
In order to better support the companies it invests in, Ventures Platform, under the leadership of Kola Aina, has established an innovative “platform and networks” practice that will provide scalable and world-class post-investment support and value creation to its portfolio companies. This includes access to a wide range of resources and services such as mentorship, strategic partnerships, and marketing support.
Aina’s vision for Ventures Platform is to create a sustainable ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa and to support the next generation of African entrepreneurs in creating and scaling impactful businesses.
The Nigerian venture capitalist believes that by providing access to capital, education, and resources, Ventures Platform can help unlock the potential of Africa’s entrepreneurial talent and drive economic growth on the continent.
