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Prosus Ventures, the venture capital arm of global investment behemoth Prosus, led and fractionally owned by South African billionaire Koos Bekker, is supporting Constantinople, a Sydney-based tech platform for banks, in a $32.4-million Series-A funding round. This underscores Prosus’ focus on fintech innovation and its interest in the Australian market.
This investment comes on top of Constantinople’s A$32-million ($22 million) seed round secured in April 2022 from Square Peg Capital, Airtree Ventures, and Great Southern Bank. Notably, these existing investors participated again in the Series A round. The fresh capital will allow Constantinople to accelerate product development, expand its workforce, and scale operations across Australia, with potential expansion into new markets.
Prosus: Pioneer in Global Tech Investments
Constantinople, a Sydney-based fintech startup founded in 2022 by Dianne Challenor and Macgregor Duncan, offers a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform catering to both retail and business banking. The company will use the new funds to expand its team and bolster its platform’s capabilities.
Prosus, a global consumer internet group founded in 1997 under South African billionaire Koos Bekker’s leadership, has become one of the world’s largest technology investors. The Amsterdam-based company boasts an international portfolio of investments in prominent fintech, social media, ed-tech, and food delivery firms.
Bekker’s net worth hits $2.7 billion
Bekker, a visionary entrepreneur and a driving force behind the success of companies such as Prosus and its parent company, Naspers, is one of Africa’s wealthiest individuals. His net worth has climbed $400 million this year, reaching $2.7 billion on the back of his stakes in Prosus NV (0.72 percent) and Naspers (0.96 percent). His Prosus holding is valued at around $560 million.
Prosus Ventures’ recent investment in Constantinople underscores its commitment to supporting tech startups. With this deal, the venture capital arm has made 99 investments to date, aiming to empower companies to make a rapid impact on their communities and become leaders in their respective markets through tailored support.
