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Tony Chen

@tonyschen

entrepreneur · investor · africa | partner @VerdantFrontier | co-founder @redicasystems @KinyunguV | African #Fintech / #SaaS

 Nairobi & Chicago
verdantfrontiersfintech.com
Joined August 2009
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Photo by Tony Chen (@tonyschen)Photo by Tony Chen (@tonyschen)Photo by Tony Chen (@tonyschen)Photo by Tony Chen (@tonyschen)Photo by Tony Chen (@tonyschen)Photo by Tony Chen (@tonyschen)Photo by Tony Chen (@tonyschen)Photo by Tony Chen (@tonyschen)Photo by Tony Chen (@tonyschen)Photo by Tony Chen (@tonyschen)
1. @linkedin asked to verify my identity. 2. I upload my driver's license 3. @linkedin permanently blocks my account. What just happened?
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For many investors globally: 1. Africa risk is much lower than you think. 2. Africa is growing differently than you think. 3. There are more $10B+ opportunities than you think. 4. The talent is better than you think. verdantfrontiersfintech.com/…
The Most Severely Misunderstood Markets in the World can Achieve Outsized Investor Returns: Africa

The Most Severely Misunderstood Markets in the World can Achieve Outsized Investor Returns: Africa

I have talked to hundreds of potential investors over the last 6 months, and this, “Really? Africa? For investment?” question keeps...

verdantfrontiersfintech.com
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The question isn't whether I'm biased as an investor, it's *how* am i biased and can I stay curious enough to get less biased over time? verdantfrontiersfintech.com/…
(How) Am I Biased as an Investor?

(How) Am I Biased as an Investor?

Reflecting on my investments to date, I’ve been thinking about my biases. The question isn’t am I biased? Honestly, the question is how am I biased?I started investing in African start-ups in 2016....

verdantfrontiersfintech.com
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Having read thousands of pitches & sitting through hundreds of live pitches, I started seeing some patterns. What's are the common elements for the best/worst pitches you've ever seen? verdantfrontiersfintech.com/…
9 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Level Up Their Initial Pitch to Investors

9 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Level Up Their Initial Pitch to Investors

Now that I’ve heard hundreds of pitches, I can tell you there is a wide continuum of pitching / storytelling. Most entrepreneurs are well-prepared and pitch pretty well - they share their story with...

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If you’re a fish, it’s hard to see the water you’re swimming in. Best to talk to other fish that have swam different waters in different seasons to understand your water now. verdantfrontiersfintech.com/… – at Nairobi, Kenya
25 Things I've Learned Investing in 25 African Start-Ups

25 Things I've Learned Investing in 25 African Start-Ups

A few things I’ve learned while traveling this path. Sometimes you find the “right” entrepreneur working on the “wrong” venture. Stay in...

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7 years in, 25 investments in African start-ups, still learning. What are you learning these days?verdantfrontiersfintech.com/…
25 Things I've Learned Investing in 25 African Start-Ups

25 Things I've Learned Investing in 25 African Start-Ups

A few things I’ve learned while traveling this path. Sometimes you find the “right” entrepreneur working on the “wrong” venture. Stay in...

verdantfrontiersfintech.com
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I've been part of NAIBAN (Nairobi Business Angel Network) for almost two years now. We are a network of Angel Investors focused on supporting & investing in technology-enabled startups. Here are some exciting facts about us: 🧵
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Want to know how many Paystack exits it takes to return a $50M fund? How about why ownership & valuation impact fund economics so much? It's all *real talk* from @EghosaO, Managing General Partner of @EchoVC on Track 8 of the Trajectory Africa. Press play! share.transistor.fm/s/951de2…
Fun with VC Math: Designing Funds & Exits in Africa | The Trajectory...

Fun with VC Math: Designing Funds & Exits in Africa | The Trajectory...

In this episode, Track 8, I chat with Eghosa Omoigui, Managing General Partner of EchoVC Partners about designing high-performing, Africa-focused funds and how exits impact fund performance.

share.transistor.fm
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Founder of Cardano just said that the one partnership he's most excited about in 2022 is with @Pezesha_Africa @hildamoraa context: Cardano is the 6th largest crypto w/ 42B in assets
Hilda Moraa (@hildamoraa) profile pictureHilda Moraa@hildamoraa5 Jan 2022
From Min 7.42 of this broadcast @IOHK_Charles mentions, the partnership focus he is most excited about this year is the one with @Pezesha_Africa . I am equally excited about this partnership as we join hands with Cardano to build an end2end financial operating system for Africa
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need more stories like this - why this #VC (@schlaf) stepped away from a fund he had just finished raising successfully schlaf.me/walkedaway/amp/
Deciding to pivot a fund doesn’t take five weeks—it might take five years - @tonyschen . Away from the cost, the same pressure and expectation should be adopted in African investment finance. Time is not on our side, there's an urgent need to leapfrog the continent's growth!
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Next Thurs 7/21 at 11 am CST/9 am CST/4 pm GMT @EugeneBaah21 are co-hosting a Clubhouse room with @tonyschen of @VerdantFrontier (guest #1 of episode #1 of The Trajectory Africa) to debunk "reasonable" assumptions about VC investing in Africa. Join us! clubhouse.com/event/m3zvzrGV
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#AfricanVC is hard, in some part because of LP expectations mismatched w/ realities on the ground. LPs say they want innovation. Why don't they innovate the manner they fund innovation? kinyungu.com/chasing-outlier…
Chasing Outliers: The Director’s Cut Webinar

Chasing Outliers: The Director’s Cut Webinar

This past Thursday, we had the pleasure of hosting a honest conversation about VC in Africa. Here were some of the highlights: Typical Silicon Valley venture capital is largely a mismatch for most …

kinyungu.com
Had a wonderful conversation last week on #AfricanVC with @EghosaO @skweird @hildamoraa @Tayo_Akinyemi @kinyunguV One of my favorite quotes: "Running a fund is BRUTAL!" Here are some highlights and the recording kinyungu.com/chasing-outlier…
Chasing Outliers: The Director’s Cut Webinar

Chasing Outliers: The Director’s Cut Webinar

This past Thursday, we had the pleasure of hosting a honest conversation about VC in Africa. Here were some of the highlights: Typical Silicon Valley venture capital is largely a mismatch for most …

kinyungu.com
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We couldn't agree more with our friends at @EchoVC "If you're gonna be a unicorn 🦄 in Africa you've gotta be a cross-border startup!" @EghosaO at @kinyunguV's webinar today
Image from Sherpa Ventures (@sherpafund)
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really excited to host this #AfricanVC webinar next week w/ a fantastic line-up: @skweird @EghosaO @hildamoraa @Tayo_Akinyemi & Minayo Sagala
Image from Tony Chen (@tonyschen)
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register at kinyungu.com/webinar
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There are at least 20 groups writing $25-75k checks for early-stage #startups in #Kenya kinyungu.com/whos-writing-25…
Who’s Writing $25-75k Checks for Early-Stage Kenyan Companies?

Who’s Writing $25-75k Checks for Early-Stage Kenyan Companies?

(originally published at Business Elites Africa) Over the last 6 months, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to discover many organizations with the conviction to write early-stage $25-75k checks …

kinyungu.com
Who are the investors writing $25K-$75K cheques in 🇰🇪 Kenya? Great list by @tonyschen featuring @baobabnetwork @vikventures @sherpafund @RisinTideAfrica @TheDFSLab @unconfe kinyungu.com/whos-writing-25…
Who’s Writing $25-75k Checks for Early-Stage Kenyan Companies?

Who’s Writing $25-75k Checks for Early-Stage Kenyan Companies?

(originally published at Business Elites Africa) Over the last 6 months, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to discover many organizations with the conviction to write early-stage $25-75k checks …

kinyungu.com
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5 Things I’ve Learned about “Investing in Africa” kinyungu.com/5-things-ive-le…
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