Celebrating Mo Angels' 3rd Anniversary: A Journey of Impact and Growth

We recently celebrated Mo Angels' 3rd anniversary with a great event that brought together our vibrant ecosystem. This was a moment to reflect on our journey and achievements over the past three years.?

Reflecting on Milestones: From 400+ Startup Applications to 12 Investments?

Our journey at Mo Angels has been an enriching learning experience. From over 400 startup applications, we selected 75+ to pitch to our community. ?

The process gave us valuable insights into diverse industries, and innovators. Different regions approached common issues with unique solutions, showcasing Africa's rich expertise, creativity and innovation capability. This has led to 12 investments in e-commerce, fintech, healthtech, smart mobility, edtech, and cleantech sectors, spanning over Mauritius, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, Israel, South Africa, the UK, and South East Asia.?

Throughout the process, we have offered more than just financial commitments; we are providing hands-on guidance and support, precious introductions.?

Our Journey Supported by a Diverse Community?

The majority of our investors have invested at least once, with the most active backing more than six startups. This engagement underscores the trust and confidence our investors have in our vision and the startups we support.?

To infuse fresh perspectives and foster the next generation of investors, we recently onboarded three members under 30. These young investors are eager to gain experience, expand their network, and learn by doing, while investing as from $2000. Their involvement brings innovative viewpoints and a dynamic energy to our community.?

We are proud of our progress in enhancing gender diversity. The proportion of female investors in our community has increased from 17% to 25% from year one to year three. Furthermore, 10 out of our 12 investees have at least one female co-founder, contributing to a gender-balanced portfolio. This commitment to diversity enriches our community and strengthens our impact.?

Event Highlights?

Matthew Emmanuel on Startup Trends?

Matthew Emanuel , portfolio director at Startupbootcamp AfriTech , discussed startup investment trends in Africa. He emphasized the role of accelerators and venture builders in achieving sustainable growth. Matthew also highlighted the trend of Startup Exchange Programs, which connect ecosystem players and provide access to networks and expertise, facilitating the creation of a global network for future ventures. We also discussed?the possibility of building a Mauritian-based Pan-African Accelerator, backed by relevant ecosystem players.?

Economic Development Board Session?

The event featured an insightful session from the Economic Development Board Mauritius on financing startups and fostering innovation in Mauritius. Key supportive organizations, including the Mauritius Research and Innovation Council , SME Mauritius , SME Equity Fund, Mo Angels, incubators, accelerators and banks were highlighted for their roles in nurturing the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Various EDB schemes aimed at enhancing support for Mauritian entrepreneurial ecosystem were explored, showcasing the ease of accessing funding through equity and quasi-equity options provided by SME Equity Funds, as well as new platforms like FUNDKISS and peer-to-peer lending platforms such as FinClub . Valuable feedback on enhancing Mo Angels' impact to further support the ecosystem was received and will guide our continued work in developing collaborative growth.?

Startup Pitches?

Two local startups presented their innovative solutions:?

dodobird.ai : Data & AI Engineer Thierry Lincoln pitched his solution, a tailor-made recommender engine AI autonomous agent for websites and outlets, to think and talk intelligently using generative AI to help customers. Thierry recently won a local pitch contest, as part of our collaborative investor-readiness bootcamp with La Plage Factory, a Mauritius-based accredited Tech4Good incubator. We have had the pleasure of witnessing Thierry's pitch evolve since our initial encounter and are delighted to see the progress resulting from his team's commitment and our investor coaching efforts that secured them the top spot among two other local startups.

Yugo Mauritius : Kaushik Rathod from Yugo Mauritius pitched its third equity round. Yugo aims to be the ultimate super app providing seamless transport, delivery, and on-demand services in Mauritius. His?solution addresses the lack of digital platforms connecting consumers to reliable taxis and transport services as well as efficient food and gifts delivery services. Yugo has been an investee of Mo Angels since 2021, and we are proud to continue supporting its development and growth.??

Looking Ahead?

We are excited to leverage the collaborations and connections forged to drive sustainable growth and innovation in Mauritius and Africa's startup ecosystem. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partners who played a crucial role in making this event a success. We look forward to continuing this incredible journey together!?

Our members are our core. We are committed to supporting early-stage investing in Mauritius and Africa, filling the funding gap and promoting ecosystem growth. We aim to expand from 40 to 100 members, reach higher investment targets, and foster more partnerships. Join us as an investor and amplify our impact.?

Want to connect with us? Drop us a line at [email protected]

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