Knight Ventures

Take the First Step, But Don’t Walk Blind: Why Every Startup Needs a Financial Model Lao Tzu said, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” For founders, that step often means building an MVP, testing the market, or raising early funds. But as your startup grows, passion and hustle alone are no longer enough. Gut instincts must be backed by data and structure. That’s where a financial model comes in. What Is a Financial Model? Think of it as your startup’s GPS. It helps you plan your route, forecast cash flow, avoid roadblocks, and make better decisions. It’s not just about how you make money (your business model), but how much, how fast, and how sustainably you can grow. Why It Matters A strong model helps you manage runway and track your cash needs. It tests your pricing, cost structure, and growth assumptions. It shows investors that your goals are realistic and achievable. Even at the earliest stage, building a financial model helps validate your idea’s market potential before you spend heavily. It’s the ultimate stress test for your business. The Accelerator Edge Incubators help shape ideas, accelerators scale them and scaling requires financial discipline. Investors want to see numbers that support ambition. How Knight Ventures Helps At Knight Ventures, we bring the discipline of data to the passion of entrepreneurship. Our team helps startups: -Build custom financial models -Validate assumptions and projections -Prepare investor-ready numbers -Plan smarter and grow sustainably Whether you’re preparing for your first funding round or gearing up for Series A, your next step shouldn’t be blind, it should be guided by data.

We are pleased to share the 2025 Impact Outlook of the Female Funders Program (FFF), an initiative by AfriGloCal VC in partnership with Lagos Innovates under Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) and GIZ Nigeria & ECOWAS, aimed at closing Africa’s gender capital gap from both ends: founders and funders. From 37+ female funders trained so far, to a 70%+ increase in investment confidence and legal literacy, the FFF program is reshaping who gets to sit at the capital table and how they lead. 💡 Key wins: 37+ women impacted, 80% gained strong early-stage investment literacy, 91% of participants from Nigeria. We are growing a pipeline of women funders ready to invest, co-invest, and drive gender aligned capital. The movement is just beginning 🌍 📥 Dive into the full report here: https://lnkd.in/edeZK9nP Gbite Oduneye, Ashim Egunjobi, Lande Adejumo, Moji Fashola, Adeleke Adekoya, Abimbola Olufore, Franklin Odoemenam, Bolaji Sofoluwe MBE Mope Abudu, Gbeke Oshinowo, Daniel Ritter, Ifeoluwa Martins, PMP®, PMI - ACP®, Feyisayo A. #ImpactInvesting #Genderlens #AfriGloCal #LSETF #Womensupportingwomen #AngelInvesting #WomenInvestors #Venturecapital #Investinginthefuture #Africanfocused #InvestingInAfrica #PE #VC #fundmanager #FoF #DFIs #Investors #GPs #FemaleFundManager #WomeninBusiness #InvestInWomen #wealthtransfer #ImpactCapital #WomenWhoInvest #inclusiveprosperity #africa #nigeria #westafrica #impactreport #GenderEquityInvestmentNetwork #FFF #FemaleFunders #GenderLensInvesting #VentureCapital #AfricaRising #WomenInVC #KnightVentures

I just discovered a health tech platform called Heala Tech, and what's unique about them is that you don't have to get to a hospital premises to consult with a doctor. Imagine you get sick at work and there's an important task to deliver on that has a short deadline. Instead of leaving the office, you just pick up your phone, get on the app, and consult with a doctor who is available 24/7 to you. It gets better. Your prescribed drug can be delivered to the office so you can get treatment without moving more than your fingers. All on the Heala app. I wasn't paid to do this, but I am fascinated by what they have done and the potential this holds for improving healthcare access in remote parts of Nigeria and Africa. It's founded by a Nigerian Ofuzim Anderson Oriahi, who understands our situation. Check it out: ‎https://bit.ly/4l89bvf and tell me what you think.

👇🏾💸 Top 10 Investors in #Nigeria 🇳🇬 Acuity Venture Partners: Early-stage investor focusing on data-driven decisions and funding $125K–$725K per startup. Co-creation HUB (CcHUB): Supports social tech ventures with funds and programs like Make-IT Accelerator. EchoVC Partners: Invests in underrepresented sectors like climate tech and health, with $41M deployed. Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures: Backs growth-stage startups with $1M–$3M investments. Oui Capital: Focuses on diversity, investing $250K–$500K in early-stage startups. Knight Ventures: Runs a 3-month accelerator for tech-driven startups. Microtraction: Offers $100K for 7% equity, with follow-on funding up to $350K. Ventures Platform Fund: Targets startups solving unmet needs and infrastructure gaps. TLcom Capital LLP: Invests $500K–$10M in scalable tech startups. Ingressive Capital: Provides up to $500K for early-stage startups, focusing on fintech and marketplaces. Credit: https://lnkd.in/e_pzQuP7 #investing #Africa #impact #startups #vc #capital #funding #venturecapital #venture

Calling all STARTUP's 🚨 AfriGloCal/Knight Ventures is building a robust Industry data fact sheet that will form as a 📌 Foundation for disbursing capital to startups. 📌 Strengthener for ecosystem policies. If you are looking to raise or gain ecosystem access, I implore you to take 2-4 minutes to fill the data fact sheet using the link below 👇🏻 https://rb.gy/8hgici

Calling all STARTUP's 🚨 AfriGloCal/Knight Ventures is building a robust Industry data fact sheet that will form as a 📌 Foundation for disbursing capital to startups. 📌 Strengthener for ecosystem policies. If you are looking to raise or gain ecosystem access, I implore you to take 2-4 minutes to fill the data fact sheet using the link below 👇🏻 https://rb.gy/8hgici

Join us for an exhilarating private showcase of groundbreaking ideas as our Cohort 5 startups take center stage. From revolutionary tech solutions to disruptive business models, these entrepreneurs are poised to redefine industries. Network with investors, ecosystem players, industry leaders, and fellow innovators as you explore the potential of tomorrow's most promising ventures. Highlights: * Showcase of Innovation: Discover groundbreaking startups from our Cohort 5 program. * Investor Pitching: Witness compelling pitches from talented entrepreneurs seeking investment. *Networking Opportunities: Connect with startups, investors, and industry leaders in dedicated breakout rooms. *Expert Insights: Gain valuable knowledge from our Inhouse scale activities. *Q&A Sessions: Engage directly with startups and ask your burning questions. *Future Collaborations: Explore potential partnerships and collaborations within the innovation ecosystem. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of the next big thing! Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025, Time: 2 PM WAT Limited Slots Available! RSVP by securing your tickets now! https://lu.ma/h6ap2kde

Knight Ventures took another key step towards improving its offerings as an #African focused #Accelerator for early stage Technology driven #startups / #ventures. As much as we focus on the technical #productMarketFit of our ventures, we strongly believe it is even more critical they are sustainably scaled and are #investment-ready. Knight Ventures this week was intensely engaged in an Enterprise Support Organisation #ESO focused 3 day SCALE framework training based on the Argidius Foundation methodology, very graciously funded by the The RISA Fund and implemented by the Impact Investors Foundation (IIF) and supported by the Impact Investing Ghana. The framework guides our offerings to produce depth in our support effectiveness and business modelling through the acronym of SCALE across these areas: S:Selection C: Charges A: Addressing problems L: Learning E: Lead by example Knight Ventures will be adopting this framework to improve the quality of our portfolio ventures and their ability to SCALE sustainable in their chosen markets and position as key competitive leaders. Knight Ventures was represented by our CEO Mope Abudu and is extremely proud that our #accelerator was selected as part of the first set of 20 ESO's in Nigeria to attend this curated fit for purpose program, particularly for the African focused ESO. Many thanks to our training coordinator, Ucha Unimke-Ulayi and most especially the ever resourceful and impactful facilitator Daniel Kwabena Owusu, MBA. #innovation #investinafrica #growthenterprises #founders #dealflow #genderinclusion #socialinclusion