In this episode of the Full Scale Podcast, Adrian and Tim sit down with Ivy Macharia, Head of Portfolio at Gather Ventures, board director, angel investor, and a driving force in Africa’s startup ecosystem.From her journey into venture capital through actuarial science, to her reflections on the maturity of the African startup landscape, Ivy shares a wealth of insights on:🌍 The evolution of Africa’s startup ecosystem—from its early days to today’s cycles of highs and downturns.👩🏽💼 The role of resilience, grit, and execution in successful founders.💸 Balancing commercial viability with impact investing in Africa’s unique markets.🚫 Myths about investing in Africa (and why Silicon Valley’s playbook doesn’t fully apply here).👩👩👧 Gender dynamics in VC and why amplifying women’s voices matters.🔮 Her one piece of advice for the next generation of African founders. Along the way, we also get personal—chatting about golf, roosters keeping neighbors awake at 2 a.m., and even how a tendon injury taught Ivy something new about anatomy.🔊 Ivy Says: "You can’t have a down cycle unless you’ve had an up cycle—that’s maturity. “Don’t ignore women as a market. They control most household spend and drive consumer decisions.”“Execution in Africa takes grit. It’s harder, but the ones who push through build lasting businesses.”🌍 About Ivy Macharia:💼 Head of Portfolio – Gather Ventures (backing catalytic climate & gender-focused businesses)💡 Angel Investor – Member of Nairobi Business Angel Network & Grounded Investor📊 Board Director – Drop Access Limited🌱 Advocate for capital in local hands—championing African-led venture building👩👧 Wife, mother, firstborn daughter, and smallholder farmer on weekends📌 Connect with Ivy:🔗 LinkedIn: Ivy Macharia🎙️ New Full Scale Podcast episodes every two weeks!🎧 Listen on Spotify | Watch on YouTube | Subscribe on Apple Podcasts💬 Like, Comment, Share & Subscribe!#FullScalePodcast #IvyMacharia #GatherVentures #AfricanStartups #AngelInvesting #ImpactInvesting #VentureCapital #WomenInVC #ResilientFounders #ProductMarketFit #AfricaRising👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe—and let us know in the comments what stood out to you most from Ivy’s story.
(00:00) behind the scenes.
(03:41) Intro.
(04:40) Who is Ivy Macharia.
(08:51) Journey of start- up in Africa.
(13:02) Key traits and red flags that shapes investment decision.
(17:32) Kenya's start up criticism.
(22:34) Balance between commercial viability and impact.
(29:38) Regional differences on how to approach difficulties.
(33:25) Myths about investing in Africa
(36:15) Do silicon valley playbook work for Africa.
(39:37) Is the industry empowering women voices.
(44:08) Founders time capsule.
(46:55) Surprise question.
(50:16) Interesting thing of the week.
(52:27) Outro and conclusion.
(00:00) Behind the scenes.
(04:41) Intro.
(06:16) Who is Gilbert.
(07:32) Gilbert's hobbies.
(09:11) What is NEWMARK Group?
(11:31) How NEWMARK Group began?
(14:00) How does Weza Prosoft company fit?
(16:32) Is Weza Prosoft solutions tailored or standard?
(19:18) Biggest challenges so far?
(21:30) How to keep rapid innovation at the same time being consistent.
(24:43) The highest moment in the entrepreneurship journey.
(28:48) Product market fit.
(34:18) Did Newmark start through bootstrapping or external capital.
(41:11) Newmark's long term vision.
(44:20) What is Kasi Afrique?
(48:05) Founders time capsule.
(50:32) Surprise question.
(52:24) Interesting thing of the week.
(54:42) Outro.
@FullScale Podcast.
(00:00) Behind the scenes
(03:25) Intro
(04:54) Who is Arnold
(08:51) What is ArCa Ventures
(15:50) Is ArCa Ventures a specific sector or sector agnostic
(18:49) Why the name " ArCa Ventures."
(23:23) Biggest challenges for ArCa Ventures.
(25:38) Product market fit.
(29:35) The standout highlight in the journey of start - ups.
(31:45) Long term visions for ArCa Ventures.
(38:36) Do ArCa Ventures create their own ideas or source them from founders.
(39:57) Most Exciting trends in Africa's start - up ecosystem.
(43: 07) Founders time capsule.
(44:10) Surprise question.
(46:32) Most interesting thing of the week.
(49:20) Outro and conclusion
(00:00) Behind the scenes.
(02:17) Intro.
(03:21) About Meredith.
(05:41) What is head of electric finance?
(06:25) When should a start-up fundraise?
(09:34) Founders perspective on sale equity, debt and grants.
(13:33) Most memorable fundraising.
(17:35) The surprise in fundraising
(18:32) Most underrated part of a pitch deck.
(22:55) The power of storytelling in fundraising process.
(25:40) Steps and preparation for reaching potential investors.
(27:33) Approximate time for a fundraising process.
(30:21) Red flags in a start up constantly seeking funds
(31:35) Unexpected things when working with investors.
(33: 00) Is fundraising a one time event or ongoing?
(32:58) Fundraising drought in recent years.
(37:17) Emerging trends in a start up ecosystem
(38:55) Alternative funding model: (Revenue Based Funding and Crowd Funding).
(44:11) Founders time capsule .
(41:40) Surprise question.
(48:56) Interesting thing of the week?
(53:54) Outro and conclusion
(00:00) Behind the scenes.
(07:38) Intro.
(10:20) About DCB consulting.
(14:08) Challenges of CFO and Finance in a start- up.
(17:58) Best time for a start up to get a CFO.
(21:34) What is fractional CFO and SME.
(26:29) Importance of financial planning and fund raising.
(30:42) Common financial mistakes when raising capital.
(33:43) Day to day tools to improve on financial planning.
(35:09) How to manage burning cash.
(40:32) Key financial regulations for start ups.
(43:17) Future exciting trends on finance ecosystem in Africa.
(45:59) Effects of AI to a CFO.
(48:15) Founder's time capsule.
(50:20) Surprise question.
(52:28) Interesting thing of the week.
(55:10) Outro and conclusion.
What does it really take to build globally competitive startups from the African continent?In this electrifying episode, we sit down with Michele Wanjiku, the Africa Regional Lead at Endeavor Catalyst – a $500M+ global co-investment fund backing high-growth entrepreneurs across emerging markets. Michele breaks down how Endeavor identifies exceptional founders, invests alongside top-tier global VCs, and helps scale startups across borders.🎯 Whether you're a startup founder, investor, or ecosystem enabler, this episode is your masterclass in scaling African innovation.📈 What You’ll Learn:- How Endeavor Catalyst turned a $10M philanthropic fund into $70M+ (7x cash-on-cash)- The secret behind co-investing only alongside the world's best VCs- Why Africa’s “PayPal Mafias” are shaping the continent’s startup future- Lessons from InstaDeep's $700M AI exit and the power of the multiplier effect- Why picking the wrong investor could doom your company (yes, even at Seed stage)🌍 Endeavor’s Africa Portfolio Highlights:- 40+ African startups funded- 4 unicorns: Flutterwave, MNT-Halan, TymeBank, and Moniepoint- First Africa exit: InstaDeep (Tunisian AI startup, acquired for $700M)- Backed founders now mentoring and funding the next generation💡 Wisdom Nuggets from Michele:“You can build a global company from anywhere.”“Your investor is not just capital—they’re a long-term partner.”“Scaling your startup means scaling yourself first.”“Don't over-engineer terms—keep your rounds clean and founder-friendly.”📌 Who Is Michele Wanjiku?🇰🇪 Africa Regional Lead, Endeavor Catalyst🧠 Strategic Advisor at Chui Ventures🌍 Startup ecosystem connector, investor matchmaker, and advocate for founder-friendly capital🥾 Outdoor enthusiast, foodie, ex-New Yorker, and emerging market optimist📣 Connect with Michele & Endeavor:🔗 Michele Wanjiku on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-wanjiku-644a06a1/🌐 Endeavor Catalyst: https://endeavor.org/catalyst/🌍 Your Local Endeavor Office: https://endeavor.org/🧠 Founders, take note:If you're building in Africa and have global ambitions—Endeavor wants to hear from you.#FullScalePodcast #EndeavorCatalyst #MicheleWanjiku #AfricanStartups #VCinAfrica #StartupInvesting #TechAfrica #FounderFunding #ScaleUpAfrica #WomenInVC #MultiplieEffect #InstaDeep #Flutterwave #Moniepoint #AfricaRising @FullScalePodcast .
00:00 - behind the scenes
07:42 - intro.
08:40 - About Michele Wanjiku.
11:03 - How did Michele get into start up?
14:24 - What does Endeavor do?
18:36 - What is a co- investment fund?
22:03 - Who is an Endeavor entrepreneur?
25:10 - How to join Endeavor?
28:08 - Biggest exciting trends.
32:15 - How do Endeavor link with new co- investors.
35:08 - Example of a multiplier effect connection in action.
39:30 - Evolving Trends in Africa for investment landscapes.
44:42 - Biggest challenges for a start up?
49:14 - Common mistakes for a start up?
54:31 - Founders time capsule.
57:23 - Surprise question.
1:00:02 - Outro and conclusion .
In this episode of the Full Scale Podcast, we sit down with Amitty Peace, the dynamic founder of Mangrove, a platform that helps startups build operational resilience and scale sustainably. From her 10+ years optimizing large financial institutions to working with scrappy scale-ups across Africa, Amitty shares the practical, no-fluff advice every founder needs to hear.💡 What You’ll Learn:
🌍 Whether you’re building a fintech in Lagos or a logistics platform in Nairobi, this conversation is filled with grounded insights, practical frameworks, and a good dose of startup humor (plus, Amity’s favorite cake analogy 🍰).🔧 Resources Mentioned:👀 BONUS: Hear Amitty’s thoughts on the future of AI in African startups, and what she’d tell founders of the next generation!📌 Like, comment, and subscribe to join us on this full-scale journey through Africa’s startup ecosystem. 📱 Connect with Amitty on LinkedIn for more on Mangrove’s resilience tools and co-working community updates! https://www.linkedin.com/in/amittypeace/
00:00- Behind the scenes 03:08- Intro.03:45- Who is Amitty Peace.05:54- About Mangrove.07:09- What do Mangrove do?08:52- What is operational resilience?10:38- Why do most startups fail?13:06- The biggest blindspot for founders.14:27- What does a strong foundation look like?15:38- How to identify and fix inefficiencies.17:46- importance of mapping a business.21:38- Data's role in operational efficiency.24:21- Best practical tools for data collection and synthesis.29:09- Fast startup growth without compromising stability.31:51- Important things for a successful start up.32:39- Exciting trends and future start up resilience33:39- Future roles of AI, automation and data analytics in business.36:39- Risk part of AI in business.38:00- Founders time capsule.39:17- surprise question.40:44- Interesting thing of the week.43:41- Outro and conclusion.
00:00- Behind the scenes 04:33 - intro05:40- About Lamusia07:39- About Safari Navigator Club08:53- what inspired Lamusia to start Safari navigator Club10:35- Biggest challenges at the start12:45- Product market fit15:07- Network effects for guides and visitors15:47- How is Safari Navigator club different.16:30- The capital raising journey so far 17:10- Business scaling plans19:29- Worst mistakes and lessons 20:22- The best moments so far21:35 - Most important things for a successful start up22:51- how to incorporate passion, purpose and practicallity24:27- long term vision and exit plan25:37- Most exciting trends in start up ecosystem27:19- Founders times capsule28:29- Surprise question30:40- Interesting things of the week32:06- Conclusion and outro
00:00 : Behind the Scenes 3:20 : Intro 4:33 : Who is Sonia? 7:47 : What was MagicBus? 9:03 : What is BuuPass? 10:47 : Why did Sonia choose entrepreneurship? 12:30 : How did you achieve product-market fit? 14:34: What is BuuPass’ moat? 16:30 : BuuPass’ funding journey so far 20:54 : What is the Hult Prize and how does it work? 22:46 : BuuPass’ scaling journey so far 27:05 : Worst mistake / toughest decision as an entrepreneur 29:10 : Most important lesson as an entrepreneur 30:13 : Highest moment in your entrepreneurship journey 31:10 : Three things that are extremely important to the success of a startup 33:37 : Long-term vision / Exit plan 36:22 : Industry and Ecosystem Insights 38:28 : Founders’ Time Capsule 39:24 : Surprise Question 40:36 : Interesting Thing of the Week 48:55 : How to contact Sonia / BuuPass 49:28 : Outro
00:00 - Behind the scenes 3:01 - Introduction 7:21 - About Tukalime and how the idea started 14:34 - Biggest challenges at the start 19:39 - Just show up 20:59 - Were you always an entrepreneur? 23:49 - Identifying product-market fit 30:38 - Raising capital and synergies with investors 41:18 - Scaling the business 44:33 - Toughest decision so far 46:54 - Most important lesson 48:44 - Best moment so far 50:00 - Important factors for success 51:05 - Long term vision and exit strategy 53:21 - Exciting trends 55:14 - Founders' time capsule 57:25 - Surprise question 59:22 - Interesting thing of the week 1:04:58 - Conclusion and outro
00:00 to 2:07: Behind the Scenes2:07 to 4:37: Intro4:37 to 7:06 Ensure you are incorporated / properly structured
7:06 to 11:08: Build a Strong Board
11:08 to 15:48: Clear Decision-Making Structure
15:48 to 21:19: Financial Transparency and Controls
21:19 to 25:00: Risk Management
25:00 to 28:35: Ethics and Compliance
28:35 to 32:54: Regular Communication
32:54 to 35:41: Basic Record Keeping
35:41 to 39:34: Basic Strategic Planning
39:34 to 40:34: Conflict Resolution Mechanism
40:34 to 42:37: Succession Planning
42:37 to 43:41: Simple Performance Metrics
43:41 to 44:58: Customer Relationship Management
44:58 to 45:51: Legal Awareness
45:51 to 46:49: Transparency with Stakeholders
46:49 to 48:06: Focus on Sustainability
48:06 to 55:05: Interesting Thing of the Week
55:05 to 56:20: Outro
0:00 - Behind the Scenes 1:32 - Introduction 2:17 - Defining Corporate Governance 5:03 - Pillars & Principles of Corporate Governance 18:59 - Benefits of Good Corporate Governance 28:44 - Key Participants in Good Corporate Governance 38:20 - Emerging Trends in Corporate Governance 43:20 - Real Life Examples of Poor Corporate Governance 48:54 - Interesting Thing of The Week 55:25 - Conclusion & Outro
0:00 – 1:26: Behind the scenes
1:26 – 2:34: Intro
2:34 – 4:27: About Collins
4:27 – 8:33: About Terra
8:33 – 10:22: What Inspired Collins to Start Terra
10:22 – 14:11: What were the biggest challenges?
14:11 – 16:39: Was Collins always an entrepreneur?
16:39 – 19:30: Product Market Fit
19:30 – 21:56: Fundraising and Investment
21:56 – 24:50: Scaling the business
24:50 – 27:54: Worst Mistake / Toughest Decision
27:54 – 29:07: Most important lesson
29:07 – 31:05: Highlight of your entrepreneurial journey so far
31:05 – 35:15: Three things that are important to the success of a startup
35:15 – 37:02: Exit Plan and Long-term vision
37:02 – 39:18: Industry and Ecosystem Insights
39:18 – 40:54: Founders’ Time Capsule
40:54 – 45:49: Surprise Question
45:49 – 54:14: Interesting Thing of the Week
54:14 – 56:36: Outro
0:00 - Behind the scenes 3:22 - Introduction 6:58 - About the Founder 9:34 - Origins of the idea 14:01 - More about the company 15:12 - How it works 24:54 - The innovative idea 34:01 - Formation of Nala 36:00 - Market testing & MVP 37:49 - Inception and pre-seed funding 39:52 - Incubator / Accelerator funding 42:07 - Seed funding 43:15 - US$ 40M Series A funding 46:57 - How Nala is scaling 47:36 - Current status of the company 50:53 - Interesting thing of the week 56:42 - Conclusion and outro
00:00 : Behind the Scenes 3:45 : Intro 5:17 : Key Trends in Investment Activity 8:29 : Sector Focus 10:58 : Geographic Distribution 12:30 : Investor Confidence and Strategic Moves 14:02 : Significant Investments 18:39 : Startups to Watch 20:04 : Challenges and Opportunities: 28:14 : Interesting Thing of the Week 36:24 : Outro
Welcome to another episode of the Full Scale Podcast. Today, we're continuing with our conversation on due diligence reviews. Don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments section below, and hit that subscribe button to stay tuned for more episodes. 0:00 : Behind the Scenes 4:31 : Introduction 6:00 : What is a legal DD? 11:20 : Areas covered in a legal DD 14:07 : Corporate structure 16:46 : Commercial agreements 20:52 : Employment and labor 22:06 : Intellectual property 26:14 : Regulatory compliance 30:19 : Funding arrangements 34:30 : Litigation 35:40 : Real estate 37:12 : Tax 38:02 : ESG 39:49 : Data protection 42:01 : How to flag issues in a legal DD 45:48 : Mitigating issues identified in a legal DD 52:55 : How to prepare for a legal DD 1:05:51 : Wisdom from the course 1:09:01 : Interesting thing of the week 1:16:32 : Conclusion and outro.
Welcome to another episode of the Full Scale Podcast. Today, we're having a look at due diligence reviews.
Don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments below, and hit that follow button to stay tuned for more episodes.
00:00 : Behind the scenes:
3:15 : Intro
9:35 : What is due diligence?
20:00 : Types of due diligence
25:00 : When does due diligence take place?
46:00 : How does the due diligence process work?
51:50 : Wisdom from the Course
1:01:51 : Interesting Thing of the Week
1:03:34 : Outro
We hope that the above is clear, but please let
Welcome to another episode of the Full Scale Podcast. Today, we're talking about Uber’s $100 million investment in Moove. Don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments below, and hit that subscribe button to stay tuned for more episodes. 00:00 - Behind the scenes: 5:16 - Intro 8:30- Who are the Founders of Moove? 10:21 - Origins of the Idea / What is Moove’s Concept? 14:07- What makes this an innovative idea? 19:54 - What is Moove’s moat? 26:32 - Formation of Moove 27:39 - Product Testing / MVP / Product-Market Fit 30:49 - Bootstrapping / Seed Round: 33:20 - Series A 37:02 - Series A2 40:43 - Unnamed Priced Round 43:20 - Series B 52:06 - Deal Process and Documentation 55:21- Total Funding Raised / Significance of the Deal 57:03 - How is Moove scaling? 1:00:00 - Current Status of Moove’s Business: 1:06:28 - Wisdom from the Course 1:10:58 - Interesting Thing of the Week: 1:15:00 - Outro
Welcome to another episode of the Full Scale Podcast. Today, we're talking about investors. Don't forget to share your thoughts in the comments below, and hit that subscribe button to stay tuned for more episodes. 00:00 - Behind the scenes: 2:49 - Intro 4:36 - What is an Investor? What drives Investors? 11:57 - Different types of Investors 12:34 - Family, Friends and Fools 14:09 - Angel Investors / High Net Worth Individuals 20:42- Venture Capital 24:10 - Private Equity 33:27 - Strategic Investors / Corporate Venture Capital 43:24 - Crowdfunding 51:52 - Incubators, Accelerators and Venture Builders 53:07 - Underlying Investors in PE and VC Funds 55:51 - Institutional Investors 57:30 - Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) 58:27 - Sovereign Wealth Funds 59:48 - High Net Worth Individuals 1:00:12 - Family Offices 1:01:00 - Foundations and Endowments 1:02:13 - Fund-of-funds 1:05:00 - Insights and considerations 1:09:04 - Smart Money vs. Patient Capital 1:13:26 - Understanding the right time to raise capital 1:16:18- Be prepared for due diligence 1:17:01 - Cap table management 1:17:36 - Don’t burn bridges 1:18:19 - Wisdom from the Course 1:22:32 - Interesting Thing of the Week 1:30:36 - Outro
