Re-introducing Ventures Platform: Our Rebranding Story

We have always been firm believers in the power of innovation as a catalyst for prosperity across the African continent. Throughout the years, we've been dedicated and also fortunate to partner and support some of the leading startups in Africa, providing capital and catalytic support to visionary founders, and cultivating a thriving ecosystem of creativity and innovation.

As we grew, our markets and verticals expanded organically. We took up new challenges that have allowed us to expand beyond our roots in writing single cheques to now fueling multiple funding rounds, becoming an even stronger pillar for our founders and a more robust support system for their ventures. This is particularly important given the turbulent economic situation around the world and an equally challenging funding climate. We decided to give our firm a fresh look; one that fully reflects who we have become and conveys our evolving story in these times. 

With clarity as to who we are, the role we must play and where we are headed, we sought the expertise of an external design team, FourthCanvas, to lead our rebranding efforts without losing any of the value our existing brand had acquired over the years. The results are astonishing: 

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The Logo 

Our icon is a whimsical representation of a V and P; with a slightly hidden imagery of a catapult and an abstracted African Map. When we choose a startup to fund, it’s beyond seeking a return, it’s a flexible bond being built, acting as a catalyst for the business, throughout its lifecycle. It is a symbol of our commitment to propelling the next generation of market-creating innovations and mission-driven founders building the future of Africa. It's not just a logo; it's a reflection of who we are and where we're headed.

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Our Colours 

The palette is a mixture of warmth, calm and drive. The deep toned blues reflect our unobtrusive support, and the yellow depicts how we strike gold with every founder we fund. These colours are deeply rooted in our founder-first approach. 

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Allied Lines  

The VP Allied Lines are spun off our logo icon; a flipped version and a tweaked version of the icon. They were crafted to afford us a range of expressions; from enlarging to flipping and even rotating. The two lines cross each other, and allows a loop to show depicting the collaboration between us and the founders in our portfolio companies.

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Typography

Ambit is a font of distinction and character, embodying the spirit of Ventures Platform. This unique sans serif typeface draws inspiration from the early grotesque styles, infusing them with a modern twist perfectly suited for the 21st century and our maturing startup ecosystem. Ambit's curly "f," "r," and "k" stand out as its most striking features.

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Our Website

After redesigning our new logo and updating our colour scheme, we knew our web presence needed to keep up. Research on website design trends and user experiences led us to imagine a new way of showcasing our digital platform. The goal was clear: to create a website that fully communicates who we are, how we have evolved and the unwavering support we offer to founders. 

In the process, we didn't just refresh the style; we undertook a comprehensive transformation, reinventing every facet of our website. The result is a web platform that is not only more visually engaging but also offers a vastly improved user experience that has one main call to action: discovering new startups to partner with as we build a more prosperous future in Africa. We've integrated our new colour scheme, logo, and overall tone to reflect the essence of our new identity that serves to invigorate our singular mission of prosperity in Africa.

Beyond aesthetics, we've carefully honed our website copies, ensuring that it is consistent in conveying our updated tone of voice around our thesis of market-creating innovations that democratise prosperity. This evolution is not just about our image; it's about ensuring that every interaction with our platform depicts the changes that underscore the new us.

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A New VP

Through all these changes, we have retained the same essence that allowed us to gain the trust of 80+ companies and empower the dreams of 140+ visionary founders with follow-on capital exceeding $1 billion. Our mission to drive innovation, growth, and prosperity remains as strong as ever, with a team of talented operator-investors.

We've amplified our capacity to support more startups and back our most promising ones to a greater extent. Our investments that were primarily directed towards early-stage investments, often capped at a maximum of $100,000 per company, have now evolved to initial cheques of up to $1 million as well as  multiple funding rounds. 

Our belief in identifying winners before they fully emerge remains unchanged. What has transformed is our ability not only to spot and provide them with their first cheque but also to stand by them and support their journey well beyond that initial stage.

Our journey has formed bonds that are not only strong but resilient, bonds that transcend industries and ignite possibilities. We are on a path where expertise, excellence, and, above all, exceptional individuals meet to tackle the unique challenges of Africa's promising future.

Welcome to a new era where innovation knows no bounds.

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