The Botswana Tech Fund (BTF) has introduced a multi-phase venture capital programme targeting about $64 million in total funding commitments, with the goal of speeding up digital transformation and strengthening technology entrepreneurship across Southern Africa.
Built around Botswana’s relatively stable economic environment, strong governance systems, and internet penetration estimated at roughly 80%, the fund is designed to back scalable, tech-driven businesses. It also aligns itself with the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a 16-country regional bloc with more than 370 million people, which the fund identifies as a major opportunity for cross-border scale.
Structured as a partnership between venture capital firms and family office investors, BTF brings together multiple key players. Launch Africa Ventures will serve as investment adviser for Phase One through its managed accounts model, while Pula Investments acts as the anchor investor. The leadership team includes Martin Davis, Managing Partner and former CEO of FTSE 250-listed Molten Ventures, alongside Florence Bavanandan, General Partner and Head of Platform and Operations at Launch Africa Ventures.
A two-phase investment strategy underpins the fund’s rollout, supporting startups from pre-seed to expansion stages. The initial phase will deploy around $6.4 million, with approximately $1.3 million allocated to early-stage founders, as well as two to four growth-stage deals covering both primary and secondary investments. The broader ambition is to reach the full $64 million target, positioning BTF as a key provider of early and growth capital in the region.
BTF’s investment thesis highlights Southern Africa as a region undergoing a critical digital shift, while still facing a significant funding gap, especially in digital infrastructure and application-layer technologies.
With its relatively strong governance reputation, Botswana is viewed as a favourable base for structured venture capital activity, with plans to scale investments across the wider SADC market.
To improve pipeline access and strengthen ecosystem linkages, the fund has partnered with the Botswana Innovation Hub. The collaboration will give portfolio companies access to office infrastructure, local startup pipelines, and integration into the country’s innovation ecosystem.
Operational expertise is also supported by Launch Africa Ventures, whose portfolio has helped scale startups that together have reached over $3 billion in combined valuation.
Backers of the fund say the approach blends local market access with institutional-grade venture investing, as competition for early-stage African tech deals continues to intensify among both regional and global investors.