Novel Capital

We aim to back the next wave of founders building the tools and platforms that will facilitate the shift from analogue to digital practices. We have a long and successful track record of investing in founders and companies providing highly scalable, digital technology solutions. We cultivate enduring partnerships with founders, providing early-stage investment from the inception of a mere concept on paper and offering comprehensive support throughout every phase of growth. This support goes beyond funding, encompassing genuine humility and hands-on assistance for both founders and their teams. About 1818 1818 is an innovative Venture Capital firm focused on early and growth stage digital technology companies. Typically, we are amongst the first to invest, and we always personally invest in everything we do. We partner with companies that have significant growth potential, and founders who have the vision, determination and commitment to achieve it. Providing capital is the first step of what we do. With a team comprised of entrepreneurial and motivated individuals, we serve an active role in our portfolio companies to ensure each business thrives to deliver the best possible results for our investors. Founded by a Serial Entrepreneur 1818 Venture Capital was founded in 2012 by Richard Avery-Wright, a highly accomplished and successful serial entrepreneur. Following in the footsteps of his ancestors who pioneered the Avery weighing scales in 1818, Richard has founded and co-founded several businesses himself. Among his notable ventures are Pie Funds Management, RAW Capital Partners, Castle Point Funds Management, Wealthify, and his latest endeavour, 1818 Venture Capital. The clients of 1818 Venture Capital reaped the rewards of Wealthify's successful exit, which resulted in a 22.5X return. Why 1818? Founded by entrepreneurs: Our team and network consists of highly accomplished entrepreneurs, enabling us to possess a deep understanding of nurturing and expanding early-stage companies. Alignment with investors: 1818 personally invest in every single investment opportunity offered to our investor base (and on the exact same investment terms), ensuring alignment and confidence in our selection process. Unparalleled investment standards: Our process allows us to meet with over 1000 Founders a year, yet we only typically invest in 10-15 new businesses per year, thus our bar for investment is extremely high. Empowering diverse founders: Our focus lies on supporting underrepresented founders and businesses with a positive social purpose. We believe that purpose-driven founders are more engaged and motivated and are therefore more likely to succeed compared to purely profit-focused ones. Competitive fee structure: Our fees are simple and highly competitive and we do not charge an annual management fee. Instead, we charge a one-time 5% fee upon entry, which covers the life of the discretionary managed account. A typical fund would charge 2% per annum over the 10-year life of the fund. Exposure to 'winners': Our venture portfolios exhibit a high level of diversity. They provide exposure to both promising new investments and what we believe are existing 'winners' (1818 portfolio companies that are experiencing exceptional growth). This helps establish a well-balanced risk profile and a diverse range of investment exposure.

Where visionary founders meet strategic capital. Initio Capital combines venture building expertise with strategic capital access, empowering founders to build, launch, and scale with confidence. Building a Startup Shouldn't Be This Hard Most founders face the same painful challenges that drain time, money, and energy - keeping them from focusing on what really matters: building their product and serving customers. 💸 Giving Up Too Much Equity Traditional funding forces founders to give up 20-40% equity early, losing control of their vision and future decisions. ⏰ Wasting Time on Non-Core Tasks Founders spend 70% of their time on operations, legal setup, hiring, and admin instead of product development and customer acquisition. 🏝️ Building in Isolation Without proper guidance and network, founders make costly mistakes that could be avoided with the right mentorship and community support. Everything You Need to Scale Without Giving Up Control Initio Capital provides continuous support, non-dilutive capital, and a proven operator network - all designed to help you build, launch, and scale faster while maintaining ownership. Non-Dilutive Capital First Access grants, revenue-based financing, and 0% interest credit lines before considering equity - preserving your ownership and control. Done-For-You Operations Our team handles automation, sales, hiring, finance, and product development - so you can focus on strategy and growth. Elite Founder Network Join a curated community of serious founders, proven operators, and 6,000+ investors - all committed to your success.

We, the passionate founders of Velocity Africa, embarked on this journey with a deep-rooted understanding of the challenges and opportunities that startups face. Having walked the entrepreneurial path ourselves, we know the value of not just financial backing but also strategic guidance, invaluable insights, and a supportive network of like-minded visionaries. Our vision is to empower aspiring founders on the African continent and beyond. We are driven by an unwavering commitment to excellence and a shared mission to be early investors in some of the most significant companies in Africa. Through strategic funding, we identify and nurture high-potential ventures, fostering a culture of trust and transparency in our relationships with founders and fellow investors. Our passion for empowering Africa’s giants and shaping a thriving entrepreneurial landscape has borne fruit. With over 50 successful investments and a combined valuation of over $200 million, we have become a catalyst for transformative growth, innovation, and progress. As we continue to unlock the potential of a new generation of trailblazers, our impact reaches across borders and industries. Our story is one of empowering Africa’s visionaries, creating a lasting legacy that will leave a positive impact on generations to come. Our Vision To be the driving force behind the success and growth of groundbreaking startups in Africa and beyond, shaping a future of progress and positive change. Our Mission To empower and support aspiring founders by providing strategic funding, invaluable insights, and a supportive network, fostering a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem that fuels innovation and transforms industries. Value Proposition $10,000 - $50,000 Cheques: We also provide additional follow-on funding $100,000 in credit line available: Non dilutive financing for revenue generating startups 50+ Industry Mentors Available: Build alongside other founders who have gone ahead. 48 Hours Decision Time: We do not want to waste your time

We help and invest in entrepreneurs from diverse underrepresented communities go from 0-10 via pre-seed funding, pre-accelerator support, and early talent matching/team building.

Back in the old days (i.e. 10+ years ago), software was an industry unto itself, headquartered in Silicon Valley. These days, software is everywhere. As has been said, software is eating the world. Put another way, it is eating every industry, one at a time. And those industries are almost all located outside Silicon Valley. Today, the skills of software-based disruption also now exist outside Silicon Valley. And we invest in the companies that are doing it. We don’t really care if you’ve never even been to Silicon Valley. It’s ok, because we have. We spent most of our careers there as entrepreneurs, senior executives and investors doing it the old way. So, we can help. We can lead you through the idiosyncrasies and minefields of starting, scaling and fundraising for your company. You don’t need to be a Silicon Valley insider anymore to start and scale a company. And, we’re here to help. Learn more about Blue Collar VC.

Venture capital is living in a bygone era. Our industry uses its capital to fund disruption but, ironically, has done little work to disrupt itself. Hierarchy and homogeneous networks still dominate. Affiliated wealth creation is limited to closed networks of people. And the “game” is played with “rules” that don’t best serve founders. We know that having a diversity of perspectives leads to better outcomes. Organizations need to hear from enough vantage points to make the most informed decisions. And democratizing access to wealth creation broadens influence to a less uniform group. A change is far overdue.