Zeal Capital Partners

Open Capital has 4 main areas of work: Series A and B (fundraising, investment and loans). Distress and Special Situations (refinancing, reconstruction, etc). Turnarounds (reorganization, transformation, etc). Pre-IPOs and Exits (readiness, listings, etc). We provide advice, equity and lending to SMEs and risk-adjusted return for investors. Our aim is to support good quality companies for sustainable growth while protecting our investors and minimizing risk.

Illumen Capital has developed a 10 year bias-reduction program for fund managers, designed to help managers make better decisions, expand their investable landscape, and maximize and protect every dollar invested. We apply cutting-edge research to reduce racial and gender bias, and help our managers identify, evaluate and invest in entrepreneurs who have been overlooked and underestimated. We hold fund managers accountable for investing in and growing the impact companies of the future. We evaluate managers to invest in through a diligence process that emphasizes both impact and financial return. We deliver bias reduction coaching and curriculum to managers, ultimately aimed at driving capital to entrepreneurs - and communities - that have long been overlooked and undervalued. We cultivate a synergistic and robust network of GPs, LPs, consultants and researchers designed to create a learning environment on issues of racial equity and investing.

We bridge the financial and cultural divides that have kept low- and moderate-income people of color on the sidelines of the modern economy. We make early-stage investments in tech-driven businesses that create new frameworks of ownership and opportunity within marginalized communities. We also help our founders get traction with institutional investors, who often don’t have the expertise or lived experience in these communities to appreciate the huge opportunities at hand. We know that investing in social impact does not require sacrificing on financial returns. WHY WE DO THIS WORK “IAF came out of a lifetime of straddling two worlds: the world of Section 8 housing, working-class parents, and public assistance where I grew up, and the world of Wall Street and big business that I came to inhabit. It’s about advancing opportunity for black and brown people through foundational change. It’s about building an economy, a world, where people of color are no longer outsiders - where they truly belong.” - Kesha Cash, Founder & General Partner This is morally imperative. Decades of structural racism and oppression have created a major wealth gap for communities of color - and that gap is growing. We are capable of creating a more just and equitable future for these communities, and so that is what we must do. This is smart investing. Traditional investors chronically undervalue or overlook business opportunities in low- and moderate-income communities. This is about all of us. Economic disenfranchisement impacts everyone, not just those of us at the margins. To thrive as a whole society, we must make real economic participation and agency possible for all people of color - entrepreneurs, consumers, workers, everyone. This is personal. Everyone on our team is a person of color, a woman, or both, and many of us come from the kinds of communities our portfolio companies serve. We know what we are capable of, and we live by this truth: “best-in-class” can’t exist without the whole class present. OUR APPROACH “We want to see institutional changes in how products and services are designed, who designs them, and who they are designed for. If we're building companies and products and solutions that affect a community, that community must be drawn into the decision-making process. Is this an unusual or radical proposition? I don't think so.” - Kaiton Williams, Investor & Cultural Technologist speaking before an audience of global corporate directors We invest primarily from Seed to Series B. We focus on companies that are growing quickly, with demonstrated traction in a $1B+ market, and make investments in the range of $250K to $3M. We also provide bridge funding between rounds when we believe that an influx of capital will help a company weather a storm, make key hires, or negotiate better terms. The inherent impact standard. We look for business models whose potential for success is directly linked to their potential for impact at scale. This means that the forces that drive business success must also contribute to increased ownership, opportunity, or other forms of empowerment. We call this connection "inherent impact," and it’s the standard for the depth and durability of the impact we want to have. Lived experience as a competitive advantage. Our entrepreneurs have direct knowledge of the communities, systems, and problems we want to address. This is not an emotional preference on our part. We've learned that founders with lived experience, rather than an outsider's assumptions, have a deeper sense of urgency and are best-equipped to design products with scale and staying power. Technological innovation with thoughtful constraints. Venture-backed startups often achieve their "hockey stick growth" at the expense of the companies themselves and to the communities they intend to serve. We want ethical, inclusive, and sustainable outcomes, so we look for products and services that are built and scaled with careful constraints and dedication to their workers and customers.

We believe that small and medium businesses (SMEs) have the potential to shape our future and change our world for the better. Our purpose is to unlock growth constraints for progressive entrepreneurs with cutting-edge ideas at the forefront of innovation. We are expert solutionists in small business development. Our passion and expertise in scaling SMEs, combined with an innovative approach to SME development, has earned us an unmatched track-record in creating impact that is both measurable and meaningful. Who We Are We are SME development solutionists co-creating innovative solutions that combat business growth constraints and provide SMEs with market access, skills development and funding. We are architects of empowerment and transformation always progressing and proud of our own transformation journey as an organisation, as well as supporting black-owned businesses and partners to drive job creation, for measurable and meaningful impact. We are seasoned SME supporters with more than 60 years of combined experience in investment, finance, management consulting and entrepreneurship experience. We are proven impact venture and ESD experts with an unmatched track record in designing and implementing one-of-a-kind solutions to scale small and growing businesses, together. We are experienced fund managers who have deployed substantial capital to early-stage SMEs in the non-governmental small business funding space in South Africa. What We BelievePurpose​: We believe in the potential of business as a force for good. Realising this potential requires bringing together passionate people that are bound by a shared purpose; to invest in SMEs that can aid progress towards inclusive and sustainable economic development. Partnership​: We believe that collaboration between SMEs and established businesses is the key to unlocking greater innovation, impact and growth. We achieve this by building purpose-led partnerships that enable shared and sustainable value creation. Pioneering: We believe that small businesses (SMEs) have the potential to shape the future for the better. We are committed to pioneering cutting-edge SME development solutions to unlocking growth constraints for game-changing SMEs. People: We believe that our people are our biggest assets and greatest competitive advantage. We are a diverse team of highly qualified, experienced individuals united in our mission to scale SMEs for impact. Prosperity: We believe in the vision of a prosperous Africa through world-shaping SMEs. We champion positive change by empowering small businesses who are solving complex problems to achieve a prosperous, sustainable and inclusive society. What We Do Economic inequality is everywhere, and despite decades of democracy in South Africa, it’s still home to one of the most unequal societies in the world. We are actively contributing to changing this. SMEs are the single most powerful source of job creation and upliftment. Yet, without help, most fail within the first two years. Our IGNITE solution is designed to combat this, giving SME entrepreneurs the financial support as well as the skills development they need to build a sustainable business that thrives, year after year.

Gazelle Capital launches, advises, and invests in small businesses. Our focus is being a growth catalyst in financial and operational aspects of the business. We support owners throughout the build, grow, scale, and exit processes. Our clients are typically founders and executives of small businesses who are seeking expert advice on fundraising, capital planning, shareholder value enhancement, and exit planning. We make numerous small investments in early-stage companies, rather than a few large investments in later-stage companies. Then we roll up our sleeves to help those companies hit their growth potential. Investing early proves us with an equity stake that mitigates some of the risks involved with investing at this stage. We seek to generate a large enough individual return for the Fund to balance the portfolio’s anticipated losses. We aim to provide our investors with the national average rate of return. 1% for the Community We’re a mission-driven company with a strong belief in not doing it alone. That’s why we donate 1% of our overall revenue to causes that make a healthier, smarter, or cleaner future for our communities. Our Vision Communities strengthened by the thriving companies that grow there. Our Mission We make other company visions a reality. That’s how we see ourselves creating communities anyone can thrive in. What Is a Gazelle Company? “According to the original technical definition, a gazelle company is a high-growth company that has been increasing its revenues by at least 20% annually for four years or more, starting from a revenue base of at least $100,000“ Community Engagement We tend to invest in the communities we live in - or have lived in previously. So it’s important to us to engage there in other ways as well. We help build networks and take part in community-building activities to give back to the places we’ve loved. Philanthropic Efforts 1% of our overall revenue is donated to causes we believe in. We’ve supported Starting Right Now and Skull Games.

Cabra Venture Partners builds and backs early-stage venture funds in DeFi, sustainable tech, and impact-driven innovation. We're the team behind Ñuhu VC, our first DeFi fund currently in development and designed to power the future of open finance. We back founders solving real problems. We want to hear from you, whether you're building the future of decentralized finance, closing the global wealth gap, or empowering communities through sustainable tech. We're in the trenches with you: helping with multi-chain integration, go-to-market strategies, early partnerships, and pitch prep for future rounds. We bring hands-on experience in DeFi, business development, and sustainability to every founder we support. We act as your growth team and strategic advisors, helping turn your vision into traction. Funding Stage: Pre-seed to Seed, with active support from day zero. Verticals We Back: Decentralized Finance, Planet-Positive Tech, and Impactful Innovation. Operators at the Core: We’ve built, scaled, and know what it takes. In It Together: You get operators, strategists, and experts in your corner. Where capital meets conviction and impact multiplies. We partner with LPs and family offices who believe in decentralized technologies, inclusive fintech, and bold entrepreneurs from emerging markets. At Cabra Venture Partners, you get early access to carefully vetted, high-potential opportunities in open financial infrastructure. We don't just share decks. We build long-term partnerships rooted in trust. Curated Deal Flow: Early access to vetted, high-potential opportunities across frontier tech. Trusted Introductions: We connect you with aligned LPs, founders & co-investors we genuinely believe in. Conviction Sharing: We put our voice, network, and time behind every founder we back. Multiplied Impact: Investments that deliver returns, equity, and systemic value at a global scale.