Ep. 51: Leading an African VC Fund Focused on Early Investments w/ Toni Campbell of Kinfolk VC

In this episode, you will be able to discover the untapped potential of African fintech startups and how to capitalize on these emerging opportunities. Gain insights into the unique challenges that African entrepreneurs face and how venture capital can help navigate and overcome them. Key moments: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:04:22 - Tony's Journey from Africa to the US 00:06:51 - Formative Experiences at Bessemer Venture Partners 00:10:50 - Kinfolk VC Investment Thesis and Impact 00:13:52 - State of Innovation in Africa 00:18:12 - Impact Investing 00:22:06 - Supporting Small Businesses 00:25:00 - Focus on B2B Software 00:27:41 - VC Perspectives 00:32:06 - Diversifying Risk 00:32:45 - Venture Backable Businesses 00:33:29 - Audience Engagement 00:34:15 - Conclusion and Future Opportunities Guest Bio: Toni Campbell serves as a General Partner at Kinfolk Venture Capital, a fund focused on Africa and headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. This fund specializes in pre-seed and seed-stage investments, targeting companies led by the continent's burgeoning technology entrepreneurs. A native of Nigeria, Campbell later relocated to the U.S., where he nurtured a dedication to extending the principles of the "American Dream" to everyone, particularly the upcoming generation of African entrepreneurs. Prior to founding Kinfolk, he accumulated experience at notable investment firms, including Bessemer Venture Partners and Arcadia Funds, investing in and collaborating with a wide array of portfolio companies throughout North America, Western Europe, and Africa. A Harvard University alumnus, Toni holds a BA in Social Studies and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Beyond his professional pursuits, he has a passion for contemporary African art and harbors a lifelong ambition to try out for the Nigerian National Football Team. Guest Links: Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/oluwatonic Twitter: twitter.com/oluwatonic Instagram: instagram.com/oluwatonic Kinfolk VC Website: https://kinfolk.vc/ About VibeCast VibeCast is our weekly informational podcast and content series exploring the hottest topics in drug development and Web3 with some of the dynamic people that make up the Vibe community. VibeCast is a collection of long-form and short-form video content intended to help our community learn about the current opportunities and challenges in biotech fundraising and community engagement innovation. Guests include biotech founders, regulatory experts, drug development executives, investors, web3 community builders, patient community advocates, and many other Vibe Bio community members seeking to accelerate the development of breakthrough treatments. Follow Vibe Bio's Socials: https://twitter.com/VibeBio https://www.linkedin.com/company/vibe-bio/ https://www.instagram.com/vibebiotechnology/ https://www.tiktok.com/@vibebio https://www.facebook.com/VibeBiotechnology/ Disclaimer: VibeCast is intended to be used for educational and entertainment purposes, and no information or opinions shared constitute advice or services. While guests are invited to listen, listeners acknowledge they are not being provided professional advice from the podcast or the guests. The podcast is for private non-commercial use and the statements of our guests reflect their personal views only and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any agency, organization, or company that they work for or are affiliated with.