Early Stage Venture Capital in Emerging Markets : Case study Kenya

Abstract: This study investigates which mechanisms that needs to be improved in order to facilitate more early stage venture capital (VC) investments on emerging markets. For this purpose a qualitative case study of the VC scene in Nairobi, Kenya was performed. The study has a 'best-practice' viewpoint aiming to provide insights to venture capitalists on how to operate within the Kenyan startup scene. The empirical findings of the case study indicate that the region is still an untapped market for VC investments, partly as a result of an equity gap towards early stage startups. The success stories of mobile money transfer startup M-Pesa and information crowdsourcing startup Ushahidi ignited the Nairobi startup scene in 2008 and enabled the city to become the startup hub of East Africa. M-Pesa has not only demonstrated that it is possible to develop highly successful tech companies but also created a payment infrastructure that facilitates for future startups. In light of this, Kenya presents an interesting case study, as the market poses opportunities as well as challenges. Our result indicates that the present equity gap hampers early stage VC and is derived from a lack of experience and knowledge from investor’s and entrepreneurs. In conclusion, the entire "ecosystem" needs to be aligned in order to diminish the gap; VC’s must adopt a more hands on approach in their investment strategy, entrepreneurs need a global mindset, development financial institutions (DFIs) and private equity (PE) funds should act more catalytic in early stage rounds and governmental entities should focus on enhancing entrepreneurial education and the overall economic performance. These alignments will in the long run lead to a more effective startup and VC scene and should be applicable on similar markets. However, specific adjustments for the subject market should always be considered before implemented.