Carbon isn’t the problem. It’s just in the wrong place

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Beginnings are hard. Launching and scaling a startup is even harder. That overwhelming feeling when you face the unknown - the ideas buzzing in your head, the fear, the excitement…I know it well. That’s why I’m launching this space.

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Deals & Close Ups 🤑🤑

Tanzania Impact Investment Forum 2025 (TIIF 2025)

This week, Tanzania i buzzing with energy at the Tanzania Impact Investment Forum 2025 (TIIF) — a powerful two-day event hosted by the Embassy of Switzerland in Tanzania at Johari Rotana Hotel, Dar es Salaam (April 28–29).

TIIF brought together a high-caliber mix of investors, policymakers, high-impact startups, and ecosystem enablers — all focused on one mission: to catalyze sustainable innovation through capital.

🌍 Why It Matters

Impact investing isn’t just a buzzword — it's a rising force in how Africa can build solutions that are profitable and socially transformative. Forums like TIIF put Tanzania on the map as a serious player.

🤝 Who Was in the Room?

Alpha Mufundi — actively championing local deals and grassroots innovation

VC4A — spotlighting early-stage ventures and supporting founders

iGravity — driving global capital into scalable African solutions

dozens of startups pitching, networking, and closing major partnerships behind the scenes

💥 What’s Next?

We’re still gathering the final tally of deals closed and MoUs signed, but early signals are strong: real capital is moving. For founders, this is a reminder — get pitch-ready. These forums are no longer for “later”—they’re for now.

Want to meet some of the startups who pitched? Stay tuned for our Founder Spotlights next week.

Fluent Ventures Launches $40M Fund Backing Emerging Markets

San Francisco-based early-stage venture capital firm Fluent Ventures has launched a $40 million fund aimed at betting on bold startup ideas born outside Silicon Valley — and Africa is firmly on their radar.

🧠 Founded in 2023 by Alexandre Lazarow (formerly of Omidyar Network and Cathay Innovation), Fluent Ventures is backing local adaptations of globally proven models across fintech, digital health, and commerce in emerging markets.

🌍 Their Focus:

• Regions: Africa, Latin America (LatAm), MENA, Southeast Asia, and select U.S. markets

• Check size: $250K–$2M

• Stage: From pre-seed to Series A

• Expected investments: 22–25 startups

📌 Notable Portfolio Companies:

• 🇲🇽 Minu – Employee wellness

• 🇳🇬 Sabi – B2B commerce

• 🇧🇷 Prima – Industrial marketplace

• 🇺🇸 Baton – SMB M&A

🦄 Backed by Unicorn Builders:

Fluent’s LPs include over 75 unicorn founders and VCs, such as:

• David Vélez (Nubank)

• Nick Nash (Sea Group)

• Akshay Garg (Kredivo)

With $30B+ in enterprise value created across past portfolios and 7 unicorns under his belt, Lazarow brings serious credibility to this emerging markets thesis.

Startup Spotlight 🌟🌟

Carbon isn’t the problem. It’s just in the wrong place

Meet Dark Earth Carbon, a fast-growing Tanzanian climate-tech startup turning a global problem into a local solution. Their mission? Return carbon to where it’s needed “the soil”.

🔄 What They Do???

Using industrial rotary kiln pyrolysis technology, Dark Earth Carbon transforms agricultural waste into biochar — a carbon-rich soil additive that locks carbon away while revitalizing degraded African soils.

🌱 Why It Matters ???

In tropical Africa, soils are often nutrient-poor due to heavy weathering and slash-and-burn practices. Dark Earth Carbon works directly with smallholder farmers, buying their agricultural waste and converting it into a resource that:

• Improves soil fertility

• Enhances drought resistance

• Boosts crop yields

• Strengthens food security

📈 Sustainable + Scalable

Africa’s climate offers some of the fastest-growing biomass on Earth, making it a prime region for cost-effective carbon removal. Dark Earth Carbon’s modular site design allows them to scale smartly and support local economies — all while tackling climate change.

💼 The Bigger Picture

This isn’t just carbon removal — it’s a climate-smart agricultural movement. With each reactor built, more farmers benefit, more carbon is locked away, and more economic opportunity is created.

🌍 Learn more

Community Highlights 🔥🔥

TSA Report Now Live

Tanzania Startup Ecosystem Status Report 2024 is officially out

📊 What’s Inside:

• Strategic insights into Tanzania’s innovation ecosystem

• Deep dives into emerging sectors

• A clear picture of startup funding trends and gaps

• Opportunities for investors, enablers, and founders to plug in

  Whether you’re building, funding, or supporting startups in Tanzania — this report is a must-read.

📥 [Download the report]

📎 We’ve attached key infographics below to give you a quick visual snapshot of what’s happening across the ecosystem.

🚀 Let’s use this data to build smarter, grow stronger, and shape the future of innovation in Tanzania.

🏆 Reader of the Week

Recognition and Achievements:

• 🏆 Y Combinator Backed: Selected to join Y Combinator(W20), one of the world’s top startup accelerators.

• 📊 Embedded Finance Pioneers: Ramani is now unlocking working capital for small retailers across East Africa, helping bridge the region’s $180–$360B financing gap.

• 💼 Industry Thought Leaders: Calvin Usiri was listed as Forbes30Under30 Class of 2023.

Till Next Time

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