2017 saw a record $560 million invested in African tech companies, a 53% year on year increase from 2016. Despite this, many African companies still struggle with unfavourable deal terms, inexperienced investors and a lack of resources to help them identify the right investor for their business.

In this two-part masterclass, we will help unpack the investment process, from planning your investment roadmap, through closing the final deal. We will explore which businesses are likely to benefit from risk capital and what you should look for in a prospective investment partner. This event is ideal for companies looking to raise seed, series A or series B.

The first session will be in conversation with Andrea Böhmert, a Partner at Knife Capital, one of South Africa's leading VCs. With more than 14 years experience investing in South Africa's leading tech companies, Andrea will share her tips for ensuring startups better understand the VC-startup relationship, what to look for and what good looks like.

The second session will examine the legal perspective. We will bring one of our legal partners to discuss the negotiation process, legal requirements and how to ensure your company is investment ready.

We recommend you attend both sessions.

Session 1: Andrea Böhmert

1) An overview of the funding landscape in South Africa

2) Knife Capital's investment strategy

3) What is typically expected of a company before making an investment, including founders, revenue, structure, forecasts and business plan

4) What the terms of a Knife Capital investment typically look like and what founders should expect from the due diligence process

5) Why Knife Capital is an excellent investment partner