Velocity Capital has announced the launch of its $120M FinTech Ventures Fund dedicated to backing early-stage FinTech companies spanning Europe, Africa, North America & beyond, that advance how people, businesses, and financial institutions grow economic opportunity.
“At Velocity, we are interested in funding founders who demonstrate a vision for applying FinTech to improve the human experience, the tenacity to make it a reality no matter what, and a business model that is already showing traction,” said Willem Willemstein, general partner & founder of Velocity Capital. “This founder-first approach is something we strongly believe in and one that has always served us well.”
Because Velocity’s partners have been founders, CEOs, and operators of companies in highly regulated B2B and B2C industries, they offer their portfolio companies the experience and know-how to help navigate those complex landscapes. Joining Willemstein in the management of the fund are FinTech venture capital veteran Allard Luchsinger and former FinTech founder and CEO Don Montanaro.
Velocity’s FinTech Venture Fund already includes a portfolio of innovative companies transitioned from Velocity Capital Private Equity that addresses major barriers and inefficiencies in banking, credit, payment, insurance, money management, and investing. The firm is looking to round out its evergreen fund with new breakthrough solutions in these and other high-growth FinTech areas.
“While we seek fast growth where possible, we also recognize the realities of business and have structured our fund differently to have the capacity to be patient,” added Willemstein. “We care more about preparing and supporting our founders to run big companies than about a ticking clock.”
This is a welcome development especially for Sub-Saharan Africa where there is a large unbanked population. However, the efforts of fintechs are paying off. According to the International Monetary Fund, sub-Saharan Africa is the only region in the world where close to 10 per cent of GDP in transactions occur through mobile money. This compares with just 7 per cent of GDP in Asia and less than 2 per cent of GDP in other regions.
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