From its base in Giza, Egypt, Sawari Ventures has spent the past decade and a half shaping North Africa’s innovation economy. Established in 2010 and actively investing with a team of 15 professionals, the venture capital firm manages $70 million across two vehicles while backing over 20 startups to date. With ticket sizes ranging from $250,000 to $5 million, Sawari operates at the crucial early and growth inflection points, concentrating on Seed through Series B rounds to help founders scale disciplined, durable companies.
Investment Focus and Strategy
Sawari’s thesis is straightforward and regionally grounded: back knowledge- and innovation-led technology startups in North Africa and help them scale through active support, strong governance, and ESG practices. The firm targets sectors where digitization and infrastructure gaps present outsized opportunities, including consumer internet, fintech, edtech, healthtech, deeptech, and e-commerce with enabling infrastructure. Its approach blends selective seed participation with a primary emphasis on Series A and B, positioning the firm as a consistent partner from product-market fit through operational scale.
Portfolio and Track Record
The firm’s portfolio spans some of the region’s most recognizable technology brands. Notable companies include Swvl, MoneyFellows, Instabug, Si-Ware, Almentor, and Elves, businesses that collectively reflect Sawari’s tilt toward platforms, productivity tools, and market-making infrastructure. Sawari also points to concrete liquidity outcomes: Kngine’s acquisition by Samsung underscores its early conviction in AI-enabled search, Fatura’s sale to Tanmeyah (EFG Hermes’ microfinance arm) highlights disciplined B2B fintech execution, and Swvl’s public listing via a NASDAQ SPAC demonstrates the firm’s willingness to support Egyptian founders onto global capital markets. These milestones, achieved from a North African headquarters, have helped establish Sawari as a regional bellwether for venture outcomes.
Leadership Bench
Sawari’s leadership combines deep venture experience with ecosystem-building credentials. Founder and Chairman Ahmed El Alfi has spent more than 30 years as an early-stage and growth investor, previously founding Hybrid Capital Partners and later catalyzing multiple pillars of the region’s startup fabric—Flat6Labs, Nafham, and The GrEEK Campus. Managing Partner and co-founder Hany Al-Sonbaty brings over two decades in private equity and venture capital, having led TMT investments at EFG-Hermes Private Equity, launched Ideavelopers, and managed Horus III, a general fund exceeding $500 million in portfolio size. Rounding out the team, ESG & Impact Partner Jennifer Schoeberlein leads integration of ESG in the investment process, while CFO Dalia ElMohamady applies public-company rigor from her prior finance leadership roles, including at Swvl.
ESG and Impact
ESG is embedded across Sawari’s investment lifecycle, from diligence to portfolio support and reporting. Earlier this year, Sawari Ventures Africa Fund II received a Gold rating in BlueMark’s Fund Impact Diagnostic assessment, recognizing alignment with global best practices across impact strategy, governance, and management. “We’re incredibly proud of this achievement,” said Schoeberlein, noting that the rating validates years of work to integrate and drive impact across the portfolio and reflects a sustained commitment to creating sustainable value.
Cross-Border Ambitions and New Fund Plans
While the firm will continue backing Series A and B companies with selective seed exposure, sector priorities will expand to include climate and agri-tech alongside core focus areas such as fintech, deeptech, edtech, and healthtech. Complementing these plans, a new partnership with Bpifrance and Flat6Labs aims to strengthen cross-continental collaboration, supporting growth-stage firms with co-investment, resources, and networks while easing European entry for African startups and enabling R&D bridges into France.
With disciplined capital, active governance, and a clear ESG orientation, Sawari Ventures has emerged as a cornerstone investor for North African technology. Its record of recognizable portfolio brands, credible exits, and ecosystem-level partnerships positions the firm to deploy larger checks across a broader geography. As Sawari readies its next fund and deepens European ties, the Giza-headquartered investor looks set to continue channeling innovation from Egypt into regional and global markets.