Eunice Ajim’s entrepreneurial journey began in Cameroon, where she was born and raised. Like many young Africans, she dreamed of opportunities beyond her homeland. In 2011, she moved to the United States of America, hoping to build a better future. A deep interest in technology and entrepreneurship shaped her early years there. So, she built and sold multiple businesses, gaining the knowledge necessary to scale a company.
Over time, she noticed that access to funding was a critical challenge for entrepreneurs, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. Ajim knew that African founders were just as innovative and ambitious as their counterparts in the West, but they lacked the financial backing to scale their ideas.
Therefore, she moved to immerse herself in the world of venture capital. She studied investment strategies, built relationships with investors, and analysed thriving startup ecosystems.
After years of preparation, she officially launched Ajim Capital in January 2022, a venture capital (VC) firm dedicated to funding early-stage African startups. The VC’s approach was different from that of traditional venture capital firms.
Instead of waiting for proven successes, the firm set out an initial fund of $10 million to invest in African tech startups at the pre-seed to seed stages, offering Capital allocations ranging from $25,000 to $150,000.
Ajim Capital empowers entrepreneurs to scale their businesses without worrying about funding constraints. It focuses on industries like fintech, logistics, e-commerce, and health tech, which are crucial to Africa’s economic growth.
Within its first year, the firm invested in eight promising startups, including Raenest, TruQ, Collect Africa, BuuPass, Daba Finance, and Clafiya. These startups quickly made waves in the African tech ecosystem, attracting more investors and follow-on funding. These notable results validated Ajim’s belief that African startups could thrive globally with proper support. In less than two years, she was recognised as a leading figure in African venture capital.
In 2022, she received Business Insider Africa’s Serial Entrepreneur of the Year Award for impacting the startup ecosystem. She also launched the “Live The African Dream” podcast, where investors and entrepreneurs discuss Africa’s future.
Ajim has been involved in several entrepreneurial ventures that have significantly contributed to her impact story. Before founding Ajim Capital, she launched DataGig in 2017, an online marketplace that connects data scientists with small to medium-sized businesses seeking expertise in data projects.
Following her experience with DataGig, Eunice Ajim co-founded OpenTeams, an online marketplace facilitating connections between users of open-source software and service providers.
Through Ajim Capital, Eunice Ajim continues to invest in startups, helping them to nurture their visions and ensuring they stand tall on the global stage.
