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First circle capital

Africa, Grand Casablanca, Morocco, Casablanca

Description

First Circle Capital is a prominent venture capital firm based in Casablanca, Morocco, dedicated to fostering the growth of early-stage startups across Africa. The firm primarily targets innovative companies within Morocco and the broader Sub-Saharan African region, focusing on sectors poised for significant disruption and expansion, such as fintech, healthtech, edtech, and e-commerce. Their investment philosophy centers on identifying scalable business models and backing strong, visionary founding teams capable of executing ambitious growth strategies.

The firm specializes in pre-seed and seed-stage investments, providing crucial capital to nascent companies. First Circle Capital's typical initial cheque sizes range from $100,000 to $750,000, demonstrating their commitment to supporting startups through their critical early development phases. Beyond initial funding, the firm also engages in follow-on investments, potentially committing up to $1.5 million to support the continued scaling and success of their portfolio companies. This flexible investment approach allows them to adapt to the evolving needs of high-potential ventures.

First Circle Capital actively seeks to partner with other venture capital firms and angel investors, often participating in co-investment rounds to leverage collective expertise and capital. Their portfolio includes notable African startups like Cloud Fret and DeepEcho, showcasing their diverse investment interests. The firm has also demonstrated a track record of successful exits, such as their investment in WaystoCap, highlighting their ability to identify and nurture companies that achieve significant milestones and generate returns. Their strategic focus on early-stage innovation positions them as a key player in the burgeoning African tech ecosystem, contributing to the development of the continent's entrepreneurial landscape.

Investor Profile

First circle capital has backed more than 22 startups, with 2 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 1 rounds, about 5% of its total and boasts 1 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Pre Seed, Seed, Series Unknown rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in Nigeria, Egypt, United States.
  • Strong thematic focus on Financial Services, FinTech, Payments.
  • Led 1 rounds in the past year.
  • Typical check size: $100K – $750K.

Stage Focus

  • Pre Seed (64%)
  • Seed (32%)
  • Series Unknown (5%)

Country Focus

  • Nigeria (32%)
  • Egypt (23%)
  • United States (23%)
  • Kenya (9%)
  • South Africa (5%)
  • Ghana (5%)
  • Canada (5%)

Industry Focus

  • Financial Services
  • Fintech
  • Payments
  • Finance
  • E-commerce
  • Insurtech
  • Compliance
  • Credit
  • Information Technology
  • Banking
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does First circle capital frequently co-invest with?

UNCOVERED FUND
Asia, Tokyo, Japan, Tokyo
Co-Investments: 2
Kesho Capital
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 2
Y Combinator
North America, California, United States, Mountain View
Co-Investments: 4
MAGIC Fund
North America, California, United States, Los Angeles
Co-Investments: 5
Ingressive Capital
Africa, Lagos, Nigeria, Lagos
Co-Investments: 2
Launch Africa
Africa, Plaines Wilhems, Mauritius, Ebène
Co-Investments: 4
EchoVC Partners
Africa, Lagos, Nigeria, Lagos
Co-Investments: 3
Sunny Side Venture Partners
Asia, Kanagawa, Japan, Shibuya
Co-Investments: 3
Acasia Ventures
Africa, Al Qahirah, Egypt, Cairo
Co-Investments: 2
Future Africa
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 4

Which angels does First circle capital often collaborate with?

MP
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Shared Deals: 1
KD
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
Olugbenga Agboola
Africa, Nigeria
Shared Deals: 1
Babs Ogundeyi
Africa, Lagos, Nigeria, Yaba
Shared Deals: 1
JH
North America, Georgia, United States, Atlanta
Shared Deals: 1
Shared Deals: 1
Abdul Hassan
Africa, Lagos, Nigeria, Lagos
Shared Deals: 1
Yemi Osindero
Africa, Nigeria
Shared Deals: 1
OA
North America, United States
Shared Deals: 1
MA
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1

What are some of recent deals done by First circle capital?

PayTic

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Our SaaS helps card issuers and fintech businesses control risk and compliance through digitizing the payments back-office functions.

ComplianceCustomer ServiceFinancial ServicesFinTechPaymentsProductivity ToolsSaaS
SeedApr 8, 2025
Amount Raised: $4,000,000
Scale

Dover, Delaware, United States

Scale accelerates market entry and revenue for fintechs with a people-first approach.

Digital MarketingFinTechPayments
Pre SeedOct 3, 2024
Amount Raised: $700,000
Orca Fraud

Cape Town, NA - South Africa, South Africa

Africa's first fraud orchestration platform

ComplianceFraud Detection
Pre SeedMay 24, 2024
Amount Raised: $550,000
MNZL

Heliopolis, Al Qahirah, Egypt

Asset-backed financing. Digital access to capital. Tech-enabled credit decisioning.

FinanceFinancial ServicesInformation TechnologySoftwareWeb Development
SeedMay 8, 2024
Amount Raised: $3,500,000
Balad

Cairo, Al Qahirah, Egypt

Balad brings Financial Services to Migrants and their underbanked Families at home.

FinanceFinancial ServicesFinTech
Pre SeedMay 8, 2023
Estafsar

Cairo, Al Qahirah, Egypt

Estafsar is an online insurance directory company.

InsurTech
Pre SeedMay 1, 2023
Amount Raised: $400,000
Pennee

Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria

Pennee solves cash flow problems for small businesses starting with credit financing.

CreditFinanceFinancial Services
Pre SeedApr 11, 2023
Amount Raised: $450,000
Kubik

Nairobi, Nairobi Area, Kenya

Kubik is an environmental technology company that uses plastic waste to make low-carbon, durable, and affordable buildings.

Environmental Engineering
SeedFeb 10, 2023
Amount Raised: $3,340,000
Balad

Cairo, Al Qahirah, Egypt

Balad brings Financial Services to Migrants and their underbanked Families at home.

FinanceFinancial ServicesFinTech
Pre SeedNov 1, 2022
Veend

Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria

Embedded finance infrastructure for Africa

ConsultingCreditFinancial ServicesFinTech
Pre SeedJun 14, 2022
Amount Raised: $330,000