Askya Investment Partners Research
Investment Thesis
Askya Investment Partners is a seed-stage fund for African technology and AI companies. Its stated mission is to help entrepreneurs build generational tech and AI companies from Africa, which the firm internally calls "tech Dangotes": businesses built to last decades rather than to flip. Founder Babacar Seck frames AI as a productivity tool for energy, healthcare, industrialisation and economic inclusion. The firm splits its interest into two blocks. The first is the AI stack, such as voice AI in African languages. The second is AI for the real economy, meaning small models applied to structured data at scale, for example energy optimisation for industrial users in Nigeria and AI-based fraud detection in health insurance.
Stage Focus
Seed. The firm backs a small number of founders early in their journey. Its AI Growth Platform accepts African-founded, Africa-based companies with full-time founders, a working product and first customers, up to the pre-Series A stage. Idea-stage companies are excluded.
Check Size
No published range. The AI Growth Platform commits a minimum of $200,000 to at least one of ten participating companies, with terms set case by case. The firm says it may invest in several. Askya has also participated as a co-investor in larger rounds, such as Satlyt's $8M seed.
Lead Tendency
Mixed. The firm presents itself as a long-term partner to a small number of founders. Its most visible recent deal, Satlyt, was led by non sibi ventures with Askya participating, so lead tendency is recorded as unknown.
Recent Activity
- October 2026: participated in Satlyt's $8M seed, led by non sibi ventures, alongside AXIAN Investment.
- August 2026: announced the AI Growth Platform, a six-week programme for ten African AI startups with at least $200K committed to one participant, run with Deep Learning Indaba.
- 2026: Seck spoke at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali and appeared at the FT Africa Summit and SuperReturn Emerging Markets.
Portfolio Highlights
The site lists three companies: Wakatoon, Socium and Chargel. Satlyt, a space-tech startup building virtual AI data centres, is a recent addition via the seed round. Seck's earlier work at Proparco and Digital Africa touched nearly 20 startups including Moniepoint, Jumia, GoMyCode and Complete Farmer. The firm reports more than $120M of profits returned to investors from those investments, including one NYSE listing. Those were prior employer investments, not Askya's.
Team
- Babacar Seck, Founder & Managing Partner. Founded Askya in 2024. Former CEO of Digital Africa, founding member of Proparco's venture arm, and in the Office of the Chairman & CEO at AXA.
- Yinka Osoba, joined 2025. 13 years at Standard Bank leading venture capital investments and equity capital markets for Nigeria. Former White & Case solicitor.
- Julien Gafarou, joined 2025. Nearly a decade at Toniic leading investment research and investor engagement. Focus on French-speaking markets and investor relations.
- Tamilore Akapo, joined 2025. Previously an investor at Platform Capital, Octerra and Founders Factory Africa.
Decision Process
Not published. A small team led by one founding managing partner, so decisions likely run through Seck.
Founder Preferences
African-founded, Africa-based, full-time founders with a working product and early customers. Askya tests four things: a real and significant customer problem, a product meaningfully better than the alternatives given what African customers value, a team able to build it, and above all long-term commitment to the problem. It is explicitly not looking for founders chasing a quick investment and exit.
Geographic Focus
Africa, across Anglophone and Francophone markets. Nigeria is a named focus for Osoba, and French-speaking markets for Gafarou. Satlyt has its African headquarters in Nairobi.
Value Add
The firm leans on operator coaching, masterclasses and introductions to telcos, banks and technology corporates. Seck says the cheque is secondary to access to builders and operators founders could not otherwise reach.