First Circle — Investment Thesis & Preferences

First Circle Capital Research

Investment Thesis

First Circle Capital is an Africa-focused venture capital fund dedicated to seeding the next generation of fintech leaders across the continent. Founded in 2021 by Selma Ribica and Agnes Aistleitner Kisuule, the fund is built on the principle of supporting entrepreneurs through not just capital, but operational expertise and deep industry networks.

The fund invests in FinTech founders on a mission to shape the future of Africa, with a particular focus on building transformational companies that improve financial inclusion and access to financial services across the continent. Their investment thesis emphasizes that the FinTech revolution in Africa has significant potential for positive social and economic impact by removing barriers to financial access and stimulating economic growth.

Investment Focus & Sector Strategy

First Circle Capital targets five primary fintech subsectors:

FinTech SaaS - Software-as-a-Service solutions for financial services
InsurTech - Digital insurance solutions for underserved African markets
Alternative Lending Models - Including earned wage access (EWA), BNPL (buy now pay later), and SME financing
Interoperability & Infrastructure - Critical infrastructure enabling mobile money networks and payment systems
Climate FinTech - Financial solutions addressing climate and sustainability challenges

The fund explicitly focuses on early-stage fintech companies addressing financial inclusion challenges across Africa. Notable portfolio companies span diverse fintech verticals including earned wage access (Power), travel payments (TurnStay), mobile money infrastructure (Opareta), SME platforms (Scale), financial data infrastructure (E-Doc Online), fraud prevention (Orca), trade finance (Credify), alternative lending (MNZL, Pumpkn, Credpal), remittances (Balad), insurance digitization (Oola, WiASSUR), and open banking infrastructure (Credrails).

Stage Focus & Check Size

First Circle Capital primarily invests at the pre-seed and seed stages, with a concentrated portfolio approach of 24 companies. The fund's investment check sizes typically range from $100,000 to $250,000, making them particularly attractive for early-stage fintech founders seeking their first institutional capital.

Notably, First Circle positions itself as often being the first institutional investor in portfolio companies, making them a valuable partner for founders in their earliest stages. The fund focuses on founders with big vision, unique propositions, and demonstrated execution capability.

Fund Status & Recent Activity

First Circle is actively deploying capital across its target markets. In November 2025, the fund closed a significant milestone by securing $6 million in investment from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which validates their approach and accelerates their deployment capacity.

The fund has achieved the following milestones:

Fund Size Target: $25-30 million (hard cap)
Investments Made: 15+ portfolio companies across 8 African markets (as of November 2025)
Portfolio Composition: 30% of portfolio companies are led or co-founded by women
Fund Status: Actively deploying capital
Recent Closing: $6M from IFC (November 2025)

Recent portfolio activity shows continued deployment across the fintech spectrum, with investments including Terminal Africa (cross-border logistics fintech), Talk360 (international calling and payments), Credpal (BNPL consumer credit), and others throughout 2024-2025.

Team & Operational Support

First Circle's team brings exceptional depth across entrepreneurship, fintech, and emerging markets:

Selma Ribica, Co-Founder & Managing Partner - A veteran of the African fintech industry since 2012, Selma has worn multiple hats: M-Pesa executive, entrepreneur (founded and scaled fintech business), and investor since 2015. Her notable investments include Qonto, Expensya (acquired), Dash, Bamboo, and THNDR. INSEAD alumni based in Casablanca.

Agnes Aistleitner Kisuule, Co-Founder & Managing Partner - Serial entrepreneur with legal background and deep expertise in emerging markets. Previously built businesses in Jordan and Ukraine focused on women employment. WEF Global Shaper, Forbes 30 under 30 (2022), and based in Kampala.

Ming S. Kwan, Head of Portfolio - 15 years in tech industry, including 7 years at Lazada from inception through $3.5B acquisition by Alibaba. Built and scaled complex marketplace operations in Southeast Asia. Former fintech CEO in Morocco and INSEAD alumni.

Rob, Investment Principal & Head of Operations - 10 years experience in financial services and technology businesses in East Africa, with prior PE transaction advisory and strategy consulting background. Holds MSc from LSE and MBA from LBS.

Additional team members include Zach Hokfelt (Swiss-qualified lawyer with corporate finance expertise) and Prosper (operations and investment assessment specialist with transaction advisory and management consulting background).

Value-Add & Support Model

First Circle emphasizes three core value propositions beyond capital:

Capital - Early institutional investment, often as the first investor in portfolio companies
Knowledge - Deep fintech sector expertise and industry network access
Networks - Connection to mentors, successful founders, coaches, board advisors, and additional investor capital

Portfolio feedback consistently highlights the team's hands-on operational support, strategic thinking, and willingness to engage directly with portfolio company teams beyond the traditional investor check-and-step-back model.

Geographic & Founder Preferences

First Circle invests across Africa with portfolio companies spanning 8+ African markets including:

East Africa (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania)
West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana)
North Africa (Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco)
Southern Africa (South Africa)

The fund favors founders demonstrating:

Ambitious vision for African fintech
Unique value proposition in underserved markets
Execution capability and delivery orientation
Openness to partnership and operational support

The fund is particularly committed to supporting female founders, with 30% of portfolio companies led or co-founded by women, reflecting the founders' personal commitment to increasing women's participation in the tech ecosystem.

Notable Portfolio Achievements

Exits:

Expensya - Acquired by Medius (Sweden) for 9-figures (2023)

Active & Growing:

Terminal Africa - Cross-border fintech, recipient of extensive operational support
Credpal - BNPL consumer credit, significant growth trajectory
Talk360 - International calling and payments with strong expansion
Oola - Digital insurance platform
Lenco - SME banking solutions
Power - Earned wage access platform

Decision Process & Investment Timeline

As an early-stage specialist with concentrated portfolio approach, First Circle's decision process appears partnership-driven, prioritizing founder fit and strategic alignment alongside financial metrics. The team's emphasis on due diligence through founder interaction suggests a collaborative evaluation process.

Warm introductions through the network appear valuable, though the fund's visible deal flow and active sourcing across their 8 markets suggests multiple entry paths.

Competitive Advantages

Concentrated Portfolio - 24-company focus allows meaningful partnership depth
Founder-Built Team - All founding partners have operational business building experience
Deep Fintech Expertise - Both founders have multiple fintech exits and success stories
Regional Presence - Offices in Casablanca (Morocco), Kampala (Uganda), and Cape Town (South Africa)
Impact Alignment - Clear commitment to financial inclusion and women's participation
IFC Backing - Institutional validation and additional capital deployment

Fund Metrics

Target Fund Size: $25-30 million
Target Portfolio Size: 24 companies
Typical Check Size: $100K-$250K
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
Investment Thesis: African fintech solving financial inclusion
Female Founder Support: 30% of portfolio
Geographic Coverage: 8+ African markets
Fund Launched: 2021
Offices: Casablanca (Morocco), Kampala (Uganda), Cape Town (South Africa)