Newtown Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2014 by serial entrepreneurs Vinny Lingham and Llew Claasen on the set of Dragon’s Den South Africa. Based in Cape Town with offices in San Diego and Rotterdam, the firm invests in emerging disruptive technology startups across growth stages, providing hands-on support through board participation and strategic mentoring. The team has experience in launching and scaling tech businesses and specializes in blockchain and token economies. From April 2019 to March 2024, Newtown Partners participated in 7 funding rounds totaling $17.9M, focusing on seed and early venture stages. Investments targeted health tech (4 rounds), fintech, logistics and supply chain, and crypto & Web3 sectors, with a geographic emphasis on Nigeria (3), Egypt (2), Kenya (1), and South Africa (1). Notable companies include Mdaas and Shelf Life in Nigeria, Chefaa in Egypt, Lami in Kenya, and OVEX in South Africa. The firm has co-invested with partners like Global Brain Corporation, Imperial Venture Fund, and GMS Capital, and supports scaling through structured capital solutions, including hybrid debt-equity for growth-stage companies like MDaaS Global and Chefaa.
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