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Since 2024, Sony Innovation Fund has backed 4 African startups across 5 disclosed funding rounds totaling $81M, most heavily in Nigeria and Crypto & Web3.
Sony Innovation Fund is the corporate venture capital initiative of Sony Group, managed by Sony Ventures Corporation and wholly funded by Sony Group. It focuses on investing in emerging technology companies and supporting the creation of next generation businesses through close collaboration with the wider Sony ecosystem. Public information links the fund to Sony’s global headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, through Sony Ventures Corporation. In Africa, Sony Innovation Fund has been active across strategic and venture rounds, committing a total of 81.0 million dollars between January 2024 and August 2026. The fund has participated in both strategic and venture rounds not specified by traditional labels, backing companies in crypto and Web3, the creator economy, services and marketplaces, and media and entertainment. Its disclosed African investments span Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. Sony Innovation Fund’s African portfolio includes Yellow Card in Nigeria, a provider of stablecoin and fiat payments infrastructure for emerging markets, Twiva in Kenya, a creator economy social commerce platform, Filmmakers Mart in Nigeria, a marketplace for film production services across Africa, and Carry1st in South Africa, a platform that helps creators publish, sell, and get paid for games across the continent. These investments are frequently made alongside specialist co investors such as Polychain Capital, Blockchain Capital, SC Ventures by Standard Chartered, and International Finance Corporation, reflecting a collaborative approach to supporting high growth startups in the region.
Data updated · Sep 22, 2026
Sony Innovation Fund has backed 4 African startups across 5 disclosed funding rounds tracked on Liners, totaling $81M since 2024.
Mostly Venture (Round not Specified): 4 of its 5 tracked rounds are at that stage, followed by Strategic (1).
Companies Sony Innovation Fund has backed operate in Nigeria (4), Ghana (3), South Africa (3), and 9 more markets. Each figure counts the rounds behind companies serving that market, so a company operating in several markets counts in each of them.
Its tracked rounds lean toward Crypto & Web3 (2), Creator Economy (1), Services & Marketplaces (1), and 1 more sector.
Sony Innovation Fund most often shares rounds with Polychain Capital (2 shared deals), Blockchain Capital (2 shared deals), SC Ventures by Standard Chartered (1 shared deal).
Sony Innovation Fund is the corporate venture capital initiative of Sony Group, managed by Sony Ventures Corporation and wholly funded by Sony Group. It invests in emerging technology companies that can support Sony’s future businesses and broader innovation agenda.
Sony Innovation Fund has backed several African startups, including Yellow Card in Nigeria, Twiva in Kenya, Filmmakers Mart in Nigeria, and Carry1st in South Africa. These companies operate in payments infrastructure, creator economy social commerce, film production services marketplaces, and game publishing and monetization, respectively.
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