.svg)
Cape Town, 19 May 2025: Africa’s Tech sector is on the brink of a breakthrough as venture capital, talent and connectivity converge to support a new generation of innovators. Kevin Dillon, co-founder of Africa Bridge Fund, says the time has never been better to unlock the continent’s potential in tech innovation and artificial intelligence.
“Africa has all the ingredients for success: innovative talent, unmatched entrepreneurial spirit, and a growing tech ecosystem,” says Dillon.
Dillon’s career spans over 40 years across some of the world’s fastest-growing tech markets. In the 1980s and ’90s, he witnessed Silicon Valley’s rise firsthand, working at Price Waterhouse and Microsoft and later helping the tech giant establish its footprint in Europe as its first CFO for the region.
“What made Silicon Valley thrive in the early days was a seamless interplay of risk-tolerant capital, world-class universities, and a culture of collaboration,” explains Dillon. “I learnt early on that it takes an ecosystem to raise a startup.”
By the early 2000s, Europe was staging its tech renaissance. As CFO for Microsoft’s European operations, Dillon saw the European Union’s integrated market and policy support spur cross-border investment and talent mobility - factors he says are directly applicable to Africa’s ambitions today.
In 2004, taking the lessons learnt, Dillon co-founded Atlantic Bridge, a growth-equity firm that has invested in 110 deep technology companies, achieved 38 successful exits (including seven unicorns), and partnered with leading university innovation hubs to further build the ecosystem and pipeline across Europe.
“Building an ecosystem means more than backing individuals,” he explained. “It’s about creating the right conditions - capital, connections, and mentorship - for startups to flourish.”
While the African context is unique, Dillon sees the same elements arising in the African tech and venture startup scene as he saw in Silicon Valley and Europe decades before. In response, he co-founded Africa Bridge Fund along with Managing Partner, Frank McCosker, to focus on four critical pillars that must be in place for deep tech startups to thrive:
By syndicating investments, we can provide startups with the full suite of resources to succeed. This support will help companies to move from startup, through scale-up, to exit. These local success stories become the flagships that position the continent as a deep tech hub.
‘We believe by investing in both the venture and technology ecosystems together, the foundations will be built to enable African entrepreneurs to thrive on the world stage,’ says McCosker.
According to Dillon, African tech ventures generally fall into one of three categories:
“Each model requires different support structures, but all depend on healthy capital flows and strong partnerships,” Dillion noted.
Mccosker highlights a powerful convergence of factors making 2025 pivotal for Africa tech. ‘The continent’s demographic dividend - home to the world’s youngest population - fuels entrepreneurial creativity, while lower development and operational costs enable startups to hit technical milestones on lean budgets.’ At the same time, the new wave of AI based technologies - like the Cloud, Mobile and Internet waves before - are accelerating innovation and growth at an unprecedented rate. African domestic participation in venture capital deals has also risen from 19% to 31% of total inflows over the past decade.
“The global shift toward digitalisation and sustainability means African startups are uniquely positioned to deliver both profit and purpose,” says Dillon.
Africa Bridge will support technology companies operating in health, climate and enablement technologies through targeted investment. Dillon emphasises that success will be measured not only in financial returns, but in social impact such as improved healthcare access, climate resilience, and expanded digital inclusion.
“As we build out this ecosystem, our goal is to empower African entrepreneurs to help solve some of the planet’s biggest challenges and, in doing so, compete globally,” he said. “The future of tech in Africa isn’t just promising—it’s transformative.”
