The Missing Middle: Early-Stage Capital and the Angel Gap

​Before institutional funders step in, early-stage founders rely on a fragmented layers of support to get off the ground.

​The latest research shows that angel investors are increasingly bridging the gap between informal capital and institutional funding by providing capital, mentorship, networks, and early validation to the missing middle: the segment of SMEs and startups that face financing gaps due to their small size and perceived high risks.

​Join us for a practical, data-led look at how early-stage capital works in Africa and the role it plays in shaping the investment ecosystem by serving the missing middle.

​🎯 What we’ll cover

• ​Why early-stage capital remains one of the biggest bottlenecks in African tech

• ​The role angels play in building startup pipelines for VCs How angel investing is evolving from HNWIs to communities and networks

• ​What founders misunderstand about early-stage capital

​Speakers

• ​Fiona Kiruja, CEO at the African Angel Academy

• ​Lundi Njomane, Partner and Investment Lead at Jozi Angels

• ​Fortune Chuku, Data & Research Associate at Briter

​Moderated by Alan Mwangi, Program Manager at 500 Global