Grindstone Ventures
Grindstone Ventures is a female-led post-seed fund that invests post-seed equity and quasi-equity Investments in early-stage innovation-driven and/or technology companies with strong intellectual property and evident growth potential, with the aim of delivering capital growth and sustainable cash yields over the long term.
You have to be a Grindstone alumni or current cohort participant to apply.
Our Purpose & Vision
The Fund aims to make medium to long-term investments in our Grindstone Accelerator companies that are primarily domiciled, headquartered or founded in South Africa, or that conduct principal business activities within South Africa that will advance market access for Grindstone companies.
Our secret sauce lies in our robust Grindstone Accelerator which enables innovation-driven tech startups to access Knowledge, Networks, Funding and Markets, and preparing companies for exponential growth.
Our Key Partners
Managing Partner
Catherine Young
Investment Partner
Andrea Böhmert
Investment Partner
Keet van Zyl
Successful Track Record:
Noticeable exits from previous Grindstone cohorts
Over 50% Grindstone cohort companies have received funding across our cohorts to date
More than $50mil funding raised to date by Grindstone cohort companies
Investment Themes
- Post-seed investments for companies on growth trajectory
- Innovation-led technologies, sector agnostic
- Co-investments focus where applicable
- Enabling funding support to Grindstone participants to seed exponential growth and follow-on rounds
FIND
Find the best investments through robust recruitment and enablement of our Grindstone Accelerator cohorts
MAKE
Making post-seed investments into qualifying Grindstone cohorts to enable readying the businesses for future growth
GROW
Growing the business to the next level where they become Series A investment ready, and providing a pipeline to our Venture Capital partners
REALISE
Successfully realise strategic objectives of the investments, resulting in high returns for stakeholders
