Savannah Fund has previously had a number of Entrepreneurs in Residence and Interns that have managed to successfully utilize the lessons and networks built up from their time at Savannah Fund to launch successful, high-growth tech startups.
Entrepreneurs in Residence join Savannah Fund with the explicit aim of researching and working on their own current or eventual tech startup in a specific industry. This also potentially gives the Entrepreneur access to startup capital from the fund as a first investor if the opportunity interests Savannah Fund. In addition to this, Entrepreneurs in Residence also utilize their industry specific knowledge and expertise to evaluate investment opportunities for the fund and assist our portfolio companies.
The fund is always open to talent and applications that demonstrate a strong desire and commitment to the continent. Below we feature a few of the individuals that have come through Savannah Fund and gone on to achieve great things. The founders below are all startups Savannah Fund has invested in and counts as part of its portfolio.
Lauren Dunford, Co-Founder and CEO, Safi Analytics
Lauren Dunford initially joined Savannah Fund with a focus on exploring and launching a tech startup in the Energy sector. Lauren applied her vast research experience and scientific background to intensely analyse the sector and continent with the aim of specifically identifying significant problems and market gaps where innovative technology solutions could be deployed at scale. Her research led her to launch Safi Analytics, a startup that leverages the Internet of Things to make factories smarter and provide factory managers with valuable insights to drive smarter, cleaner growth.
Audrey Cheng, Co-Founder and CEO, Moringa School
Audrey joined Savannah Fund in August 2013 as an Associate. During her 11 months at Savannah Fund she fulfilled various engagements and eventually identified that there was a high demand and need for more developers on the continent. The concept of Moringa School, the startup she would eventually launch, was conceived during her time at Savannah Fund. Since its founding in April 2014 Moringa has gone on to receive a number of accolades, including being named as one of the “top 10 most innovative companies in 2018” by Fast Company.
Malaika Judd, Co-Founder and CFO,
Sendy
Malaika joined Savannah Fund in September 2013 as Principal and Mentor to Savannah Fund’s Startup Accelerator Portfolio Companies. Malaika spent 16 months at Savannah Fund before eventually branching out and Co-founding Sendy. Sendy provides an app and web platform that enables individuals and businesses to connect with drivers and request on-demand or scheduled delivery services.