CAPE TOWN, South Africa – The African tech ecosystem celebrated a defining moment this week as Yemi Keri, co-founder of Rising Tide Africa, was awarded the prestigious Angel Investor of the Year award at the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit (AESIS). The accolade recognizes Keri’s relentless dedication to democratizing access to capital, her advocacy for gender-lens investing, and her pivotal role in nurturing early-stage ventures across the continent.
The summit, organized annually by VC4A (Venture Capital for Africa) and ABAN (African Business Angel Network), serves as the premier gathering for the continent’s early-stage investor community. This year’s event brought together over 500 accredited investors, venture capitalists, and ecosystem enablers to chart the future of African private equity.
A Victory for Inclusive Investing
Yemi Keri’s win underscores a significant shift in the African investment landscape—one that increasingly values inclusive growth and mentorship alongside financial returns. Accepting the award, Keri dedicated the honor to the female founders and investors who are reshaping Africa’s economic narrative.
“This award is not just for me; it is for every woman who has dared to back a dream and every founder working tirelessly to build the ‘New Africa’,” Keri remarked in her acceptance speech. “At Rising Tide Africa, we believe that capital is a tool for transformation. When we invest in women, we invest in the stability and prosperity of our communities.”
Rising Tide Africa: A Catalyst for Change
Founded with a vision to increase women’s participation in angel investing, Rising Tide Africa (RTA) has grown into a formidable network of female angel investors. Under Keri’s leadership, the network has moved beyond simple capital allocation to provide a holistic support system that includes mentoring, investment readiness training, and cross-border networking.
The network’s portfolio includes high-impact startups in fintech, healthtech, and agritech. By focusing on “gender-smart” investing, RTA has successfully bridged the funding gap for numerous female-led startups, which historically receive a fraction of the venture capital available on the continent. The “Angel Investor of the Year” award acknowledges RTA’s success in proving that diverse investment teams lead to better business outcomes.
A Life Dedicated to Technology and Impact
Yemi Keri is no stranger to leadership accolades. As the Chief Executive Officer of Heckerbella Limited, a digital transformation company, she has over two decades of experience in the Information Technology and Telecommunications sectors. She is recognized as one of the foremost women in technology in Nigeria, having previously been honored as the “Most Outstanding Public Sector CIO” in Nigeria.
Beyond her corporate roles, Keri serves on the board of the Lagos Angel Network (LAN) and is a member of the African Business Angel Network (ABAN) board. Her work sits at the intersection of policy, technology, and entrepreneurship, where she champions frameworks that make it easier for angel investors to deploy capital across African borders.
The Africa Early Stage Investor Summit (AESIS)
The Africa Early Stage Investor Summit is the annual “town hall” for the continent’s investment ecosystem. This year’s summit focused on themes of resilience, exit strategies, and the role of domestic capital in sustaining the startup boom.
The “Angel Investor of the Year” award is one of the summit’s highest honors, selected by a jury of industry peers. It evaluates nominees based on their investment activity, the quality of their portfolio support, and their contribution to the broader ecosystem. Keri’s selection highlights her dual impact: deploying capital into promising ventures and building the infrastructure that allows other angel investors to thrive.
Looking Ahead
With this recognition, Yemi Keri and Rising Tide Africa are poised to expand their footprint. The network has announced plans to launch new masterclasses for aspiring angel investors and to deepen its collaboration with institutional partners to unlock more funding for early-stage companies.
As the summit concluded, the mood was optimistic. Keri’s victory serves as a beacon, signaling that the future of African investing is inclusive, collaborative, and brighter than ever.
Key Takeaways
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Award: Angel Investor of the Year
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Recipient: Yemi Keri (Co-founder, Rising Tide Africa)
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Event: Africa Early Stage Investor Summit (AESIS)
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Organizer: VC4A and ABAN
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Significance: Highlights the rise of female-led investment networks and the importance of gender-lens investing in Africa.
About Rising Tide Africa
Rising Tide Africa is a women’s movement initiated with a vision to increase women’s participation in angel investing as an asset class and promote education, cross-border investing, and investor-mentoring across Africa.
About AESIS
The Africa Early Stage Investor Summit is an exclusive investor-only event that unites key ecosystem stakeholders to exchange best practices, share lessons learned, and set the roadmap for early-stage investing in Africa.
