About This Fund
Saviu I is a €10 million early-stage venture capital fund launched in 2018 by Saviu Ventures, a firm co-founded by Benoit Delestre and Samuel Touboul. As the first professional venture capital fund dedicated to technology companies in Francophone Africa, Saviu I occupies a historic position in a market that had long been underserved by institutional capital. The fund targets talented entrepreneurs building scalable, technology-enabled businesses that address the defining economic and social challenges of Francophone West and Central Africa, combining patient capital with hands-on operational partnership.
Saviu I deploys seed-stage capital to B2B and consumer technology startups across Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Senegal, Benin, Togo, Mali, and other Francophone markets. The fund maintains a concentrated portfolio approach, backing approximately 12 companies with operational support that extends well beyond capital—providing access to networks across European and African private equity and entrepreneurship communities, and deep sector expertise in fintech, agritech, healthtech, logistics, and edtech. Saviu Ventures positions itself as a partner with entrepreneurial DNA, led by former founders who understand the operational realities of building companies in markets where infrastructure, regulation, and consumer behavior differ materially from Western Europe.
Saviu I backed 12 startups, of which approximately 72–82% operated in Francophone markets, including Julaya (mobile payments), Waspito (health), Paps (logistics), Workpay (HR technology), and Userguest (hospitality SaaS). The fund has delivered material performance to its limited partners, including one realized exit—ICT4Dev, an Ivory Coast fintech sold to a regional buyer—validating the thesis that consistent seed-stage returns are achievable in Francophone Africa. These results catalyzed the launch of Saviu II, which reached a first close of €12 million in November 2023 and a second close of €25 million in early 2025, with investors including Proparco, Triple Jump, and AXIAN.