Tokunboh Ishmael is a well-known figure in the world of impact investing, particularly in Africa.
She is the Managing Director and Co-Founder of Alitheia Identity Fund, a groundbreaking gender-lens fund that invests in scalable businesses that provide essential goods and services to underserved markets in Africa.
The fund has a particular focus on investing in women-led businesses, which are often overlooked by traditional investors.
Image credit: Alitheia
Ishmael has over 20 years of experience in investment banking, private equity, technology, and business development. Before co-founding Alitheia Identity Fund, she was a Partner at Aureos Capital, where she raised and managed several funds, including the $50 million Aureos West Africa Fund and the $20 million Aureos Central Africa Fund.
She has also worked with several multinational corporations, including MTV Networks, where she was the Director of Business Development for Africa.
Ishmael is a passionate advocate for impact investing and gender equality. She believes that investing in women-led businesses is not only the right thing to do, but also makes good business sense.
According to her, women-led businesses have been shown to outperform their male-led counterparts in terms of financial returns and social impact. Through her work at Alitheia Identity Fund, she is helping to create a more equitable and inclusive world, one investment at a time.
Alitheia and Tokunboh Ishmael
Alitheia is a private equity firm that focuses on investing in high-potential businesses that cater to underserved markets in Africa. The firm was co-founded in 2015 by Tokunboh Ishmael, a renowned investor and entrepreneur.
Tokunboh Ishmael is a Nigerian businesswoman and investor with over 20 years of experience in private equity, venture capital, and project finance. She is a Director of Alitheia Capital, a Lagos-based investment management firm, and serves on the boards of several companies in West Africa.
Under Ishmael’s leadership, Alitheia has played a critical role in driving gender-lens investing in Africa.
The firm’s $100 million Alitheia IDF fund is currently the largest gender-lens fund in Africa, according to a report by Yahoo Finance. The fund invests in businesses that provide essential goods and services to underserved markets while promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Alitheia has a strong presence in Lagos, Nigeria, and Johannesburg, South Africa.
The firm has invested in several companies in West Africa, including Paga, a mobile payments platform, and Rensource, a renewable energy company.
Ishmael is a vocal advocate for the importance of investing in women-owned businesses in Africa. She has spoken at several conferences and events, including the Women in Finance Nigeria Conference and the Africa Women in Business Symposium, about the need to support women entrepreneurs and promote gender equality in the workplace.
Overall, Alitheia and Tokunboh Ishmael have made significant contributions to the private equity industry in Africa, particularly in promoting gender-lens investing and supporting women entrepreneurs.
Investment Focus
Alitheia, founded in 2007 by Tokunboh Ishmael and Jumoke Akinwunmi, is a pioneering impact investing private equity firm based in Lagos State, Nigeria. The firm drives innovation by investing in businesses that use traditional and non-traditional channels to achieve social impact. Alitheia’s investment process is focused on identifying businesses that are scalable and have the potential to generate significant returns.
Alitheia’s investment focus is on responsible investing, with a particular emphasis on gender lens investing. The firm is committed to investing in businesses that promote gender equality and empower women. Alitheia IDF, a gender-lens African investment fund led by two female founding partners, Tokunboh Ishmael and Polo Leteka, is one of the firm’s key investment vehicles.
Alitheia’s portfolio includes a diverse range of businesses, including fintechs, agribusinesses, healthcare & pharma, infrastructure, transportation, retail, and tech/telecoms. The firm has invested in a number of successful businesses, including Pagatech, Micro Cred Nigeria, and LAPO. Alitheia’s investment strategy is focused on investing in businesses that provide essential goods and services that address the accessibility, affordability, and inclusion needs of underserved markets to drive shared prosperity.
Alitheia is a member of the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA), and the firm has been recognized for its outstanding contributions to the private equity industry in Africa. Alitheia’s investment focus on creating wealth and impact by unlocking the potential of businesses that provide essential goods and services makes it a key player in the private equity industry in Africa.
