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As Africa's investment landscape evolves, gender lens investing is becoming increasingly important. It’s often associated with prioritising investments in women-led ventures. However, this perspective can be limiting. Gender lens investing for us at WEAV Capital is not just a screen to find women; rather, it’s an opportunity to identify resilient founders—many of whom happen to be women who possess the unique qualities needed to build sustainable and impactful businesses, and are more often than not underrepresented in global venture capital funding.
At its core, gender lens investing isn’t about narrowing the pool of investable founders to women alone. It’s about recognising the value of gender-diverse teams and identifying founders thriving in the face of challenges—survivors, not victims. Many of these resilient founders happen to be women, but our investment in them is because they embody the qualities we, as investors, value, and not just their gender.
What Gender Lens Investing Means to Us
When many think of gender lens investing, they often assume it's solely about finding and funding women, approaching it from a 'count' perspective — such as investing in a specific number of women. While tracking these numbers is important, it’s only a part of the story and far from the whole picture. At WEAV Capital, our approach goes beyond simply counting. We seek founders that demonstrate resilience in adversity and build their businesses even when external support is lacking. Our focus goes beyond improving outcomes; we aim to change practices by recognizing and valuing gender-diverse strategies that lead to long-term success.
We don’t start our search by looking for women—we begin by looking for resilience, efficiency, experience, commitment, and integrity.
These founders keep building, reinvesting, and piecing together a business without relying solely on external investment. They don’t wait for someone to fund their vision; they start building regardless. And when investment does come, they know how to maximize it.
“We’re not just looking for women; we’re looking for founders who thrive in spite of challenges.”
What we look for:
Resilient Founders in Challenging Environments
Resilience is one of the key traits we look for in the founders we back. Africa’s business landscape presents unique challenges—whether it’s limited access to capital, infrastructural hurdles, or regulatory uncertainty. Founders who succeed in this environment must demonstrate grit and perseverance. They must be willing to forge ahead with or without significant external funding.
Many of the most successful entrepreneurs we’ve encountered have continued to build even when capital was scarce. They often have to bootstrap their businesses, reinvest profits back into the company, and constantly iterate and improve their models.
When faced with adversity, they don’t fold but become more resourceful, find innovative ways to make things work, and see every obstacle as an opportunity to learn and grow.
“We admire founders who continue to build, reinvest, and adapt, even without investor support.”
Capital Efficiency: Doing More With Less
Another critical factor we focus on is capital efficiency, particularly in Africa’s markets, where capital can be scarce. We invest in founders capable of maximizing the impact of every dollar they raise or earn.. These founders are disciplined in their approach to growth, avoiding waste and ensuring that every investment they make yields tangible returns.
Investors seek resourceful founders, able to stretch their capital while continuing to innovate and expand. These founders are often accustomed to building with less and have developed an entrepreneurial mindset that isn’t solely reliant on external funding.
“We are drawn to founders who know how to do more with less, and whose unique insights stem from prior experiences.”
Irreversible Steps
We also value founders that have taken irreversible steps in their entrepreneurial journey. These individuals are fully committed to the success of their ventures, making significant life changes—whether by relocating to a new environment to focus on their business or leaving behind a high-paying job to pursue their dreams.
Founders who take these irreversible steps signal a deep commitment to their vision. They’ve “burnt the bridges” behind them, meaning failure is not an option. Their only path forward is the success of their business. This level of dedication is crucial in building companies that last, and it’s a strong indicator that the founders are all in, and fully invested in the success of their venture.
“We seek founders who have taken irreversible steps on their entrepreneurial path — those who have made sacrifices and commitments that prove their full dedication to their business's success.”
Non-Traditional Backgrounds
For us, investment isn’t dependent on warm introductions or being part of an exclusive circle. Instead, we invest based on conviction. We recognize that many great founders don’t always come from traditional paths or elite networks. These founders may lack the connections that can open doors, but what they possess is drive, passion, and an ability to build without external validation. They are often the ones with the grit to succeed and the courage to pave their path.
We are prepared to be the first, and sometimes the only cheque for these founders. We invest in people who are committed to their vision and have demonstrated the qualities we value, even if they aren’t well-known in traditional circles.
“For us, investing is driven by conviction. We don’t require warm introductions; we support founders with non-traditional backgrounds who are determined to build."
Unique Insights Based on Experience
When assessing founders, experience plays a pivotal role. Founders that have been in the field, navigated challenges, and developed a deep understanding of their market are far more equipped to identify opportunities and avoid pitfalls. These individuals have a track record of learning from their experiences and have honed their craft and bring valuable insights to the table.
The truth is, some of the most successful founders didn’t start with a vast amount of resources—they started with experience. They learned by doing, by making mistakes, and by continuously improving their approach. This deep, real-world understanding of their industry and customers enables them to create something truly valuable.
"Experience matters; and those who have honed their craft through real-world challenges are better equipped to identify opportunities and avoid pitfalls."
Integrity and Strong Leadership
Perhaps one of the most critical traits we seek is integrity. Integrity is especially important in African markets, where transparency and ethical leadership can be key differentiators. As investors, we place a high premium on it. In an environment where trust can be hard to come by, especially in markets still developing regulatory frameworks, founders with strong ethics stand out.
We seek to back founders with a clear vision and the ethical grounding to execute it responsibly. Trust is fundamental to any successful investment partnership, and founders displaying strong moral principles often attract long-term supporters.
"Integrity is just as crucial—those who embody strong moral principles often become capable leaders, attracting long-term support and building trust."
Now, why does gender play such an important role?
While many resilient, capital-efficient, insightful, and non-traditional founders happen to be women, we are not simply screening for gender. We are looking for the best founders who fit this archetype.
Women often face additional societal and systemic barriers, and those who succeed despite these challenges tend to embody the very qualities we value. This is why gender lens investing naturally aligns with supporting women founders.
In this context, gender is not a filter that arbitrarily includes or excludes; it is a lens through which we identify opportunity.
“While many of these founders are women, the goal is not just gender parity—it’s about recognising the value in people who’ve demonstrated resilience, capital efficiency, and strong leadership.”
Conclusion: The Power of Gender Lens Investing
Gender lens investing for us is not just about ticking boxes or applying rigid filters based on gender. It’s about identifying the founders that will succeed despite adversity, make the most of every opportunity and resource, and build sustainable businesses that generate real impact. While many of these founders tend to be women, what truly matters is their resilience, capital efficiency, experience, and integrity.
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