What we do
E Squared offers support to businesses that drive commercial and social returns through:
- Investing in Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellow ventures and businesses, as well as investing in high-growth businesses beyond the Allan Gray Fellow network.
- Supporting social entrepreneurship through programme-related grants and venture philanthropy (blended finance and strategic support) for mission-driven enterprises.
- Committing funds to emerging and established Funds managed by diverse fund managers.
- Providing value-creating post-investment resource support to assist our portfolio companies to meet their business objectives.
- Partnering with start-ups, incubators, accelerators, and investors to support entrepreneurial talent in generating financial and social returns across all sectors.
Our Vision
An economically inclusive South Africa, created by responsible entrepreneurs, with meaningful opportunity for everyone.
Our Mission
To empower and invest in responsible entrepreneurs who become catalysts for economic development, transformation and social upliftment in South Africa.
Investment Offerings
Supporting high-growth businesses, early-stage ventures and social enterprises to generate financial and social returns across all sectors.
Startup Founder Pitch
A low-touch programme providing startup and growth capital to Allan Gray Fellows who have built early-stage ventures alongside full-time work.
Capital is deployed against clear milestones to test commercial viability and execution. Strong performers may be considered for follow on investment within the broader E Squared portfolio.
Pathways
Accelerates startups from concept refinement to commercial revenue through a bespoke offering with no start or end date. Available to Allan Gray Fellows only.
E Squared Ventures
Seed and growth-stage funding for high-growth, scalable businesses, as well as management buy-ins, consortium-backed acquisitions and search-fund style transactions to acquire stakes in high growth and established/mature businesses. Includes post-investment support. Available to Allan Gray Fellows only.
E Squared Co-investment
High-growth investment mandate focused on Series A and later-stage businesses that are majority BEE owned.
3 Capital Ventures
High-growth investment into asset-light, seed and Series A stage businesses that are tech-enabled or tech-driven with strong traction and return potential.
Social Entrepreneurship: Programme-Related Investments
Grant funding to Social Enterprises registered as Public Benefit Organisations (PBOs) to pilot innovative programmes that foster youth entrepreneurship.
Social Entrepreneurship: Venture Philanthropy
Supports hybrid social enterprises tackling social challenges by providing blended finance, including recoverable grants, equity, debt, and quasi-equity into the for-profit entity, alongside strategic non-financial support.
Fund of Funds
Supports emerging and established fund managers that demonstrate strong return potential alongside a commitment to social impact.
Problem Statement
We invest in and partner with businesses at all stages, supporting entrepreneurs and management teams to generate long term financial and social returns across sectors.
In South Africa, income inequality and high unemployment contribute to a persistent cycle of poverty. Entrepreneurship is widely seen as a potential solution to job creation, but many early-stage ventures and businesses struggle to access the funding to grow. There is a shortage of both early-stage capital and support mechanisms to help entrepreneurs build commercially viable businesses.
Focus Area
We choose to support enterprises that:
- Generate sustainable commercial value.
- Address transformation, economic development and social change.
- Address unemployment and inequality in South Africa.
Our Approach
We understand that businesses and entrepreneurs need time to develop, so we adopt a longer-term investment view, providing:
- Entrepreneur-friendly patient capital to businesses from pre-seed to mature stages (sector-agnostic funding).
- End-to-end business support through our post-investment assistance programmes.
Our Values
Our values express how we conduct ourselves as stewards of capital and partners to entrepreneurs. They guide our decisions, our relationships and the way we create long term, sustainable value for our stakeholders and society.
Long-term Commitment
We are committed to making a long-term, sustainable contribution to society.
Spirit of Humility and Significance
We are ambitious for our work and yet personally humble – complimenting a spirit of significance with humility.
Excellence
We focus on the things that matter most and strive to do them exceptionally well.
Responsible Stewardship
We are responsible stewards of our mission and resources.
Diversity and Inclusion
We acknowledge and celebrate the human diversity we represent and the histories that have shaped us. We actively maintain an inclusive culture, and our interactions are enhanced by empathy and respect.
Collaboration
Through open channels of communication, connection, dialogue, and discussion, we cultivate an inclusive culture that thrives on the exchange of ideas and collective problem-solving.