Five Years Later: Still Building

The first year proved there was demand for a better way to access private investments.

The years that followed proved something even more important.

Building a company is rarely a straight line.

Like many startups founded during a period of unprecedented optimism, GetEquity entered 2022 with momentum. More investors were joining the platform, more companies were raising capital, and each successful transaction reinforced the belief that private markets could become more accessible through technology.

By the end of 2022, GetEquity had facilitated millions of dollars in startup investing and private capital transactions across Africa.

Then the market changed.

In 2023, venture funding across Africa slowed dramatically. Rising inflation, foreign exchange volatility, and a global funding slowdown reshaped the startup ecosystem. Companies raised less capital, investors became more cautious, and many businesses that depended on venture activity were forced to rethink their future.

GetEquity was no exception.

The changing market forced us to ask difficult questions.

Were we solving a short-term problem or building long-term infrastructure for private capital markets in Africa?

Could the technology we had built serve a much larger market beyond startup fundraising?

Those questions led to one of the biggest decisions in our history.

Rather than remain focused solely on startup fundraising, GetEquity evolved into a platform powering access to alternative investments and private capital markets.

The mission never changed.

The opportunity did.

The same technology that enabled startup investing could also make commercial paper investments, fixed-income investments, and private debt instruments more accessible to everyday investors.

That realization changed everything.

Working alongside licensed asset managers, GetEquity began expanding access to investment products that had traditionally been available only to institutions and high-net-worth individuals.

One of the defining moments came with the launch of a commercial paper investment from the Dangote Group.

What was expected to be a modest raise quickly exceeded expectations, validating a new thesis: investors were actively looking for trusted, fixed-income and commercial paper investment opportunities delivered through a modern digital investment platform.

It became clear that the future of GetEquity wasn’t simply about startup investing.

It was about building the infrastructure that makes private capital and alternative investments accessible.

That shift required difficult decisions.

We streamlined the business, strengthened our compliance and operational frameworks, and focused on building technology that could serve investors, issuers, and institutional partners for the long term. These weren’t easy choices, but they positioned the company for sustainable participation in private markets and investment infrastructure in Africa.

Five years after we began, GetEquity has evolved into a technology company building infrastructure for Africa’s private capital markets, alternative investments, and digital investing ecosystem.

Today, investors can access commercial paper investments, debt notes, fixed-income products, and other alternative investment opportunities through a platform designed to make private markets more transparent, accessible, and efficient.

But we’re only getting started.

The next chapter is about taking private capital on-chain.

We believe the future of investing will be digital, programmable, and more inclusive than ever before. By working with regulators, licensed partners, and market participants, we’re building the infrastructure that will help bring trusted private investment opportunities to more Africans.

Five years ago, we started with an idea.

Today, we’re building the technology that could define how private capital moves across Africa through digital investment platforms.

The mission remains the same.

Expand access.
Build trust.
Create more opportunities for people to grow wealth through private investments and alternative investments.

Five years later, we’re still building.

FAQs

1. What are alternative investments?

Alternative investments include commercial papers, private debt, and fixed-income assets outside traditional stocks and bonds.

2. What is a commercial paper investment?

A commercial paper investment is a short-term fixed-income instrument issued by companies to raise capital.

3. Why are private capital markets growing in Africa?

They are growing due to rising demand for diversified investments, wealth creation, and digital access to private markets.