Investors are raising the bar for Nigerian startups seeking capital — Sage Grey MD
In this interview with Nairametrics, Runsewe sets out the questions investors ask before backing Nigerian businesses, why a strong product alone may not be enough, and why founders need to prove something before trying to prove everything. The post Investors are raising the bar for Nigerian startups seeking capital — Sage Grey MD appeared first on Nairametrics .
Despite decades of advising and financing Nigerian businesses, Temitope Runsewe, Managing Director of Sage Grey Finance, observes that attracting significant capital is not solely dependent on a great product or innovative idea. Rather, the ability to attract capital hinges on the business's investability. Investability encompasses factors such as the company's structure, governance, and ability to generate sustainable cash flows.
Investors seek assurance that capital will be deployed effectively and yield a risk-adjusted return. While a strong product is crucial, it is only one piece of a comprehensive commercial architecture that includes market potential, distribution capabilities, management depth, and scalable economics. Unfortunately, Nigeria's pension industry, which holds vast amounts of capital, has historically been inclined to invest in government securities rather than in private businesses.
This lack of institutional investment in productive private enterprises is a significant constraint on the growth of Nigerian startups.
Written by urgent.news from Nairametrics's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
