Who We Are
Built by operators.
Wired for founders.
Hero Fund is run by South Africans who have built companies, backed founders, and grown ecosystems from the ground up. We are operators, connectors, and builders — not just allocators.
We created Hero Fund because we believe South Africa has an abundance of exceptional talent and a shortage of early-stage conviction. We exist to change that ratio.
Founder First
Every decision starts with what serves the founder. Capital is the beginning, not the end.
Platform Driven
Our network, tools, and processes are built to source better and support deeper.
Ecosystem Builders
We invest in companies and in the health of the broader startup ecosystem.
Long Term Conviction
We back founders for the long game. Patience, presence, and real partnership.
Why South Africa. Why Now.
The opportunity is real.
The window is open.
South Africa is Africa's most developed startup ecosystem — with the talent, infrastructure, and market depth to produce companies of global consequence. Early-stage capital remains scarce. That gap is where Hero Fund operates.
$1T+
SA GDP — Africa's largest economy
Gateway to continental scale
4M+
Active tech talent pool
Growing at pace
3×
Growth in SA startup activity
Over the last 5 years
Pre-seed
Most underfunded stage
Hero Fund's primary focus
Our Thesis
South Africa is the starting point — not the ceiling. We invest here because our network runs deep, our ecosystem knowledge is real, and the opportunity is underserved. With the right portfolio of companies, we help define what the next generation of African tech looks like.
What We Back
Clear focus.
Strong conviction.
Stage
Pre-Seed & Seed
We lead or co-invest at the earliest stages — before product-market fit is proven, when conviction and judgment matter most.
Geography
South Africa First
Our primary focus is South Africa, with the thesis that exceptional companies here scale to the continent and beyond.
Check Size
R1M – R5M Initial
We write meaningful early-stage cheques with reserves for follow-on in companies we believe in.
Sectors
Tech & Tech-Enabled
Fintech, health, logistics, edtech, enterprise software, and any business where technology creates durable competitive advantage.
Model
Scalable Businesses
We back companies with the potential to scale beyond their initial market — not just locally successful businesses.
Founders
Exceptional People
We invest in founders first. Resilient, intelligent, mission-driven people who know their domain and have the will to build.
The Team
We Have Advised, Built,
Backed and Scaled.
General Partners
Justin Chetty
Managing Partner · Fund Strategy
Leads fund strategy, capital formation, and LP relationships. CA(SA), nearly 15 years at Nedbank across banking, leveraged finance, and venture capital.
Lesedi Pooe
General Partner · Investments & Execution
Leads deal execution and legal structuring. LLB from Wits, private equity at Resolve, compliance and leverage finance at FNB CIB.
Zander Mattee
General Partner · Dealflow & Sourcing
Leads deal sourcing and investor relations. Led the commercial side of Merge from age 19, partnering with 100 venture funds across Africa.
Brandon Bate
General Partner · Platform & Operations
Owns the fund's technology and operations. Spent nearly a decade building the platform and systems behind Merge.
Venture Partners
Matthew Emanuel
Venture Partner
Founder of CapaciTech. BCom and PDM from Wits, MBA from GIBS.
Jaco de Wet
Venture Partner
Engineer and technical lead at CapaciTech. MSc Industrial Engineering, Stellenbosch.
Our Edge
More than capital.
Much more.
Traditional VC provides money and a board seat. We provide capital, community, connection, and conviction — backed by a platform built to source better deals and support founders more meaningfully.
Founder-First Philosophy
We structure deals, provide support, and make decisions with founders at the centre. Your success is the only metric.
Platform-Enabled Sourcing
We use technology to see more of the market — systematically identifying exceptional founders before others do.
Deep Ecosystem Access
Years of relationships across SA's startup landscape means warm introductions, co-investors, and real support networks.
Early Stage Conviction
We don't need traction to back brilliance. We're built to make high-conviction bets at the earliest stages.
Technology-Assisted Support
From deal visibility to portfolio monitoring — our tech stack helps us be more useful to every company we back.
Operator Experience
We've sat on both sides of the table. We understand what founders face and offer practical, grounded guidance.
Platform & Network
A platform built
for scale.
500+
Founders in network
Active and engaged
80+
Investor & VC partners
Co-invest ready
1,000+
Startups screened
Across SA & Africa
5+
Years ecosystem building
Deep roots
Sourcing Intelligence
We use technology to monitor the market, track emerging founders, and identify opportunities before they come to us.
Portfolio Support
From hiring to fundraising to product strategy — our platform connects founders to exactly what they need, when they need it.
LP Transparency
Investors get clear visibility into pipeline, portfolio health, and fund performance. No black boxes.
For Founders & Partners
Built for both sides
of the table.
If you're building something that matters, we want to hear from you.
Pre-seed and seed stage capital from operators who understand your journey
A network of founders, mentors, and investors who show up when it counts
Support beyond the term sheet — talent, product, growth, and fundraising
Long-term partnership built on trust, not just governance
South Africa's emerging tech story. We're at the front of it.
Access to curated deal flow across South Africa's most promising early-stage companies
A fund team with operating experience, ecosystem depth, and LP-aligned incentives
Technology-enabled portfolio visibility and rigorous deal sourcing processes
A clear South Africa-first thesis with a long-term pan-African vision
Join the movement
Exceptional founders.
We're looking for you.
If you're building something real in South Africa — something scalable, something that matters — Hero Fund wants to back you. Reach out. Let's talk.