IQ-EQ is pleased to announce that Atlantica Ventures has become the first client of IQ-EQ Launchpad, a unique initiative aiming to support female fund managers launching their first fund. Atlantica Ventures is an African impact focused venture capital fund that provides early stage funding and support to start-ups in Africa.
IQ-EQ Launchpad was founded on the principle that gender equality is a fundamental right and that leadership is required to drive change. At IQ-EQ, we consider there to be both a moral imperative and a business opportunity in addressing the gender imbalance within the asset management industry. We have leveraged our business model to put together a comprehensive support package to help first time female fund managers succeed.
Atlantica Ventures, founded in 2019 by Aniko Szigetvari and Ik Kanu, has a majority female team and its portfolio includes companies such as Curacel, Sabi and Sendy. The fund applies a data-driven approach to identifying, investing in and supporting the next generation of tech and tech-enabled entrepreneurs in Africa. Atlantica Ventures has also qualified for and participates in the 2X Challenge, which aims to advance opportunities for women. IQ-EQ Launchpad will provide full-fledged fund services to the company.
Aniko Szigetvari, Founding Partner of Atlantica Ventures, has over two decades of investment experience in emerging markets, with a focus on the technology, media and telecom (TMT) sectors. Prior to founding Atlantica Ventures, Aniko was the Global Head of the TMT Group at the International Finance Corporation, leading investment and portfolio management activities across emerging markets. Aniko is also an independent non-executive board member of IHS Holding Ltd, a NYSE listed digital infrastructure company with operations in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.
Welcoming Atlantica Ventures to IQ-EQ Launchpad, our Group Executive Chairman, Serge Krancenblum, commented:
“It is a great pleasure for me to welcome Atlantica Ventures as our first client onboard at IQ-EQ Launchpad, and to thank Aniko Szigetvari for placing her trust in us to support her and her team. I believe that IQ-EQ Launchpad can really make a difference by offering preferential service terms, access to a global network, knowledge sharing, and a suite of services designed specifically for women launching their first fund. We are proud to play our part in fostering an ecosystem that celebrates women in our industry, and we look forward to helping more female founders succeed over the months to come.”
Commenting on her participation in IQ-EQ Launchpad, Founding Partner of Atlantica Ventures, Aniko Szigetvari, said:
“We welcome this great new initiative from IQ-EQ to support first-time female fund managers, and we are delighted that Atlantica Ventures is the first to benefit from these new services. I would like to thank Serge and his colleagues for recognising the importance of gender diversity in the asset management industry, especially in the early-stage space. This support will go a long way towards opening the doors for more female fund managers and female led start-ups.”
