Knife Capital
Overview
Knife Capital is a venture capital firm that invests in high-growth, technology-enabled companies in South Africa and across the continent. The firm focuses on post-revenue, scalable B2B businesses and supports their international expansion. It was established in 2010 as the successor to the South African venture capital division of 'Here Be Dragons', an investment group founded by Mark Shuttleworth. Knife Capital manages several funds, including KNF Ventures and Knife Fund III, and also runs the Grindstone Accelerator program.
Portfolio Companies
20
Website
knifecap.comInvestments
| Company | Date | Stage | Lead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airtime | Oct 2020 | Series A | Co-investor |
| Aafiya Med | Aug 2026 | SAFE | Co-investor |
| CreditAIs | Aug 2022 | Accelerator | Co-investor |
| Allxs Media | Nov 2018 | Accelerator | Co-investor |
| Optique Optometrists | Jul 2025 | Series A | Lead |
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Sector & Stage Mix
Industry, funding stage, and valuation band breakdowns.
FAQ
Where is Knife Capital based?
Knife Capital is headquartered in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.
When was Knife Capital founded?
Founding year information for Knife Capital is not publicly available.
How many portfolio companies does Knife Capital have?
Knife Capital has 20 portfolio companies in Caplight's dataset.
What are some companies in Knife Capital's portfolio?
Portfolio companies visible on Caplight include Airtime, Aafiya Med, CreditAIs, Allxs Media, Optique Optometrists.
What was Knife Capital's most recent investment shown here?
Knife Capital's most recent investment in this portfolio sample was in Aafiya Med in 2026.
What sectors does Knife Capital focus on?
Knife Capital focuses on Enterprise Software, Enterprise Software, Enterprise Software, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Frontier & Industrial Tech, FinTech, Frontier & Industrial Tech, Enterprise Software, Enterprise Software, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Enterprise Software, FinTech, Consumer & Commerce, FinTech, FinTech, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Consumer & Commerce, Healthcare & Life Sciences, AI, Data & Cloud Infrastructure, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Enterprise Software, Frontier & Industrial Tech, AI, Data & Cloud Infrastructure, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Consumer & Commerce, AI, Data & Cloud Infrastructure, Media, Entertainment & Gaming, AI, Data & Cloud Infrastructure, Enterprise Software, AI, Data & Cloud Infrastructure, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Media, Entertainment & Gaming, AI, Data & Cloud Infrastructure, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Enterprise Software, AI, Data & Cloud Infrastructure, Consumer & Commerce, AI, Data & Cloud Infrastructure.
What company stages does Knife Capital focus on?
Knife Capital typically invests at the Early stage.
What is Knife Capital's AUM?
Knife Capital's assets under management are estimated between $68.9M and $70.2M.