Dazzle Angels

Dazzle Angels is a female-focused angel fund with a mission to generate inclusive funding for early-stage, women-led, and women-empowering businesses.

The fund is led and funded by experienced businesswomen who not only invest their money but also contribute their time, skills, and networks, recognizing the true value of their involvement. All the angels involved in Dazzle Angels are successful entrepreneurs or experts in their respective fields, driven by a passion for building early-stage businesses and leveraging their skills and networks to support the next generation of female-led businesses.

Empowering women: Dazzle Angels' mission to drive real solutions and sustainable business models

Dazzle Angels focus on identifying exceptional businesses that solve real problems, have sustainable business models, and are founded or co-founded by at least one woman. They believe that having women involved in business leadership leads to better outcomes, as research and statistics have shown.

Their goal is not to seek unicorns but rather to build a portfolio of efficient, sustainable, and reliably growing businesses. They prioritize zebras over unicorns, where zebras represent companies that are both profitable and dedicated to improving society. Dazzle Angels aim to connect their angels with a "dazzle" of sustainable, inclusive, and community-focused zebras, fostering a collective approach to investment.

Dazzle Angels’ portfolio of investments

Dazzle Angels takes pride in its diverse portfolio of invested businesses, one of which is Sorted. This innovative platform, established in 2019, has revolutionized the vehicle license renewal process in Cape Town and Gauteng by automating and simplifying the previously manual procedure.

CreditAIs (Pty) Ltd is another noteworthy addition to Dazzle Angels' portfolio. Co-founded in 2020, this fintech company leverages machine learning to provide predictive insights and credit scores for individuals and businesses that don't conform to traditional models. Their ultimate objective is to improve lending conditions and facilitate access to wealth-building tools for underserved individuals and small businesses.

In addition, Dazzle Angels has strategically invested in SV Capital, a pioneering South African crowd-investing fund manager specializing in innovative investment products tailored for digitization and scalability. Established in 2017, SV Capital is dedicated to expanding investment opportunities to a more diverse range of South Africans.

Another remarkable inclusion in Dazzle Angels' portfolio is Kweza, founded in 2019. This digital solution aims to enhance the efficiency of product distribution in Africa's informal markets. Kweza's primary goal is to empower Spaza shops by providing them with convenient and affordable access to stock through the power of collective buying.

Dazzle Angels are committed to being pioneers in promoting the growth of the future economy, not only by joining forces but also by encouraging and uplifting one another. Their collective efforts aim to close the gender and diversity gap in entrepreneurship and venture funding, fostering a more inclusive and supportive ecosystem for women in business.

Dazzle Angels is a renowned angel fund in South Africa that is dedicated to providing inclusive funding for early-stage businesses, with a particular focus on women-led and women-empowering enterprises.

Led and funded by experienced businesswomen, Dazzle Angels not only invests capital but also contributes their time, skills, and extensive networks, recognising that the real value lies in these collective efforts. The angels at Dazzle Angels are accomplished entrepreneurs and industry experts who are passionate about supporting the next generation of female-led businesses and fostering their growth.

Beyond capital: Dazzle Angels' active involvement maximises investment value

Dazzle Angels take an unsecured equity stake in the businesses it invests in, aligning its interests with the entrepreneurs' success. While the standard investment approach involves equity participation, Dazzle Angels may consider alternative funding options such as loans or revenue-based financing based on the specific needs and industry of the business.

As active investors, Dazzle Angels becomes minority shareholders in the invested businesses and actively engages in their operations, leveraging their experience and expertise to provide value and protect their investment.

Supporting women-led and women-empowering businesses

While Dazzle Angels focus on women-led businesses, it also welcomes applications from businesses with female co-founders where the female co-founder holds a significant share and the business empowers women through its activities. The fund recognises the importance of diversity and aims to contribute to closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship and venture funding.

Dazzle Angels aim to connect its angels with a "dazzle" of sustainable, inclusive, and community-focused zebras—the term they use to represent their invested businesses.

By fostering a collective approach to investment, Dazzle Angels seek to build a portfolio of efficient, sustainable, and reliably growing businesses rather than focusing solely on "unicorns" or one-hit wonders.

Their ultimate mission is to create a network of successful businesses that improve society while simultaneously generating profits. By actively working with the zebras in their portfolio, Dazzle Angels aim to drive positive change.