Yango Ventures Launches $20M Fund to Ignite Emerging Market Startups

Dubai-based Yango Group has launched a new corporate venture fund worth USD 20 million, aiming to boost early-stage startups across several emerging markets. The fund, fittingly named Yango Ventures, will primarily invest in startups within the Middle East and North Africa region, as well as Pakistan, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa—regions known for strong startup growth potential but facing various economic hurdles.

In a statement about this development, Yango Ventures underlined their commitment to funding startups at seed stage through to Series B, with particular attention to sectors like fintech, B2B software-as-a-service (SaaS), and online-to-offline (O2O) ventures. The fund believes these sectors have excellent prospects for robust growth and scalability, particularly within dynamic emerging market environments.

Interestingly, Yango Ventures stated that its involvement would not just be limited to injecting capital. They’ve assembled an experienced advisory board, drawing on specialists from fields like fintech, artificial intelligence, mobility solutions, and more. According to them, they'll provide strategic guidance, market insight, and mentorship without seeking to dominate their investees or demand controling board positions—essentially promising a helpful approach rather than a heavy-handed one.

"Through Yango Ventures, we’re sharing our expertise and network to help startups scale, thrive, and drive meaningful change in their communities," the fund noted in their announcement. Maxim Shuleyko, associated with the group, elaborated further, "Our mission is simple: let people grow with us. By supporting local talent with the right tools and resources, we aim to foster sustainable business growth and contribute to resilient and inclusive economies across the globe."

The fund clearly anticipates lucrative returns too—they’re eyeing ambitious returns from Series A stage companies in particular, targeting anywhere between ten to twenty times their investment over the longer run. For startups that demonstrate scalable models, the advisors’ subject-matter expertise would ideally serve as an additional advantage to spur genuine growth and innovation.

Yango Group itself is hardly a newcomer in this space. Operating across diverse sectors including tech, financial services, and mobility, they've developed a solid reputation as facilitators of digital transformation, particularly in startup-heavy markets. The creation of this multimillion-dollar fund could broaden those horizons further, showcasing their ambitions beyond simply earning profit.

In terms of what lies ahead, Yango Ventures plans to team up with other venture capital players and institutions, enhancing investment capacity and expanding their reach within these regions. Beyond just financial support, unusual but exciting extracurricular activities are on their agenda, particularly organising networking events and forging partnerships with educational institutions to equip young professionals with industry-specific skills—undoubtedly a step toward building a stronger entrepreneurial foundation within their target markets.

Notably, Yango Ventures hinted that the initially allocated USD 20 million could well increase further down the road, reflecting larger opportunities and expectations ahead.

This new initiative comes at a timely juncture, following increased interest and growing presence from venture capitalists throughout emerging markets. In a sense—as our friends over at Arageek might say—it may provide the needed recipe for success to start-ups hoping to stand tall in highly competitive fintech and tech-focussed geographies. Having witnessed many promising projects stifled by lack of funds or simply the right connections, Yango Ventures could well signal a welcome shift—a breath of fresh air in these quickly evolving regional economies.