Methys Venture Studio | A Pioneering Venture Studio in South Africa
Why Venture Studios Are a Better Fit for Africa
The traditional VC model doesn’t translate seamlessly into Africa’s context. Limited capital access, infrastructure challenges, and ecosystem gaps mean that startups need more than just funding—they need execution capacity, technical depth, and long-term operational support.
Venture studios are uniquely designed to fill this void by embedding services directly into the venture creation process—providing engineering, design, marketing, legal, and governance support while co-building with founders. This model raises survival rates, accelerates validation cycles, and helps ventures cross the “valley of despair” far more effectively than traditional seed capital.
The collaborative, community-first philosophy of studios also resonates with African values of Ubuntu—an ethos of collective success that makes this model particularly well-suited to Africa’s fast-growing but still fragile innovation economy.
AFRICA VENTURE STUDIO
Methys’s Positioning and Impact
Methys has been at the forefront of this movement, establishing itself as one of the first venture studios in South Africa—and on the continent. Its legacy is marked by disruptive ventures that have shaped key sectors of the African economy.
First Venture & Industry Disruption (2010)
Methys’s first studio venture, launched in 2010, was the first-ever one-click payment iOS app in Africa. It revolutionized the prepaid electricity market, accelerating the digitalisation of the sector and setting a precedent later followed by banks and utilities. More than a decade later, the venture still operates with a national footprint, powering transactions for major institutions such as Standard Bank.
AfricArena
Methys is also credited with creating AfricArena, which has been instrumental in scaling Africa’s tech ecosystem. Since its inception in 2017, AfricArena has enabled the African tech VC sector to grow from around $300 million to over $5 billion, through a unique combination of open innovation events, deal-flow platforms, and ecosystem engagement. The platform has directly supported the generation of nearly $1 billion in VC deals since its inception in 2017.
Energy Intelligence
Methys went on to create Energy Intelligence, one of the earliest digital private utilities and solar PV platforms in South Africa—pioneering the way for clean energy management in the region.
PayGenius
With PayGenius, Methys disrupted the payments industry once again. Today, it stands as a leading PSP in the tourism and utility sectors across Southern Africa.
Other Ventures & Exits
The studio has gone on to build and support numerous other ventures, including The Good Tree, which became its first successful exit, and the Enrich in Africa Center, which connects European and African ecosystems through programs and platforms.
Together, these ventures illustrate Methys’s hybrid model—blending venture building, corporate innovation, and ecosystem development—to create long-term, sustainable impact.
THE STUDIO EDGE PUT INTO PRACTISE
Methys embodies the studio advantage
Beyond Capital
Providing embedded teams, platforms, and expertise alongside funding.
Ecosystem Bridges
Connecting startups with corporates, governments, and international innovation ecosystems
Sustainable Growth
Prioritizing profitability, resilience, and systemic impact rather than speculative returns.
Pioneering force in Africa’s startup economy
Methys is more than a venture studio; it is a pioneering force in Africa’s startup economy. From reshaping utilities and payments, to fueling clean energy adoption, to creating AfricArena and boosting African VC activity by an order of magnitude, Methys has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is possible. Its story demonstrates why venture studios are not just an alternative model for Africa, but arguably the best one.
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