Outlierz, is a new Morocco-based seed investment fund, dedicated to providing smart capital to African startups. The fund is led by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, and backed by some of the world’s most famous US and African serial entrepreneurs and angel investors.

After three years of hard work connecting entrepreneurs and building a startup community in Morocco on the ground, a team of entrepreneurs has launched this new seed investment firm called OUTLIERZ.

“We started from a simple yet striking conclusion: too many startups fail at the pre-seed and seed stages because of a lack of appropriate resources. We intend to change that by providing smart capital to the continent’s most promising companies. The target outcome will be a stronger pool of high potential startups that are ready for subsequent investment and, in the end, lead to success stories that are uniquely African,” shares Kenza Lahlou, the firm’s founder and Managing Director.

The world’s most brilliant serial entrepreneurs and business angels as advisors and/or investors

The fund is backed by some of the world’s most respected angel investors and venture capitalists. They include Michael Seibel, CEO of YCombinator and Hassan Haider, Partner MENA at 500startups, as well as some of the most successful tech entrepreneurs from the the Moroccan and African diaspora such as Hicham Oudghiri, co-founder of Enigma.io, a successful big data company based in New York.

Investment strategy

The firm invests time and money at pre-seed and seed stage, with the ticket size ranging between $50k and $200k. More than just money, Outlierz also provides entrepreneurs with smart capital through its unique network, mindset and advice.

Outlierz considers pre-seed stage startups with an MVP or a prototype who demonstrate they can execute. Seed stage startups who are expanding and raising their next round of funding, whether it’s a seed or Series A round, are also eligible candidates. Before investing money, Outlierz runs a qualification phase to work closely with entrepreneurs, provide them with advice and validate their ability to execute.

Applications are open for startups based anywhere in Africa. Startups dedicated to Africa based anywhere in the world are also encouraged to apply.