Cape Town, South Africa — 30 Jun 2025
A moment to reflect
It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through 2025! It’s a sentiment that seems to come around every year, but this time it feels especially true. The pace of innovation, investment, and change, especially in deep tech, continues to accelerate, and we’ve been running right alongside it.
When you’re in the trenches every day, it’s easy to lose sight of just how far you’ve come. And looking back at the past six months, it’s clear that 2025 has already been a big year.
A Bold New Chapter: The Savant Rebrand
We kicked off the year with a fresh new identity. Our rebrand wasn’t just a cosmetic update, it was a chance to clarify and better communicate our evolving role in the venture ecosystem. We introduced precise positioning around our three focus areas:
Providing technical due diligence, consulting and advisory, IP analysis, and deep tech insight
Our startup studio and venture-building platform
Investing in scalable science and engineering-led startups
The new brand aligns more closely with our current operations, and it has already opened doors and sparked new conversations.
Introducing EMERGE: Laying the Groundwork for Investability
We also launched a new initiative that we’re incredibly proud of: EMERGE, our pre–pre–seed support program. EMERGE is designed to help founders of very early-stage deep tech companies prepare their businesses for their first commercial investments.
These are companies with technical potential but without the traction or structure to attract funding, yet. EMERGE bridges that gap by offering tailored support: helping founders refine their value proposition, validate their markets, and lay the foundation for a compelling investment case.
It’s early days, but we’re excited about the talent we’re seeing and the pipeline EMERGE is building for the next generation of investable science and tech
Build Continues – Despite Setbacks
Our flagship Build programme continues with Cohort 3, even after USAID exited as a key funder.
Rather than pause, we pushed ahead and are currently supporting 14 fantastic early-stage companies from across the continent. These founders are developing bold, technically challenging solutions to address some of Africa’s most pressing needs. The quality, diversity, and grit of this cohort give us ample reason to remain optimistic about the future of African innovation.
TIA Seed Fund: A Pipeline of Potential
Our collaboration with the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) remains a vital part of our early-stage strategy. In just six months, we’ve received over 250 funding applications, showing the depth of innovation across South Africa. From that pool, we’ve already approved six investments, backing promising founders with not just capital, but technical and commercial support to help them scale.
Savant Venture Fund: Building Value
The Savant Venture Fund (SVF1) portfolio remains strong in its performance. Our focus on deep tech and commercialisation readiness is paying off, with several portfolio companies hitting major milestones in revenue, partnerships, and product development. It’s a testament to what happens when you pair exceptional founders with long-term, technically informed capital.
Looking Ahead: SVF2 and Permanent Capital
We’re currently fundraising for SVF2, a follow-on fund that aims to double down on our deep tech investment thesis. Fundraising in the current environment is not for the faint of heart, but we’re seeing strong interest from investors who share our conviction in science-based innovation.
We’re also exploring the development of an alternative investment mechanism in the green and climate tech space – a new instrument that would allow us to hold and grow long-term assets beyond the typical 10-year fund cycle. (More on this soon.)
Strategic Investment: Homefarm
In a slightly different move, we made an off-balance-sheet investment in Homefarm, a company working at the intersection of sustainability, automation, and food security. It’s an exciting space, and this deal enables us to explore new models of engagement with companies that may fall slightly outside our core investment focus.
Global Reach: Partnering with P4G
Our work with P4G (Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals) continues to grow. We’re proud to support their global portfolio of startups tackling climate, energy, and sustainability challenges.
In Closing
So yes, time is flying. However, when we pause to take stock, it becomes clear that the first half of 2025 has been marked by momentum, growth, and significant impact.
We’re deeply grateful to the founders, partners, investors, and team members who make this journey possible. And we’re even more excited about what’s still to come.
Here’s to the second half.
– Nick Allen and The Savant Team