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Thaheer Mullins

Speaking

Keynotes, panels and workshops on African capital

Thaheer speaks to investors, founders, corporates and policymakers about how capital actually moves into African startups and infrastructure and what it takes to make deals and partnerships work.

Book Thaheer to speak Get the speaker kit

Now accepting invitations for 2027 events.

Signature talks

Founders make the best angels: building Africa's next investor pipeline

Africa's early-stage funding gap is as much a people problem as a capital problem. Thaheer makes the case that operating and exited founders are the strongest source of new angel investors. He shows how syndicates, education and sensible deal structures turn them into active backers.

Audiences leave with

  • Why founders who have built and sold companies make better first cheques than passive capital
  • How angel syndicates pool skills as well as money across borders
  • What a first-time angel needs to learn before writing a cheque
Best for
Investor conferences, angel networks, family offices, founder communities
Formats
Keynote, fireside chat, panel

Beyond VC: matching the right capital to African startups

Too many founders assume venture capital is the only path. Drawing on more than 60 early-stage deals across equity, debt and grant capital, Thaheer walks through the options and how to judge which suits a business's stage and margins. He also sets out what each type of funder needs to see.

Audiences leave with

  • A plain map of angel, VC, debt and grant capital and when each fits
  • The questions investors ask at each stage and how to prepare for them
  • How to build a data room that shortens due diligence
Best for
Founders, accelerators, ecosystem builders, corporate innovation teams
Formats
Keynote, workshop, masterclass

Backing hardware: deep tech and sovereign infrastructure in Africa

Software alone will not close Africa's infrastructure gaps. Thaheer sets out the investment case for hardware, compute and satellite infrastructure and why retaining talent and moving with urgency matter. He also shows how corridors with India, the Gulf and North Africa can help finance it.

Audiences leave with

  • Where deep tech capital is flowing and where it is still missing
  • What makes a hardware company investable in an African market
  • How cross-border corridors and partnerships de-risk deep tech
Best for
Deep tech and AI summits, development finance institutions, government and policy forums
Formats
Keynote, panel

From pilot to purchase order: corporate–startup partnerships that commercialise

Most corporate–startup pilots stall before a contract is signed. Drawing on workshops he has led at AIM Congress and his partnership structuring work for innovation ecosystems, Thaheer shows how to scope, govern and structure partnerships so that pilots turn into commercial integration.

Audiences leave with

  • Why pilots fail and the three decisions that prevent it
  • How to put low-cost African engineering to work on corporate bottlenecks
  • Governance and IP terms that keep both sides at the table
Best for
Corporates, innovation managers, trade and investment promotion agencies
Formats
Workshop, keynote, panel moderation

Watch Thaheer

Angel investing vs venture capital The Investor Talk, episode 58, EquityMatch, May 2026
How local venture capital is building South Africa's startup scene ITWeb TV #SS24, June 2024
Raising funds, African tech and deep tech investment in South Africa Inside VC, episode 46, hosted by Larreth Jimu, July 2025
Navigating the funding landscape: types and sources of funds CERI seminar with Heather Sherwin, October 2025
Live at AVCA 2024 AVCA Conference, May 2024
Emerging technology companies solving real needs in Africa BigFive Summit Speaker Series, Big5D TV, hosted by Charles Laughlin, February 2024

11countries, one conversation about African capital

Keynotes, panels, workshops and firesides at investment, deep tech and AI events across Africa, the Middle East and Eurasia.

South Africa

  • Alea Global Africa Family Office Summit
  • ITWeb Summit, Johannesburg
  • Health Entrepreneurship Summit, Bertha Centre at UCT GSB, Cape Town
  • Change The World 2026, Cape Town
  • AfricArena Johannesburg Summit
  • BigFive Summit, Cape Town
  • OST BRAIN Bootcamp, Cape Town
  • SuperReturn, panel moderator

Morocco

  • GITEX Africa, Marrakech
  • Deep Tech Summit, Ben Guerir

Senegal

  • AfricArena FinTech, Mobility & Logistics Summit, Dakar (2023)
  • AfricArena and AVCA summits, Dakar (2022)

Algeria

  • African Startup Conference, Algiers, including an AL24 News panel

Tunisia

  • Global AI Congress for Africa, Sousse

Uganda

  • Deep Tech Summit, Kampala

Kenya

  • India-Africa Entrepreneurship & Investment Summit, Nairobi

Mauritius

  • India-Africa Entrepreneurship & Investment Summit

United Arab Emirates

  • GITEX Global and Expand North Star, Dubai
  • AIM Congress, Abu Dhabi

Turkey

  • Take Off Istanbul

Russia

  • Moscow Startup Summit
Thaheer Mullins: Panel at the African Startup Conference, Algiers
Panel at the African Startup Conference, Algiers
Thaheer Mullins: Panel at the Deep Tech Summit, Ben Guerir, Morocco
Panel at the Deep Tech Summit, Ben Guerir, Morocco
Thaheer Mullins: Panel at the Deep Tech Summit, Kampala, Uganda
Panel at the Deep Tech Summit, Kampala, Uganda
Thaheer Mullins: Leading a session at the OST BRAIN Bootcamp, Cape Town
Leading a session at the OST BRAIN Bootcamp, Cape Town

For organisers

What formats are available?

Keynotes of 20 to 45 minutes, panels, panel moderation, fireside chats and half-day or full-day workshops and masterclasses.

Can talks be tailored?

Yes. Every talk is adapted to the event's theme and audience. New topics within venture capital, angel investing, deep tech and market entry can be developed on request.

Is virtual or hybrid possible?

Yes. Talks, panels and workshops can be delivered virtually or in hybrid formats.

What about travel?

Thaheer is based in South Africa. For international engagements, hosts typically cover return flights and accommodation.

What do you need from organisers?

The event name, dates, location, audience profile and size, the session format and the theme or brief. The enquiry form asks for all of this.

Have an event in mind?

Share the dates, audience and theme and you will hear back within two working days.

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