Venture capital firm
Knife Capital
Knife Capital is a Cape Town-based venture capital and growth equity firm focusing on innovation-driven ventures with proven traction in beachhead markets. Founded in 2010 through the spin-out of HBD's (Here Be Dragons) South African venture capital division, it operates as an independent manager that accelerates the international expansion of African businesses by leveraging its knowledge, networks, and funding. The firm’s investment strategy is centred on high-growth B2B technology companies that have achieved product-market fit and possess significant intellectual property.
Investment focus
- Sectors
- Financial servicesEnergy and powerConsumerTechnologyManufacturing and industrialsHealthcare
- Stages and strategies
- Series ASeries B+Growth
- Instruments
- Equity
- Regions
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- African markets named in public materials
- South Africa
Funds managed
Selected portfolio and direct investments
- Alignd (Pty) Ltd.
- Cue Group Holdings Limited
- Sendmarc Inc.
- Stone Three
- VoxCroft South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Recent investments and transactions
| Date | Transaction | Type | Value | Market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sep 2026 | Knife Capital invests in Alignd | Venture Capital | Undisclosed | South Africa |
| 14 Jul 2026 | Knife Capital, and FAM Investments Invest in Cue's Operations in South Africa, and the United Kingdom for ZAR 82 million | Venture Capital | $5m | South Africa |
| 6 Jun 2026 | Knife Capital invests in Sendmarc | Venture Capital | Undisclosed | South Africa |
| 3 Jun 2026 | Redpoint Advisors and Knife Capital invests in VoxCroft South Africa | Venture Capital | Undisclosed | South Africa |
| 1 Dec 2025 | Knife Capital invests in Stone Three's Operations in South Africa | Venture Capital | Undisclosed |
Sources
- Partner Researchers, accessed 14 November 2026