TLCOM
About TLCOM
TLcom was founded in 1999 by Maurizio Caio, who is listed as founder and managing partner. The firm lists offices in London, Lagos and Nairobi. Omobola Johnson and Ido Sum are listed as partners in public investor directories. The TIDE Africa Fund II reached a final close of $154 million in April 2024, according to press coverage, and the first close of the second TIDE Africa fund was $70 million toward a $150 million target, reported in January 2022.
TLcom's portfolio page lists several AI-driven companies in Africa. Pastel ran AI-powered fraud detection and credit risk tools for businesses, Agrails provides an AI data layer for agricultural lending and insurance, and Kola Market uses AI to help merchants track inventory and forecast demand. In October 2026 TLcom joined the $8 million seed round of Satlyt, a company that runs AI workloads on satellites. TLCOM said it was the largest African investor in that round.
Public investor profiles describe TLcom's range as early to growth stage, with investments from $500,000 to $10 million per company. The firm's own fund description targets early to growth stage businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa. Individual round sizes for TLcom's AI deals are not public, apart from the total size of the Satlyt round.
- Pastel: AI-powered fraud detection, AML transaction screening and credit risk assessment for businesses; round and year not public.
- Agrails: AI data infrastructure for agricultural lending, climate finance and crop insurance; round and year not public.
- Kola Market: AI tools that help merchants track inventory and predict customer demand; round and year not public.
- Satlyt: AI software that processes satellite imagery and telemetry in orbit; $8 million seed round, October 2026, with TLCOM among the investors.
- superscout.co/investor/tlcom-capital-llp
- seedtable.com/investors/tlcom-capital-llp
- nairametrics.com/2022/01/27/venture-capital-firm-tlcom-secures-70-mill
- startupintros.com/orgs/tlcom-capital
- tlcomcapital.com/portfolio
- tlcomcapital.com/perspectives/why-we-invested-satlyt-is-building-the-o
- satnews.com/2026/10/13/satlyt-secures-8-million-seed-round-to-expand-o
- noranow.in/blog/tlcom-capital-profile
Investing activity
TLCOM appears in 1 AI deal tracked by the AI Lounge deals desk. The rounds are mostly Seed, with a median round size of $8M. The most recent is Satlyt (Seed, $8M, Oct 2026).
TLCOM most often invests alongside non sibi ventures, Slauson & Co, Demos Capital and Enza Capital, and the companies it backs on AI Lounge are mostly in AI.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about TLCOM
When was TLCOM founded?
TLcom was founded in 1999 by Maurizio Caio. It has invested in technology companies since then and focuses on Africa.
Does TLCOM invest in AI startups?
Yes. Its portfolio includes AI-driven companies such as Pastel, Agrails and Kola Market, and it joined the 2026 seed round of Satlyt, an AI software company for satellites.
How much does TLCOM invest per company?
Public investor profiles list checks from $500,000 to $10 million per company. Exact amounts for individual deals are not public.
Which fund is TLCOM investing from now?
Press and investor databases name the TIDE Africa Fund II, which reached a final close of $154 million in April 2024, as the fund it is currently investing from.
Where can founders see TLCOM's portfolio?
The firm's website has a portfolio page listing its active investments across fintech, agritech, edtech, HR tech and logistics in Africa.
What AI companies has TLCOM invested in?
TLCOM's AI investments include Satlyt. The 1 round on AI Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
Where is TLCOM based?
TLCOM is based in London, England, United Kingdom.
What stage does TLCOM invest at?
In the rounds tracked on AI Lounge, TLCOM has invested at Seed, with a median round of $8M.
Who does TLCOM co-invest with?
TLCOM's most frequent co-investors on AI Lounge are non sibi ventures (1 deal), Slauson & Co (1 deal), Demos Capital (1 deal), Enza Capital (1 deal) and Launch Africa Ventures (1 deal).
How can founders reach TLCOM?
Founders on AI Lounge can see TLCOM's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with the firm under Warm Paths, and add TLCOM to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.