Episode 27 | Guest Episode: Ivy Macharia - Head of Portfolio at Gather Ventures

Описание: In this episode of the Full Scale Podcast, Adrian and Tim sit down with Ivy Macharia, Head of Portfolio at Gather Ventures, board director, angel investor, and a driving force in Africa’s startup ecosystem.

From her journey into venture capital through actuarial science, to her reflections on the maturity of the African startup landscape, Ivy shares a wealth of insights on:

🌍 The evolution of Africa’s startup ecosystem—from its early days to today’s cycles of highs and downturns.

👩🏽‍💼 The role of resilience, grit, and execution in successful founders.

💸 Balancing commercial viability with impact investing in Africa’s unique markets.

🚫 Myths about investing in Africa (and why Silicon Valley’s playbook doesn’t fully apply here).

👩‍👩‍👧 Gender dynamics in VC and why amplifying women’s voices matters.

🔮 Her one piece of advice for the next generation of African founders.

Along the way, we also get personal—chatting about golf, roosters keeping neighbors awake at 2 a.m., and even how a tendon injury taught Ivy something new about anatomy.

🔊 Ivy Says:
“You can’t have a down cycle unless you’ve had an up cycle—that’s maturity.”
“Don’t ignore women as a market. They control most household spend and drive consumer decisions.”
“Execution in Africa takes grit. It’s harder, but the ones who push through build lasting businesses.”

🌍 About Ivy Macharia:
💼 Head of Portfolio – Gather Ventures (backing catalytic climate & gender-focused businesses)
💡 Angel Investor – Member of Nairobi Business Angel Network & Grounded Investor
📊 Board Director – Drop Access Limited
🌱 Advocate for capital in local hands—championing African-led venture building
👩‍👧 Wife, mother, firstborn daughter, and smallholder farmer on weekends

📌 Connect with Ivy:
🔗 LinkedIn: Ivy Macharia

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#FullScalePodcast #IvyMacharia #GatherVentures #AfricanStartups #AngelInvesting #ImpactInvesting #VentureCapital #WomenInVC #ResilientFounders #ProductMarketFit #AfricaRising

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(00:00) behind the scenes.
(03:41) Intro.
(04:40) Who is Ivy Macharia.
(08:51) Journey of start- up in Africa.
(13:02) Key traits and red flags that shapes investment decision.
(17:32) Kenya's start up criticism.
(22:34) Balance between commercial viability and impact.
(29:38) Regional differences on how to approach difficulties.
(33:25) Myths about investing in Africa
(36:15) Do silicon valley playbook work for Africa.
(39:37) Is the industry empowering women voices.
(44:08) Founders time capsule.
(46:55) Surprise question.
(50:16) Interesting thing of the week.
(52:27) Outro and conclusion.