The fund brings together capital from both institutional investors and experienced entrepreneurs, with a shared focus on helping high-growth businesses expand and compete at scale.

Harvest Fund III operates as a co-investment vehicle, meaning it invests alongside established lead investors rather than acting alone.

Most of its capital is directed toward companies in later funding stages, particularly Series B and beyond, where businesses are preparing for regional or global expansion.

This approach builds on Endeavor’s broader model, which combines funding with access to mentorship, global networks and strategic guidance.

Founded in 1997, Endeavor operates in multiple regions worldwide and focuses on supporting entrepreneurs with the potential to create large-scale economic impact.

The latest fund reflects growing alignment between South Africa’s financial institutions and its venture ecosystem.

Backers include FirstRand, Standard Bank, Allan Gray and the SA SME Fund, alongside a group of prominent founders and operators such as Discovery co-founder Barry Swartzberg and Tyme Group leaders Coenraad Jonker and Tjaart van der Walt.

Tjaart van der Walt, who also serves on Endeavor South Africa’s board, emphasized the role of founder participation in strengthening the ecosystem.

“Harvest Fund III reflects what Endeavor has always believed: the strongest venture ecosystems are built when successful founders reinvest their capital, experience and networks into the next generation,” he said.

“This combination of entrepreneurial insight and institutional capital creates a powerful multiplier effect for both companies and the broader ecosystem.”

The fund arrives at a time when South Africa’s startup ecosystem is maturing, with increasing attention on scaling companies and achieving successful exits.

Previous funds under the Harvest model have demonstrated strong growth, reinforcing investor confidence in backing later-stage ventures.

Alison Collier, CEO of Endeavor South Africa, noted that while the country has strong entrepreneurial talent, access to coordinated support remains a challenge.

“South Africa has world-class founders, talent and innovation, who are building businesses to solve challenges that exist in the mass market. What is often missing are global networks and coordinated support ‘from one experienced founder to another’ to back and scale entrepreneurs,” she said.

“Harvest Fund III is designed to close that gap and help more companies reach meaningful scale, leveraging the Endeavor founder-led network.”

For the SA SME Fund, which has backed multiple Harvest funds, the new vehicle plays a role beyond capital deployment.

CEO Ketso Gordhan said the fund contributes to strengthening the country’s scale-up economy.

“Harvest Fund III is important because it backs businesses that have already been rigorously selected and supported, while also helping deepen South Africa’s scale-up economy,” he said.

“As the market matures, exits matter more than ever. They validate the asset class, recycle capital, and build long-term confidence in venture investing.”

With a pipeline of vetted companies across South Africa and other African markets, Endeavor expects the fund to support businesses that are not only growing locally but also expanding across borders.

The broader goal is to reinforce a cycle where successful exits feed capital and expertise back into the ecosystem, helping sustain long-term growth in Africa’s technology sector.