Renowned angel investor and tech visionary Esther Dyson will headline the 12th edition of Angel Fair Africa (AFA@12) as keynote speaker when the event makes its historic debut in the United States on 19th September, 2025.
Hosted at Google’s 9th Avenue offices in New York City, this year’s fair will coincide with the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) week.
Angel Fair Africa, a premier matchmaking platform for African entrepreneurs and investors, has for over a decade connected startups with potential funders in cities across Africa—including Johannesburg, Lagos, Accra, Nairobi and Abidjan.
The 2025 edition marks the first time the event will be held outside the continent, symbolising a strategic effort to engage the African diaspora and the broader global investment community.
Esther Dyson, best known for early investments in companies such as Netbeans, Flickr, Square, 23andMe and Meetup, will share insights from her decades-long experience as a technology investor and advocate for health innovation.
A former founder of the nonprofit Wellville and current chair of The Commons Project Foundation, Dyson has increasingly turned her focus to digital health delivery in Africa, beginning with programmes in Rwanda.
“The world has changed in so many ways, yet so many problems persist,” said Dyson. “Startups are not the solution, but they are part of changing the environment that will allow more Africans to prosper. In the age of AI, it’s easier to build process infrastructure more quickly, which can help startups to scale.”
Ten founders from across Africa will travel to New York to pitch to a curated group of investors, continuing momentum from earlier AFA events in Nairobi and Johannesburg, which were held in collaboration with the Afrishela Fund and the Graca Machel Trust to promote inclusive investing.
Co-founder of Angel Fair Africa and Managing Partner of Chanzo Capital, Eric Osiakwan, welcomed the US debut, saying: “We’ve long had strong participation from US investors, so bringing AFA to New York also helps us connect more closely with the African diaspora.”
Jason Scott, founder of Five Two Five, the BAG Collective, and XA Network Africa, added: “This landmark partnership marks a pivotal moment for collaboration and investment in Africa’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
The keynote session will be moderated by Osiakwan.
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