“Growth at all costs” does not work everywhere.
About this lesson
“Growth at all costs” does not work everywhere. At #AFTSDC26, during the panel discussion Returns, Risks & Reality – Investing in Africa’s Fintech Ecosystem, Brian Laung Aoaeh, Founder & Managing General Partner at REFASHIOND Ventures, challenged one of venture capital’s most popular startup models. He argued that while some US startups were able to scale through aggressive capital deployment and rapid expansion, that approach is far harder to sustain across African markets, where founders often operate with tighter funding environments and different market realities. Brian also noted that even within the US, more investors are beginning to question whether the “growth at all costs” mindset truly reflects strong entrepreneurship or sustainable company building. As African startups continue to mature, the conversation is increasingly shifting toward capital efficiency, resilience, and building businesses with stronger fundamentals from the start. #AFTSDC26 #AfricaFintech #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #Fintech #AfricanInnovation #DigitalEconomy #REFASHIONDVentures
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