Nairobi-based tourism-focused venture studio Purple Elephant Ventures (PEV) has topped up its seed round by US$500,000, taking the total to US$5 million.
Founded by CEO Ben Peterson, previously senior partner at AHL Venture Partners; Jan Van der de Willebois, a former investment banker at Dyer & Blair; and serial entrepreneur Mikul Shah, founder of EatOut Africa, PEV aims to launch three or four startups each year.
The goal is to lead Africa’s tourism industry towards a greener future, with PEV startups typically scalable, tech-first solutions that supercharge urgent efforts to make Africa’s tourism industry more resilient and more sustainable in the face of climate change.
PEV raised a US$1 million pre-seed round in October 2022, and followed that up in January with a US$4.5 million seed round that features Clear Creek Investment B.V, Klister Corp., Fede Pirzo-Biroli (founder of Playfair Capital), Anthony Rock, and Ian McCaig (former CEO of Lastminute.com).
It has now secured an additional US$500,000 investment from Alphatron, a Dutch single-family office under the Alphatron Group, bringing its total seed round to US$5 million, and allowing it to further strengthen its position as one of the continent’s leading tourism-tech ventures..
“Alphatron’s investment is a testament to the transformative potential of regenerative tourism in Africa,” said Ben Peterson, co-founder and CEO of Purple Elephant Ventures. “Their support not only strengthens our financial position but also aligns with our vision of leveraging technology to build a more sustainable, inclusive, and thriving tourism industry.”
Floris de Kort, director of the Alphatron Group, said in Purple Elephant Ventures his company had found the perfect blend of innovation, sustainability, and market potential.
“Their vision for transforming Africa’s tourism sector through technology aligns perfectly with what we value at Alphatron. What resonated with us most was PEV’s understanding that technological advancement in tourism must prioritise environmental responsibility,” he said.
“This investment represents our commitment to partnering with visionaries who are reshaping industries for a climate-conscious future while delivering meaningful economic impact across Africa.”
In just a few years, PEV has launched five high-impact startups, each addressing critical gaps in the hospitality ecosystem. They are Nomad Africa, Kijani Supplies, Zafari, PowerTrip, and JOIN Africa. Unlike traditional venture studios, PEV retains control of and self-funds its startups, ensuring alignment with its long-term mission to advance tourism innovation funding and deliver transformative impact across Africa.
