Babacar Seck is the founder and Managing Partner of Askya Investment Partners, an investment firm dedicated to building a new generation of technology and artificial intelligence champions from Africa.

An experienced investor and operator, he has backed close to twenty startups, including two of Africa’s earliest unicorns. Since 2015, he has contributed to the development of Africa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, first as a founding member of Proparco’s $300 million venture capital program (the private-sector arm of the French Development Agency Group) and subsequently as Chief Executive Officer of Digital Africa. In these capacities, he supported the financing of iconic startups including Moniepoint, Jumia, Gomycode and Maad, and anchored the first generation of institutional venture capital fund managers on the continent.

He previously served as a board director of leading institutions and associations, including Bank of Africa, Sciences Po Alumni and Africa 2.0. He currently co-chairs the Investment Working Group of the Smart Africa AI Council and the Fintech Steering Committee of the Africa Financial Summit.

Babacar Seck today devotes his time to the building of a thriving Africa, driven by a new generation of visionary and responsible entrepreneurs.

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