Episode 27 | Guest Episode: Ivy Macharia - Head of Portfolio at Gather Ventures.
In this episode of the Full Scale Podcast, Adrian and Tim sit down with Ivy Macharia, Head of Portfolio at Gather Ventures, board director, angel investor, and a driving force in Africa’s startup ecosystem.From her journey into venture capital through actuarial science, to her reflections on the maturity of the African startup landscape, Ivy shares a wealth of insights on:🌍 The evolution of Africa’s startup ecosystem—from its early days to today’s cycles of highs and downturns.👩🏽💼 The role of resilience, grit, and execution in successful founders.💸 Balancing commercial viability with impact investing in Africa’s unique markets.🚫 Myths about investing in Africa (and why Silicon Valley’s playbook doesn’t fully apply here).👩👩👧 Gender dynamics in VC and why amplifying women’s voices matters.🔮 Her one piece of advice for the next generation of African founders. Along the way, we also get personal—chatting about golf, roosters keeping neighbors awake at 2 a.m., and even how a tendon injury taught Ivy something new about anatomy.🔊 Ivy Says: "You can’t have a down cycle unless you’ve had an up cycle—that’s maturity. “Don’t ignore women as a market. They control most household spend and drive consumer decisions.”“Execution in Africa takes grit. It’s harder, but the ones who push through build lasting businesses.”🌍 About Ivy Macharia:💼 Head of Portfolio – Gather Ventures (backing catalytic climate & gender-focused businesses)💡 Angel Investor – Member of Nairobi Business Angel Network & Grounded Investor📊 Board Director – Drop Access Limited🌱 Advocate for capital in local hands—championing African-led venture building👩👧 Wife, mother, firstborn daughter, and smallholder farmer on weekends📌 Connect with Ivy:🔗 LinkedIn: Ivy Macharia🎙️ New Full Scale Podcast episodes every two weeks!🎧 Listen on Spotify | Watch on YouTube | Subscribe on Apple Podcasts💬 Like, Comment, Share & Subscribe!#FullScalePodcast #IvyMacharia #GatherVentures #AfricanStartups #AngelInvesting #ImpactInvesting #VentureCapital #WomenInVC #ResilientFounders #ProductMarketFit #AfricaRising👉 Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe—and let us know in the comments what stood out to you most from Ivy’s story.
(00:00) behind the scenes.
(03:41) Intro.
(04:40) Who is Ivy Macharia.
(08:51) Journey of start- up in Africa.
(13:02) Key traits and red flags that shapes investment decision.
(17:32) Kenya's start up criticism.
(22:34) Balance between commercial viability and impact.
(29:38) Regional differences on how to approach difficulties.
(33:25) Myths about investing in Africa
(36:15) Do silicon valley playbook work for Africa.
(39:37) Is the industry empowering women voices.
(44:08) Founders time capsule.
(46:55) Surprise question.
(50:16) Interesting thing of the week.
(52:27) Outro and conclusion.
