“In 2026, I expect the venture studio model to gain stronger recognition as a legitimate asset class” – Leslie Ossete

Prediction

In 2026, I expect the venture studio model to gain stronger recognition as a legitimate asset class, particularly for building startups in underserved markets such as Francophone Africa and in overlooked sectors like climate tech and agriculture, where execution risk and technical complexity are high. Venture studios will increasingly be viewed as core ecosystem infrastructure, rather than marginal or experimental players.

Supporting Evidence

This prediction is grounded in clear, observable evidence. In Anglophone Africa, studios such as Delta40 and Pyramidia are tackling overlooked, high-complexity sectors like climate and agriculture, with Pyramidia recently raising $2m from the Dutch Good Growth Fund to build companies addressing food security.

In parallel, DFIs are increasingly engaging with the model, with programmes such as GIZ’s Scaling Digital Agriculture Innovations through Start-ups (SAIS) supporting venture studios launching agritechs, including Mstudio and Delta40.

Risk Factors

The main risk is misalignment between venture studio structures and existing capital frameworks. Without better alignment on cap table expectations and infrastructure financing, venture studios — and the startups they create — may struggle to scale, as some VCs remain hesitant to back studio-born companies and DFIs may not step in to sustainably support studio operating costs, despite strong performance and clear ecosystem impact.

Who is Leslie Ossete?

Leslie Ossete is a pan-African entrepreneur focused on building technology-enabled businesses that strengthen Africa’s informal economy.

In 2016, she raised $1 million after winning the Hult Prize and co-founded BuuPass, a mobility startup operating in East Africa. She later led expansion and operations scaling across several of Africa’s fastest-growing tech companies, including Wave Mobile Money—Francophone West Africa’s first unicorn—as well as Bolt and Wasoko, supporting product launches and market entry across more than 10 African countries.

Today, Leslie is cofounder and the chief operating officer of Mstudio, a startup studio based in Abidjan. Mstudio partners with entrepreneurs to co-create, finance, and scale startups serving the informal sector in Francophone Africa, supporting founders from early validation through fundraising and growth. The studio also draws on a network of 50+ venture capital funds across Africa and global markets.