ACCOMPLISH MAGAZINE APRIL 2024

COVER
H.
TD IN SENEGAL
Accomplish Magazine: Can you
describe the objectives of TVC Labs?
What influenced your decision to set
it up?
H. Tomi Davies(TD): TVC Labs
actually came out of... It wasn't
an original idea. In 1998, I had the
privilege of meeting Bill Gross. Bill
Gross is... It'd be arrogant of me to say
my American equivalent... Bill Gross
is Bill Gross. He created Idealab**.
And, Idealab is just phenomenal!
And, that's what gave birth to the
concept of TVC Labs. It was helped
along by the late Calestous Juma, a
professor at Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (in the United States),
who helped me flesh out my thinking
of the concept.
TVC Labs, in essence, is an
entrepreneurial support organisation
providing strategic and operational
support to innovative early-stage
African tech-enabled founders and
their start-up ventures through our
syndicate of angels and the TVC Labs
team. Our vision is to sustainably
enable technology-led innovation
and independence for new ideas on
the African continent, especially West
Africa.
The purpose of TVC Labs is to
find, fund and then follow-to-exitinnovative
African founders who are
to build Africa's future together. When
I say to find, I mean: locate, spot,
pinpoint, unearth, detect, stretch out,
crack out, come across, chance on,
happen on, stumble on, encounter,
run across, run into, come upon, any
which way, but to find these amazing
founders.
And, once we found them,
the next thing is to fund them by
supplying expertise, monetary or
other resources for specified events,
activities, or operations. It's dispensemoney
on which the start-up venture
can be supported. And, once we've
found them that money by which
they could use to build and grow,
the next thing is to take an active
interest in supporting them; giving
them guidance and direction as
they build; which is constructing the
structure, assembling and joining
the parts together and making
sure all the strategic areas work in
an innovative way. The whole idea
- and that's why my formal title is
Collaborator-in-Chief - is that we do
this together; that is in combination,
collectively, in companionship and
close association with the founders
and their teams. That's what TVC Labs
is all about.
We actually have some core
values that are non-negotiable, if I
may share.
Accomplish Magazine: Yes, please.
H. Tomi Davies(TD): I call
them the four 'I's and 'C'. It starts with
Intellect. I don't suffer fools gladly,
as you know. We make the abstract
concrete by researching, reviewing,
and assessing to provide insights
that inspire action. We bring talents
together that use critical thinking to
drive change. We partner with the
people we work with to build the
capacity required for sustainable
competitive advantage. That's why
we value intellect.
Innovation is the second 'I'. We're
constantly on the look out for new
ideas, devices, and methods that
can be applied for better solutions
that meet new requirements on
articulated needs or even existing
market needs. Because for me, you've
worked with me... You know, being
good is not good enough. Why? It can
always be better.
The third 'I' is Independence.
Whether required thinking is logical or
creative, being independent thinkers
enable us to increase performance,
productivity, and efficiency.
Independent thinking is the tool I
use to open doors to opportunity for
commercial expression.
The fourth 'I' is Integrity. I strongly
believe Integrity is not just a core
value, but that it is the fabric of every
core value. It is the foundation on
which we build relationships and trust,
and it is a non-negotiable value we
seek to always demonstrate and find
in all people we engage with.
The 'C' is Collaboration. We are a
member of a vibrant, emerging,
evolving ecosystem that requires
knowledge, expertise and financial
exchanges so our successful
participation as those of others
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