Babacar SECK

Babacar is the founder & managing partner of Askya Investment Partners, an investment firm building generational tech and AI companies from Africa, helping the best startups scale by leveraging its unique ecosystem of business & policy leaders, media, capital providers and experts.

Babacar has extensive experience as investor and operator, having backed 17 startups and returned over $120m in net profits to investors, including one IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. Since 2015, Babacar supported the development of the African startup ecosystem as CEO of Digital Africa and Founding Member of Proparco’s $300m VC Program, backing iconic startups such as Moniepoint, Jumia and Gomycode, and anchoring multiple African VC fund managers.

Prior to becoming an investor, Babacar served as Advisor to the Chairman and CEO of AXA, one of the world’s largest firms, where he played a key role in the group’s digital transformation and its emerging markets expansion, in addition to spearheading billion-dollar strategic initiatives. He also served as director on the board of leading financial institutions and investment funds, including Bank of Africa, Lok Capital, Disruptech and Ventures Platform.