# Grindstone

> Grindstone is a VC fund in Cape Town backing FinTech, Mobile Apps and Financial Services. See 19 investments, check sizes, portfolio. Updated Aug 2026.

- Type: VC Fund
- Location: Cape Town, South Africa
- Total investments: 19
- Last investment: Sep 2023
- Lead investor: 21%
- Last updated: Aug 2026
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grindstonexl/
- X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/GrindstoneXL
- Website: https://grindstonexl.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Grindstonexl/

Grindstone is a structured entrepreneurship development program that assists high-growth innovation-driven companies to get the fundamental building blocks in place to scale quickly, become sustainable and/or fundable.

## Investment focus

### Industry

| Industry | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| FinTech | 3 | 16% |
| Mobile Apps | 3 | 16% |
| Financial Services | 3 | 16% |
| Sensor | 2 | 11% |
| Payments | 2 | 11% |

40 industries tracked in total.

### Stage

| Stage | Investments | Share |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Seed | 14 | 74% |
| Venture - Series Unknown | 2 | 11% |
| Non-equity Assistance | 1 | 5% |

## Investments

| Company | Description | Amount | Stage | Date | Website |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| AgriLogiq | AgriLogiq is an agtech company that provides growers and tunnel builders with poly-greenhouse automation components. |  | Seed | Sep 20, 2023 |  |
| Play Sense | Play Sense is a home based childcare program that uses free and guided play to enhance social learning and prepare children to be creative, engaged and excited to learn. |  | Venture - Series Unknown | May 22, 2023 |  |
| Locstat | Locstat is a unique and first of its kind Graph Analytics Platform, with customer driven industry and point solutions, incorporating Graph-based AI, Analytics and Event Processing, that enables organisations to rapidly scale next generation data intelligence solutions. |  | Seed | Feb 21, 2023 |  |
| Africa Beyond 4IR | Africa Beyond 4IR is transforming lives through technology and innovation. |  | Non-equity Assistance | Jan 31, 2023 |  |
| Abaguquli | Abaguquli is a non-profit organisation. aims to improve people's lives through education and innovation. |  | Seed | Jan 31, 2023 |  |
| LocumBase | LocumBase connects freelance medical professionals with medical practices when and where needed most. The independent online booking & management platform that provides real-time availability of verified locum medical professionals to practices, pharmacies, hospitals & clinics |  | Seed | Sep 20, 2022 |  |
| LocumBase | LocumBase connects freelance medical professionals with medical practices when and where needed most. The independent online booking & management platform that provides real-time availability of verified locum medical professionals to practices, pharmacies, hospitals & clinics |  | Venture - Series Unknown | Sep 20, 2022 |  |
| Welo Health | Welo Health is an innovative Healthtech Company. It to provide at-home health services. |  | Seed | Aug 08, 2022 |  |
| Locstat | Locstat is a unique and first of its kind Graph Analytics Platform, with customer driven industry and point solutions, incorporating Graph-based AI, Analytics and Event Processing, that enables organisations to rapidly scale next generation data intelligence solutions. |  | Seed | Apr 06, 2022 |  |
| Sticitt | Sticitt is a cashless payment platform. Sticitt services schools, lifestyle and golf estates, as well as events and is assisting one utility company to get clients to pay for water bills using its cashless payments system. |  | Seed | Mar 31, 2022 |  |

10 of 19 investments shown.

## Co-investors
- [Five35 Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/five35-ventures) — VC Fund, 2 deals together
- [Savant Technology Incubator](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/savant-venture) — VC Fund, 2 deals together
- [Anza Capital](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/anza-capital) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Dazzle Angels](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/dazzle-angels) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Digital Africa Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/digital-africa-ventures) — VC Fund, 1 deal together
- [Full Circle Africa](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/full-circle-africa) — VC Fund, 1 deal together

## Similar investors

### Similar stage
- [Antler](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/antler-be9c) — VC Fund
- [Alumni Ventures](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/alumni-ventures-group) — VC Fund
- [Right Side Capital Management](https://shizune.co/investors/profile/right-side-capital-management) — VC Fund

## FAQ

### What does Grindstone invest in?

Grindstone invests primarily in FinTech, Mobile Apps and Financial Services startups, most often at Seed and Venture - Series Unknown stage. Most of the 19 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in South Africa. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.

### When did Grindstone last invest?

The most recent investment recorded for Grindstone closed in Sep 2023. Shizune tracks 19 investments in total for this profile, including round sizes, stages and portfolio companies, all sourced from confirmed public funding rounds and refreshed monthly.

### Is Shizune's investor data accurate?

Yes — every stat on this profile is calculated from confirmed public funding rounds monitored across hundreds of sources since 2020. This profile was last refreshed in Aug 2026 and is updated monthly. Spotted something off? Use the “Suggest an edit” link near the top of the page.

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