Our Venture Model

INSIDE OUR VENTURE MODEL

We believe providing access to capital has the ability to shape futures —
and where it flows, change often follows

At Truestone, every investment is a commitment to people and the country of Sierra Leone. Venture building goes beyond simply investing in companies.

It is about creating the conditions for long-term progress in markets where potential is abundant but infrastructure, capital, and trust are often scarce.

When investment reaches the right people, in the right places, it doesn’t simply have the ability to accelerate businesses — it also helps to reshape futures.

This is why we focus on growing strong aligned relationships and at an operating level building synergies across our portfolio to improve resilience and unlock greater growth potential. By connecting experience with resources across our portfolio’s ecosystem, we are able to create greater efficiencies, accelerate innovation, and enable our businesses to adapt and thrive in a complex environment.

Our work begins in places often overlooked by traditional investors.

Taking the example of Sierra Leone, a country with extraordinary potential and complex challenges. It is home to one of the world’s youngest populations, a strategic coastal location with abundant natural resources — yet access to capital, poor infrastructure and utilities remains limited.

With 75% of arable land still unused, a rapidly growing urban population, and accelerating digital adoption, Sierra Leone holds the raw ingredients for transformation — if given the opportunity.

It is a country where small shifts in capital allocation are able to unlock outsized returns — not only in financial terms, but in livelihoods changed and long-term value creation. The demand for essential goods and services is accelerating. Infrastructure is slowly building, and a new generation of entrepreneurs is emerging — ready to respond with innovation and bold ideas.

We invest in Sierra Leone not simply because the need is great, but because the opportunity is real.

What has been built and continues to be scaled in Sierra Leone, we believe, is a model which can be replicated in other fragile nations.

FROM SEED TO SCALE

Our approach combines two unique strategies to drive value creation:

VENTURE BUILDING

INCUBATE, SEED AND SCALE START-UPS WITH TRUSTED LOCAL EXECUTIVES - BUILDING LOCALLY GROUNDED SOLUTIONS

SYSTEMS-THINKING

DEVELOP SYNERGIES BETWEEN PORTFOLIO COMPANIES TO BUILD RESILIENCE AND ENHANCE GROWTH

WHO AND WHAT WE INVEST IN

Large addressable domestic markets

We stand behind those who lead the way — because real change starts with those brave enough to go first.

We invest in purposeful businesses which are addressing urgent needs in underserved markets.

Whether it’s expanding the opportunity for greater financial inclusion or building more resilient food systems Truestone always aims to meet real needs. We deliver essential goods and services, enabling dignified work — we invest where opportunity and impact go hand in hand.

Financial Inclusion

Expanding access to tools that help people plan, grow, and protect their livelihoods.

Food Security & Agribusiness

Building stronger food systems — from production to market.

Basic Goods & Services

Backing businesses that bring quality food and everyday services closer to the people.

Building Work Opportunities

Creating dignified, sustainable jobs through skills, training, and innovation.

Climate Resilience

Enabling solutions that protect people and resources in a changing environment.

OUR PORTFOLIO IN SIERRA LEONE

Seven high-impact and interconnected companies

WHO WE STAND BEHIND

We don't just fund companies — we invest in those with the courage to turn them into engines of change. The environments may be complex, but the founders we back know how to navigate them — not only with ambition, but with grit, resilience, and a future-focused approach. And when they succeed, it's not just their ventures that grow — so do their communities.

Our catalysts are:

Rooted — connected to place, people, and purpose.
Visionary — bold enough to imagine better, focused enough to make it real.
Immersed — not outsiders looking in, but insiders leading forward.
Steady — resilient in uncertainty, resourceful in challenge.
Intentional — building impact into the core of what they do.
Aligned — with values that match our own: clarity, integrity, and commitment.

OUR APPROACH

We go beyond providing capital

For us, creating an impact investment is not simply a transaction — it is a long-term journey.

We back talented teams with patient capital, and we also bring hands-on support, operational depth, and a long-term mindset.

We work collaboratively with our executive teams to scale businesses from seed.

We drive business development in five key areas:

Strategy: shaping clear, context-driven roadmaps together.

Partnerships: unlocking networks and coalitions that accelerate growth.

People development: supporting executives and teams with the tools and training to lead.

Fundraising: connecting ventures with private and institutional capital.

ESG: embedding responsible practices that sustain long-term impact.

OUR PROMISE

Building resilient growth

We are here to deliver more than financial upside.

Our promise is to create meaningful value through:

Resilient returns — generated by backing real businesses with strong fundamentals and long-term potential.
Visible impact — Built into every investment, tracked through transparent annual reporting, and brought to life through firsthand engagement with the communities we serve.
Enduring partnerships — built on shared vision, mutual trust, and a hands-on commitment from day one.

Curious to learn more? We are just a conversation away.

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COMMON QUESTIONS

About Truestone's Investment Strategy

How does impact investing differ from traditional investing?

Impact investing differs from traditional investing in that it seeks both a financial return and intentional, measurable positive social and/or environmental outcomes, whereas traditional investing focuses primarily on financial performance.

How do you measure impact?

We combine internationally recognized ESG and SDG frameworks with our own Three Pillar Scorecard to track financial performance, impact outcomes, and governance growth. We publish results in our annual Impact Report.

How do you support entrepreneurs beyond capital investment?

We take a hands-on approach, engaging weekly with portfolio teams. Our support includes co-developing strategy, facilitating training and partnerships, and strengthening governance.

What is your investment structure?

Truestone operates a UK-based holding company with significant stakes in each portfolio business. Historically, it has also facilitated direct equity investment into individual companies.

What is your investment timeline?

Our model blends patient capital with market rate expectations. We seek value through mid-term dividends and long-term exit strategies, aligned with business maturity and market conditions.

EXPLORE

More than capital. We build businesses for the long term.

Explore our approach

Our Identity

Inspired by faith and purpose.
Backed by experience.

Meet the team

Our Impact

It is not simply about numbers but the detail and the lives behind the numbers.

Dive into our impact

Our venture model - Truestone