• Kenza Lahlou co-founded Outlierz Ventures to fund early-stage African tech startups.
• The firm invests from launch phase through pre–Series A rounds.
• Portfolio companies include PayTic, Kashier and Socium.

Kenza Lahlou directs investment toward early-stage African technology startups through Outlierz Ventures, the firm she co-founded and manages, positioning innovation as a catalyst for economic transformation while backing entrepreneurs from the idea stage onward.

Founded in 2017, Outlierz Ventures focuses on startups that use technology to transform key sectors of the African economy. The firm aims to back founders who tackle structural challenges while shaping the continent’s long-term growth trajectory.

The firm invests at a very early stage, often during the launch phase when projects remain in their infancy. The firm continues to support companies through subsequent milestones before major fundraising rounds. This approach allows the firm to influence strategic decisions at formative stages.

Outlierz Ventures provides capital, operational guidance and access to a professional network. The firm seeks to help founders navigate African market realities and accelerate expansion. Portfolio companies include PayTic, Kashier and Socium.

Before launching Outlierz Ventures, Lahlou co-founded StartupYourLife in 2014 and served as chief executive officer until 2018. The nonprofit identifies, connects and supports seed and early-stage startups in Morocco.

Lahlou graduated from INSA Rouen Normandie in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. She earned a master’s degree in strategy and international business management in 2011 from ESSEC Business School in Singapore.

She began her career in 2009 at Xerox Research Centre Europe as product manager and quality controller. She joined the Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research in 2011 as strategy consultant. Later that year, she joined Attijariwafa Bank in Morocco as financial analyst.

In 2012, she became strategy and business development specialist at AVISE Partners, a U.S.-based advisory firm focused on financing. Between 2013 and 2014, she served as head of Africa partnerships at Viadeo, a French company specializing in recruitment-related services.

This article was initially published in French by Melchior Koba

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de Berry Quenum