SA’s Stocks & Strauss surpasses $42 M in University Technology Fund platform
With the announcement of the University Technology Fund II’s final close at ZAR 400 million (US $24 million), South African investment firm Stocks & Strauss has increased the total capital across its university-linked early-stage investment platform to over ZAR700 million (US $42 million) and strengthened a dedicated pathway for commercializing innovation emerging from tertiary institutions.
Stocks & Strauss is a South African investment firm that specializes on early-stage firms, particularly those that come from local academic schools and their alumni networks. The company makes investments in seed and early development stages via the University Technology Fund platform.
The SA SME Fund, Stellenbosch University, Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies, Sanlam, Fireball Capital, the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), the University of Pretoria, Wits University, and the University of Cape Town are among the investors in UTF II, which was revealed in January 2025.
The platform currently includes UTF I, which is fully operational at ZAR230 million (US $14 million), UTF II at ZAR400 million (US $24 million), and the UTF Seed Fund at ZAR86 million (US $5 million). When combined, the funds enable Stocks & Strauss to assist businesses from their inception and seed stage to their early stages of growth.
Stocks & Strauss specializes on firms that were created by alumni of local postsecondary institutions as well as those that originated from such schools. The platform is made to help businesses that have the potential to grow outside of South Africa right away.
“UTF II gives us the capital base to back more companies at the point where patient, specialist funding can make the greatest difference,” said Wayne Stocks, managing partner at Stocks & Strauss. “South Africa’s tertiary institutions are producing globally relevant technologies and founders. Our role is to help turn that potential into scalable companies that can compete internationally.”
