For seven years, Raise has been building equity management software designed for African startups, investors, and funds. Known by many as the “Carta for Africa,” Raise supported thousands of startups and hundreds of funds across more than 18 countries.
Now, that chapter has come to a close — and a bigger one is beginning. Raise is officially winding down, with its customers migrating to Carta, the global leader in equity management.
Why This Matters
Healthy capital markets are essential for Africa’s growth. Since its founding, Raise has believed that strong equity and debt software is the foundation of financial independence. Through countless pivots, product experiments, and customer feedback, the company built an infrastructure that helped founders and funds make better decisions, improve shareholder management, and connect with global capital.
That mission doesn’t end here. Instead, it evolves. Raise’s CEO, Marvin Coleby, will now join Carta full-time to accelerate expansion into growth markets across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The learnings and innovations from Raise will integrate directly into Carta’s product and go-to-market strategy.
What It Means for Raise Customers
The transition is designed to be seamless:
- Paid Raise users will migrate directly to Carta under the same commercial terms. Carta Account Executives and Customer Success Managers are already supporting onboarding.
- Free Raise users can join Carta Launch at no cost (subject to criteria), unlocking the same features plus new tools. Sign-up takes less than 15 minutes.
This ensures that founders, funds, and employees across Africa will continue to have world-class software for managing equity.
Carta + Raise: Bridging Africa to Global Capital
Equity markets are evolving rapidly — with more retail capital, growing private equity, and a shift toward real-world assets. Carta has already proven itself over the last decade as the global leader in cap table management and fund administration.
By integrating Raise’s experience with Africa’s unique venture ecosystem, Carta is positioned to:
- Deliver better equity and fund administration tools for African companies.
- Connect Africa’s startups with global capital markets across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas.
- Strengthen the infrastructure needed to scale private and public capital across emerging markets.
