Legal infrastructure for your startups and your funds
Training, legal coaching and contract review for organizations that support and invest in African startups. We structure your portfolio legally so it's ready for due diligence.
Two programs, one goal: reduce legal risk
Incubators & accelerators
You support cohorts of startups and want them legally structured from day one — not discovering the problems during due diligence.
Startups in the program reach out to ALF when they have legal needs. We run online coaching sessions, then review contracts when needed.
Investment funds & management companies
You invest in African startups and need your portfolio companies structured to the standard your LPs expect — governance, documentation, compliance.
Training fund managers on the legal aspects a management company needs to master: fund structuring, governance, investment documentation, due diligence.
3 pillars to build your legal infrastructure
Train upfront, support on an ongoing basis, equip what can be equipped — that's how we reduce legal risk across a whole portfolio.
Legal training
An intensive day, built on real cases and adapted to your audience's level (founders or fund managers).
Contract library
Access to a library of ready-to-use contract templates, adapted to African legal realities.
Legal coaching
Ongoing support for portfolio startups: Q&A sessions, contract review, due diligence prep.
Startup Law — a typical day
Our flagship training runs over a full day (8:30 AM–5:30 PM) and covers the full range of legal fundamentals for a startup, with a self-assessment, hands-on workshops, and role-play scenarios. For funds and management companies, we offer sessions dedicated to structuring and governance.
Structuring & governance
Choosing the right legal structure (SARL, SA, SAS), securing the shareholders' agreement, avoiding common capital allocation mistakes between founders.
StartupsCommercial contracts
NDA, terms & conditions, SaaS agreements, service contracts — the essential clauses and the financial levers founders underuse.
StartupsIntellectual property
Trademarks, patents, copyright, OAPI filing across 17 countries — making sure the company, not the founders, holds the IP.
StartupsEmployment law & governance
Employment contracts, IP assignment from employees, governance habits to set up from your very first hires.
StartupsFundraising
Legal instruments, term sheets, investor due diligence — what gets checked and how to prepare for it.
StartupsPersonal data
Compliance, declaration and authorization, data controller vs. processor — the 3 steps before you start processing data.
StartupsFund Structuring & Jurisdiction Strategy
Choosing the right jurisdiction and the right vehicle (OHADA vs. offshore). The legal and tax impact of appealing to LPs.
Fund managersFund Governance & LP Readiness
Robust governance: decision-making, reporting, risk allocation. AML/KYC framework and compliance.
Fund managersInvestment Process & Legal Documentation
Mastering term sheets, SHAs and warranties. Understanding the key clauses before you sign.
Fund managersGovernance Bootcamp for portfolio companies
Board structuring, investor rights, founder alignment, internal controls, conflict prevention.
Startups + Fund managersTransparent pricing, built for African ecosystems
"Startup Law" training
Full day, 7 modules, 8:30 AM–5:30 PM
Legal coaching
1:1 sessions with an expert lawyer
Contract review
Full analysis, fixed price based on complexity
30+ partner organizations across Africa
Investment funds & institutions
Programs & ecosystem
Training & coaching: your questions
The day starts with an individual legal self-assessment, then alternates between theory, small-group workshops, and role-play scenarios across the program's 7 modules. It ends with a 30-day legal action plan that each participant takes away. All materials and templates are provided.
Both. Most of our trainings run online (Zoom, Teams), but we also travel for in-person sessions — particularly for governance bootcamps or incubator events.
Yes. The "Startup Law" training is designed to give founders the essential reflexes from the start — structuring, contracts, IP — before structuring mistakes become costly later on.
That's exactly what most of our partners do. The training day lays the groundwork for the whole cohort, then 1:1 coaching and contract review cover the startups that need it. We adapt the format to your program.
We mainly work in French law and OHADA law (17 countries across Francophone Africa). For intellectual property, we also cover OAPI and ARIPO. Our network of lawyers lets us handle multi-jurisdictional matters.
Yes. All our workshops and coaching sessions are available in both French and English. We regularly work with francophone programs and fund managers investing across the OHADA zone.
Let's discuss your program
Training, coaching, contract review — we adapt our support to your organization's format and your startups' needs.
