"The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth."
Akan Proverb
Twenty-eight years of building wealth rooted in African values, heritage and wisdom.
Asase Capital was founded in Accra in 1997 by a group of Ghanaian entrepreneurs who believed that African families deserved wealth management rooted in African values — not transplanted from Wall Street or the City of London.
The name Asase comes from the Akan word for earth — the foundation of all things. It is a name that carries responsibility. Wealth, like the earth, must be stewarded with patience and humility.
From our first office on Independence Avenue in Accra, we have grown into a firm that manages $10.4 million across four flagship funds, serving 340+ clients from Cape Town to New York.
We exist to build generational wealth for African families and institutions — wealth that is patient, purposeful and deeply connected to the communities it serves.
We believe the best investment thesis is one rooted in culture. Understanding how families in Kumasi, Lagos or Nairobi think about money, land and legacy gives us an edge no Bloomberg terminal can replicate.
Our philosophy has never changed: patience over speculation. Legacy over liquidity. Roots before returns.
"We do not manage money. We tend to it — the way a farmer tends to land that will outlast him."
— Kwame Asante, Founder
Kwame Asante and four co-founders establish Asase Capital on Independence Avenue, Accra, with a mandate to serve Ghanaian families underserved by international wealth managers.
The flagship fund launches with $40K in initial commitments from twelve founding families. It becomes the cornerstone of everything that follows.
To serve the growing African diaspora in the UK, Asase Capital opens its Canary Wharf office — becoming one of the first Africa-founded wealth managers with a London presence.
While global markets collapsed, our Baobab Preservation Fund protects client capital entirely. The crisis cements our philosophy: patience and preservation over speculation.
Recognising the enormous growth potential across Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America, we launch the Sankofa fund — named for the Akan principle of looking back to move forward.
We cross $1 Millon in assets under management and open our New York office at 432 Park Avenue, cementing our position as a truly global institution rooted in African heritage.
Today, Asase Capital manages $10.4 million across four funds for over 340 clients spanning five continents. We remain privately held, founder-led and committed to the values of 1997.
Kwame founded Asase Capital in 1997 after two decades in investment banking. A graduate of the University of Ghana and Harvard Business School, he is a trustee of three pan-African educational foundations.
Adwoa joined as CEO in 2014, bringing 20 years of experience at Goldman Sachs and Lazard. Under her leadership, AUM has grown from $800K to $10.4M.
Emeka oversees all four funds and leads our investment committee. A former portfolio manager at Bridgewater Associates, he brings rigorous quantitative discipline to our human-centred philosophy.
Fatou leads the Sankofa fund from Accra. Born in Dakar, educated in Paris and Oxford, she has spent 15 years building relationships with entrepreneurs and institutions across Sub-Saharan Africa.
James ensures every client relationship is personal and long-term. With backgrounds in private banking and cultural anthropology, he understands that wealth management is ultimately about people.
Nkechi joined from Clifford Chance in 2018. She specialised in cross-border financial regulation across Africa and Europe, overseeing all legal and compliance matters across our three jurisdictions.
Our four founding principles have guided every investment decision, every client relationship and every hire since 1997. They are not a marketing statement. They are a binding commitment.
We measure returns in decades, not quarters. We never chase yield at the expense of principle.
True wealth is not a number. It is what your grandchildren inherit — values, land, education, community.
Our edge is cultural knowledge built over generations, not algorithms. We invest in what we understand.
Every investment we make should strengthen the communities it touches. Extractive wealth is not our business.