Pineapple, the South African digital insurance provider, has been named an Endeavor Outlier. This exclusive, invite-only designation is reserved for the top 10% of high-performing companies in the global Endeavor network.
The Outliers programme recognises a select group of Endeavor Entrepreneurs whose companies meet strict, annually updated benchmarks across revenue, growth, and capital raised.
Selection also considers a founder’s ability to scale in complex or volatile markets, alongside a commitment to Endeavor’s pay-it-forward ethos.
What is Endeavor?
Endeavor is a global organisation that selects and supports high-impact founders building scalable companies in emerging and complex markets. Its rigorous multi-stage selection process, evaluated by experienced entrepreneurs, operators, and investors, focuses on product-market fit, leadership, and long-term growth potential.
Selected companies gain access to a powerful global network of mentors, strategic advisory support, and co-investment opportunities through Endeavor Catalyst.
In South Africa, this community is further strengthened by the mentorship of prominent business leaders such as Adrian Gore and Barry Swartzberg (Discovery Group), Paul Harris (RMB Holdings), as well as experienced operators such as Vukani Mngxati (Microsoft South Africa) and Pieter de Villiers (Clickatell). This ecosystem connects local visionaries to a global footprint of success stories, including internationally renowned companies such as Mercado Libre, Globant, and Flutterwave.
The Global and Local Context
The 2026 Outliers cohort represents the top tier of Endeavor’s global network. Globally, this includes 238 companies across over 50 markets. This year’s class includes companies such as Flutterwave (Nigeria), LemFi (Nigeria), Moniepoint (Nigeria), and Moove (Nigeria), all of which use technology to address local challenges and expand internationally.
In South Africa, Pineapple joins a distinguished group of five Outliers that have shaped the local ecosystem. These include GoTymebank, a digital banking group that reached over 10 million customers in South Africa in under six years and is now expanding across Asia.
In 2026, the cohort also includes Onafriq, a digital payments hub connecting more than 1 billion mobile wallets; Hello Paisa, a financial services platform improving cross-border money movement for migrant communities; and Go1, a corporate learning platform serving over 160 countries.
The Outliers programme: what it takes to qualifyThe Endeavor Outliers programme is an invite-only cohort representing the top 10% of companies in the global Endeavor portfolio. For 2026, companies are grouped into tiers based on their Net Revenue and their Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR), which is a measure used to show the mean annual growth rate of a business over a three-year period.
To qualify, companies must meet one of the following benchmarks:
Tier 1: Greater than $100 million in Net Revenue and a three-year Compound Annual Growth Rate of more than 20%.
Tier 2: Greater than $50 million in Net Revenue and a three-year Compound Annual Growth Rate of more than 90%.
Tier 3: Greater than $30 million in Net Revenue and a three-year Compound Annual Growth Rate of more than 300%.
Tier 4: A total company value of more than $1 billion.
Selection is based on financial performance, including sustained multi-year growth, as well as non-financial factors such as resilience and commitment to supporting other founders.
Why was Pineapple selected?
Pineapple’s selection recognises its growth and leadership in the digital insurance market.
Founded by Marnus van Heerden, Ndabenhle Ngulube, Sizwe Ndlovu, and Matthew Smith, Pineapple operates a digital-first, omnichannel insurance platform focused on transparency, speed, and user experience.. In 2023, Pineapple raised R400 million, marking Africa’s largest insurtech fundraise. While Endeavor does not disclose company-specific metrics, Outlier status confirms that Pineapple meets the internal benchmarks for scale and sustained growth.
Why this matters
Pineapple’s inclusion adds to the growing number of South African companies scaling within global networks. South Africa accounts for 46% of Africa’s Outliers, reinforcing its position as a key contributor to the continent’s high growth ecosystem. This designation provides access to Endeavor’s international network, where the core philosophy is that “who you build with matters as much as what you build, “enabling founders to learn from peers facing similar challenges.
This recognition highlights a broader shift where African founders are demonstrating that building from the continent in complex environments is a competitive advantage.
Pineapple is a key member of the South African cohort, which includes fintech and Insurtech companies leveraging technology to drive down the cost to serve and promote financial inclusion. As part of this group, Pineapple continues to develop products that reach beyond its home market, contributing to a global entrepreneurial movement where African founders scale into global markets and serve customers across borders.
