Investor

46 Parallels

46 Parallels is a pan African investment partnership with a specific focus on Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) excluding South Africa. The name 46 Parallels defines the area between two key lines of latitude the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn north and south of the Equator where they believe market opportunities are at their most promising.

Type: Investment Fund Manager

Geography: Africa

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

Acumen Fund

United States of America

The Acumen Fund's mission is to create a world beyond poverty by investing in social enterprises emerging leaders and breakthrough ideas. The Acumen Fund's vision is that one day every human being will have access to the critical goods and services they need including affordable health water housing energy agricultural inputs and services so that they can make decisions and choices for themselves and unleash their full human potential. This is where dignity starts not just for the poor but for everyone on earth.

Type: Investment Fund Manager

Geography: United States of America

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

Africa Assets

Kenya

Africa Assets was founded in 2011 by Rachel Keeler and Andrea Bohnstedt in recognition of the rapidly growing demand for reliable information on private equity and venture capital in sub Saharan Africa. The africa assets.com website provides news analysis commentary and data on Africa s PE/VC industry. It also serves as a platform to facilitate communication and collaboration amongst industry players.

Type: Investor Network

Geography: Africa

Impact: Access to Information

Investor

Argidius Foundation

Switzerland

The Argidius Foundation explicitly followed a strategy of support for international, market-driven, business development initiatives to alleviate poverty, with a current focus on the creation of sustainable employment “plus” for the poor in developing countries.

Type: Foundation

Geography: Switzerland

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

BiD Network

Netherlands

BiD Network focuses on high growth businesses based in developing countries with a financing need of US$10,000 to US$5,000,000 over the next five years. They provide professional services to entrepreneurs, coaches, investors, business angels and SME service providers. An international network of partners makes this possible.

Type: Accelerator/Incubator

Geography: Uganda

Impact: Access to Education

Investor

Blue Haven Initiative

United States of America

Blue Haven Initiative is an innovative family office dedicated to putting wealth to work for competitive returns and positive social and environmental change. Investing with high standards to maximize financial performance and public benefit it manages a diversified investment portfolio across asset classes from public equities and fixed income holdings to private equity and direct investments.

Type: Wealth Manager/Advisor

Geography: Africa

Impact: Access to Education

Investor

Crystal Ventures

Crystal Ventures Ltd (CVL) is an investment company established in 2009. The company is wholly owned by Rwandan business people who pooled resources together to meet challenges of economic recovery and take advantage of growth opportunities in a virgin environment

Type: Investment Fund Manager

Geography: Africa

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

East African Development Bank (EADB)

Uganda

The East African Development Bank (EADB) was established in 1967 with the remit to provide financial and other support to its member countries, which currently are Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. Burundi has applied to become a member state. It was re-established under its own charter in 1980 after the break-up of the East African Co-operation in 1977. The new charter opened up the Bank to a wider membership and allowed for the introduction of consulting and advisory services.

Type: Investment Fund Manager

Geography: Africa

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

Eleos Foundation

United States of America

The Eleos Foundation strives to improve millions of lives by investing in pioneering business solutions to poverty. They believe that sustainable market based solutions will be the most effective way to eradicate extreme poverty. From low cost education in India to sanitation in the slums of Kenya They re committed to innovative entrepreneurs solving tough problems.

Type: Foundation

Geography: United States of America

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

Entoto Advisors

Ethiopia

Entoto Advisors was founded in 2014 to provide high-impact services to existing and first-time investors. They work with clients seeking to invest in several difficult-to-access African markets and African business owners and entrepreneurs seeking to grow their businesses by improving operations, identifying growth opportunities or by securing financing.

Type: Investor Network

Geography: Africa

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

Ethiopian Agriculture Transformation Agency (ATA)

Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (the Agency or ATA) is an initiative of the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) which was established by federal regulation in January 2011. The primary aim of the Agency is to promote agricultural sector transformation by enhancing and supporting existing structures of government private sector and other non governmental partners to address systemic bottlenecks in the system and deliver on a priority national agenda to achieve growth and food security. The ATA focuses on a set of high priority program areas.

Type: Government

Geography: Africa

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

Flow Equity

United States of America

Flow Equity was founded in 2010 by David Ellis and Trent Koutsoubos two aspiring entrepreneurs who sought a different approach to development after spending time working with NGOs in East Africa.

Type: Investment Fund Manager

Geography: United States of America

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

Fusion Capital

Kenya

Fusion Capital is a Real Estate Developer and Private Equity Firm designed around the needs of local businesses in the emerging economies of East and central Africa. We have presence in Nairobi Kigali Kampala and Dar es Salaam.Currently we are focused on the opportunities of the East African marketplace with plans to expand to the great lakes region and beyond.

Type: Investment Fund Manager

Geography: Kenya

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

Grameen Foundation USA

United States of America

Grameen Foundation helps the world's poorest especially women improve their lives and escape poverty by providing them with access to small loans essential information and viable business opportunities. Through two of the most effective tools known small loans and the mobile phone they work to make a real difference in the lives of those who have been left behind. They create economic opportunities for the world s poorest build large scale easy to replicate solutions to end the cycle of poverty in developing countries around the world and lead the industry in measuring impact and delivering results.

Type: Foundation

Geography: Global

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

Grassroots Business Fund

United States

GBF delivers a distinctive blend of investment capital and business advisory services through two main vehicles working together: a private investment fund and a non-profit organization. Through the fund, GBF makes equity, mezzanine equity, mezzanine debt, and straight debt investments. These customized investment structures ensure that GBF’s investment performance aligns with the businesses’ performance. The fund delivers a form of capital suitable for long-term investment in businesses servicing low income communities.

Type: Investment Fund Manager

Geography: Africa

Impact: Access to Energy

Investor

ICCO Investments

Netherlands

The ICCO Cooperative has over ten years of experience in deploying different investment instruments to contribute to its core mission poverty alleviation and social justice. The strategy of the ICCO Cooperative is focused in two main areas 'Securing sustainalbe livelihood' and 'Empowering justice for all'. With their investment instruments they try to leverage the work they do with partners in their Grants based programs. By offering a range of financing instruments ICCO is also able to support their partners in all phases of their development until they are financially stable and have access to mainstream financial markets and systems.

Type: Investment Fund Manager

Geography: Africa

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

Intellecap

India

Intellecap is a pioneer in providing innovative business solutions that help build and scale profitable and sustainable enterprises dedicated to social and environmental change. The unique positioning at the intersection of social and commercial business sectors allows us to attract and nurture intellectual capital that combines the business training of the commercial world with the passion and commitment of the social world to shape distinctive solutions.

Type: Accelerator/Incubator

Geography: India

Impact: Access to Energy

Investor

International Finance Corporation

United States of America

IFC a member of the World Bank Group is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. They help developing countries achieve sustainable growth by financing investment providing advisory services to businesses and governments and mobilizing capital in the international financial markets.

Type: Institutional Investor

Geography: United States of America

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

Khosla Impact

US

Khosla Impact invests in world class entrepreneurs who are passionate about solving challenging often intractable socio economic problems through careful application of science technology and design or through creative business models. Khosla Impact believes in experimentation and encourage this approach among their entrepreneurs.

Type: Investment Fund Manager

Geography: Global

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

LGT Venture Philanthropy

Switzerland

LGT Venture Philanthropy is an impact investor supporting organizations with outstanding social and environmental impact.

Type: Investor Network

Geography: Global

Impact: Access to Education

Investor

Mango Fund

Uganda

Mango Fund seeks to encourage economic development in emerging economies by getting behind local entrepreneurs especially those that are performing value addition activities within their countries. The impact investment fund provides both capital and advisory services to bolster sustainable growth of these emerging businesses.

Type: Fund

Geography: Africa

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

Mara Foundation

Uganda

Mara Foundation is Mara Group s social enterprise that focuses on emerging African entrepreneurs. They work to create sustainable economic and business development opportunities for young business owners via their Mara Launchpad incubation centres Mara Launch Fund and Mara Mentor.

Type: Accelerator/Incubator

Geography: Uganda

Impact: Employment Generation

Investor

Montpelier Foundation

United Kingdom of Great Britai

Montpelier Foundation supports and empowers disadvantaged people across the world through social impact investments and grant programmes. The Foundation supports organisations offering sustainable and scalable solutions for disadvantaged or low-income groups in sectors such as education, agriculture and energy. In the UK, the Foundation focuses on support to teenagers and young adults facing challenges in education and employment.

Type: Foundation

Geography: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Irela

Impact: Capacity Building

Investor

Novastar Ventures

Kenya

Novastar is a venture catalyst firm assisting the next generation of exceptional entrepreneurs who are designing and executing innovative business models to profitably serve East Africa s aspiring mass market.These New Stars are the catalysts for innovation accountability efficiency and the accumulation of wealth for the common good.While we are managing a pool of capital we do not think of ourselves primarily as fund managers. The fun and focus of our work is partnering with entrepreneurs to help bring ideas to life and multiply their impact.

Type: Investment Fund Manager

Geography: Eastern Africa

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

RENEW LLC

US

RENEW is an impact investment and advisory firm that manages and serves the Impact Angel Network a global network of investors that seeks to make both social impact and financial returns on their investments in Africa. RENEW's largest office is in Addis Ababa Ethiopia where it manages its investment operations. The RENEW team is made up of financial analysts lawyers and business consultants with extensive experience in Africa.

Type: Investment Fund Manager

Geography: Africa

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

responsAbility Social Investments AG

CH

responsAbility use investments to empower people at the base of the global income pyramid. They help them realize their economic potential by giving them access to markets information and other services important for their development from which they were previously excluded. responsAbility offers financing to businesses and initiatives in developing countries and emerging markets adapted to their needs and circumstances.

Type: Investment Fund Manager

Geography: Asia

Impact: Access to Clean Water and Sanitation

Investor

Spark Ventures

United States of America

Spark Ventures is an innovative non-profit with a mission to provide sustainable solutions that lift communities out of poverty. Through philanthropic investments in social businesses, Spark Ventures leverages charitable contributions to provide ongoing funding for high-impact programming in education, health and nutrition.

Type: Investment Fund Manager

Geography: Global

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

Tanzania Investment Center

Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) Is one of the leading Investment Promotion Agencies in Africa. The Centre was established in 1997 by the Tanzania Investment Act No. 26 of 1997 to be the primary agency of Government to coordinate encourage promote and facilitate investment in Tanzania and to advise the Government on investment related matters.

Type: Government

Geography: Africa

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

The Africa Group

The Africa Group is an advisory and research start-up firm focused on the continent of Africa. Due to its singular focus, deep networks and geographic expertise, The Africa Group offers on the ground market intelligence and a unique perspective in investing across the Continent. As a start-up, our immediate focus is to deliver innovative and pioneering research which intersect the financial, political and macro-economic landscapes of the Continent. As a group, they hold a positive outlook for development of African enterprise and its integration into the world economy.

Type: Accelerator/Incubator

Geography: Africa

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

Unreasonable Institute

United States of America

Unreasonable Institute is dedicated to tackling the world’s biggest problems by arming entrepreneurs who can take them on with the mentorship, capital, and lasting, robust network to make it happen. They do this by running multi-week, in person acceleration programs in Boulder, CO, USA; Kampala, Uganda; and Aguascalientes, Mexico (with more locations to launch soon).

Type: Accelerator/Incubator

Geography: Global

Impact: Access to Clean Water and Sanitation

Investor

Verdant Frontiers

Verdant Frontiers is a US corporation that incubates businesses in Ethiopia. They are a for profit company that seeks the betterment of Ethiopia by establishing great market leading world class scalable businesses. They currently have three companies in Ethiopia (medical diagnostic clinics construction equipment rental and beef feedlot) and one JV (medical diagnostic clinic) in Uganda. Their typical investments range from $100000 to $5MM with a targeted return to investors of 30%

Type: Corporate

Geography: Africa

Impact: Access to Financial Services

Investor

VestedWorld

United States of America

VestedWorld is an investment fund focused on investing in early stage companies within emerging markets that are in industries that are core to any growing economy (e.g. manufacturing agribusiness packaged goods etc.). Currently we have six portfolio companies in four countries (Kenya Uganda Nigeria Ghana) and are seeking to grow our portfolio in East and West Africa with a long term goal of expanding to other emerging and developing markets. We seek to invest in companies that if successful will have significant impact on their communities and home economies. Additionally VestedWorld is cultivating an online community of angel investors ( VestedAngels ) that invest alongside us in these early stage companies with the goal of catalyzing overall investment into our focus geographies through investor education and experiences.

Type: Investment Fund Manager

Geography: Kenya

Impact: Capacity Building