14 Ecosystem Builders Selected for Village Capital’s Empowering Sustainable Africa Initiative

Nairobi, Kenya (August 26, 2024) — Village Capital (VilCap) has announced the selection of 14 notable Ecosystem Builders to join its Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship Africa initiative. Supported by Norway through Norad – the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation – the program aims to strengthen the ecosystem for climate-focused startups in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

As the demand for impactful climate solutions grows, ecosystem building has become vital in supporting entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa. However, challenges such as limited access to finance, talent shortages, inadequate support systems, and market fragmentation among regional actors continue to hinder the development of high-growth startups. This initiative directly addresses these challenges by focusing on the climate-support ecosystem, which accounted for one-third of all startup investments in Africa in the past year. By advancing sectors like the blue economy, climate adaptation, food security, and renewable energy, it’s set to catalyze large-scale ecosystem growth and create a pipeline of investable sustainability startups in the region.

From August to November 2024, the 14 Ecosystem Builders will receive comprehensive support, including investment-readiness training, sector-specific deep-dive sessions led by experts in climate adaptation, blue economy, renewable energy, and food security, and collaboratively develop research on ecosystem support structures in each market. They will also gain access to VilCap’s ESO diagnostic tool designed to strengthen their financial, social, and human capital and programming. The technical skills and resources acquired during this program aim to develop the Ecosystem Builders and enhance their ability to better source and support startups working on localized climate solutions.

Meet the selected Ecosystem Builders:

• ANZA Entrepreneurs (Arusha, Tanzania) is a leading ecosystem enabler that empowers entrepreneurs through strategic capacity building, sustainable business practices, and impactful partnerships.
• Catalyst Fund (Nairobi, Kenya) is a pre-seed fund and accelerator investing in tech startups that offer climate adaptation solutions to enhance the resilience of communities in Africa.
• Ennovate Ventures (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) is a venture factory supporting early-stage, innovative businesses that aim to enhance prosperity and job creation in Africa.
• Equip Mozambique (Beira, Mozambique) trains leaders to combat poverty, supports 1,100 organizations, and fosters entrepreneurship with a focus on sustainable development.
• Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC) (Accra, Ghana) is a cutting-edge national business incubator supporting innovations in climate.
• ideiaLab (Maputo, Mozambique) has a robust, evidence-based entrepreneurship development methodology that anchors all its programs. It also has a 14-year track record of developing and enabling entrepreneurial potential.
• Kenya Climate Innovation Centre (KCIC) (Nairobi, Kenya) supports the development, scale-up, and commercialization of innovative climate solutions with the aim of catalyzing climate mitigation and adaptation in East Africa.
• MEST Africa (Accra, Ghana) is a software entrepreneurship training program, seed fund, incubator, and accelerator for technology companies in Africa, dedicated to supporting African entrepreneurs and building globally successful software companies.
• Mhub (Lilongwe, Malawi) is Malawi’s first tech and innovation hub, strategically positioned to champion entrepreneurs and youth startups through coaching, mentorship, and access to finance.
• Mzuzu E-Hub (Mzuzu, Malawi) is an entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation hub in Malawi that fosters a thriving ecosystem to amplify the self-reliance of individuals and communities through enterprise development support, digital inclusion initiatives, and ecosystem engagement.
• Pangea Accelerator (Nairobi, Kenya) is a Kenyan-Norwegian venture builder, accelerator, and investment platform at the forefront of supporting business ventures to build sustainable business models for scale.
• Reach for Change Foundation (Accra, Ghana) is a social enterprise that strives to unleash the power of local social entrepreneurs to drive sustainable green initiatives, and empower and innovate in Edtech for the benefit of women, youth, and children.
• Sahara Ventures (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) is a dynamic management consulting firm specializing in strategic advisory services and project management in three core areas: development (impact), innovation, and technology.
• Sinapis (Nairobi, Kenya) offers training, advisory services, and ongoing community to equip entrepreneurs in emerging market economies to integrate their faith into their work and grow successful businesses that can create economic, social, and spiritual impact.

This initiative marks a significant step towards empowering locally-led ESOs and fostering an environment where climate-focused startups can thrive, leading to impactful solutions for the region’s most pressing environmental challenges.

For more information, reach out to Eva Waweru at Village Capital (eva.waweru@vilcap.com).

About Village Capital 

Village Capital is reinventing the system to back the entrepreneurs of the future. Known for its groundbreaking approaches to supporting founders who are building solutions to emergent social, economic, and environmental challenges, VilCap unlocks critical social and financial capital for early-stage companies to maximize business and impact growth.

Village Capital has operated in sub-Saharan Africa since 2012, running over 14 accelerator programs serving entrepreneurs in 15 countries in the region. VilCap has supported more than 120 locally-based startups and 78 Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESO) working in sectors such as financial health, hardware, sustainability, and the future of work. Learn more at www.vilcap.com and follow @villagecapital. 

About Norad

Norad is the Norwegian agency for development cooperation. We work for the world to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Norad is a professional body under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Together with our partners and on behalf of Norway, Norad strives for a greener future in a world without poverty. Human rights must be respected, and none left out. By way of knowledge and cooperation, we ensure that the funds of Norwegian development aid contribute to global development.