Village Capital, in partnership with Norway, through Norad – the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, has launched the second phase of the Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship Africa initiative.
Nairobi, Kenya (March 10, 2025) — Village Capital, in partnership with Norway, through Norad – the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, has launched the second phase of the Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship Africa initiative. In 2024, we supported 14 Ecosystem Builders through training and capacity building. This year, we continue our mission to support impact-creating founders and strengthen regional ecosystems by collaborating with five of these high-performing, locally-led Ecosystem Builders to co-deliver tailored investment-readiness programs for 150 sustainability-focused startups in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
Despite Africa’s immense potential in greentech, startups in the sector face persistent challenges, including chronic underinvestment, fragmented support systems, and generic training programs. Systemic challenges such as limited capital, investor skepticism, and bureaucratic hurdles continue to slow progress. Without targeted interventions, the green transformation in sub-Saharan Africa will remain out of reach. Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship Africa will create a pipeline of 500 startups across five countries, supporting 100 startups through pre-acceleration workshops and accelerating 30 startups per market through two cohorts.
The call for applications is open to early-stage startups in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania developing high-potential sustainability solutions in Climate Adaptation, Renewable Energy, Blue Economy, and Food Security.
The initiative will be co-delivered by Village Capital and five Ecosystem Builders, each leading a localized program tailored to the country’s specific needs and dynamics.
Startups should apply here based on their country of operation. Applications close on April 30, 2025.
Meet the five ESOs who will co-deliver these programs:
From May 2025 to September 2026, the selected startups will be exposed to Village Capital’s curriculum, structured to help them develop the networks and tools they need to scale their solutions. Founders will work closely with industry experts, investors, ecosystem partners, and an investment analyst who will coach them 1:1 on building a financial model, identifying unit economics, and using financial metrics to drive both business and investor diligence. Upon completion of the program, four startups per market will be able to receive a grant of USD 25K each.
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 by running over 14 accelerator programs serving entrepreneurs in 27 countries in the region. VilCap has supported more than 170 locally-based startups and close to 50 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.
