Africa

Acumen is a venture philanthropy organization that invests in visionary entrepreneurs building transformational companies from seed to scale. They focus on funding bold entrepreneurs who are creating inclusive solutions across sectors like sustainable agriculture, quality education, renewable energy, healthy communities, dignified jobs, and gender equality. Their mission is to break the cycle of poverty through patient capital investments in high-innovation, high-impact enterprises. They operate by deploying philanthropic capital to shape markets and support entrepreneurs who are addressing the world's toughest poverty-related challenges, investing where traditional funders won't. Acumen Ventures has established itself as a significant force in the impact investing ecosystem since 2001, with an A to Z directory of portfolio companies spanning over two decades. They matter because they've reinvented the rules of return, prioritizing impact alongside financial sustainability and helping to demonstrate that venture philanthropy can drive meaningful systemic change in underserved communities globally.

Adenia Partners is a private markets investment firm focused on growth opportunities across Africa. Founded in 2002, the firm invests in high-potential companies that drive economic development while delivering strong financial returns. With offices across key African markets, Adenia Partners works closely with management teams to scale businesses, improve operational performance, and expand regional footprint. The firm integrates ESG and impact considerations into its investment strategy, with a focus on building resilient businesses that contribute to long-term economic growth on the continent.

ALMA Sustainable Finance is an impact investment firm focused on mobilizing capital toward sustainable development and climate solutions. The firm partners with institutional investors, development finance institutions, and private sector stakeholders to structure and deploy capital into high-impact opportunities across emerging markets. Through a blended finance approach, ALMA Sustainable Finance supports investments that address critical global challenges, including climate change, financial inclusion, and sustainable infrastructure, while delivering competitive financial returns.

Athar Investment Fund is a Morocco-based impact investment fund focused on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that drive inclusive economic growth. The fund targets businesses that create jobs, strengthen local industries, and expand access to opportunity across Morocco and the broader North African region. Through a hands-on investment approach, Athar partners with entrepreneurs to scale operations, improve governance, and unlock long-term value. Its strategy aligns financial performance with measurable social and economic impact, particularly in underserved communities.

Calvert Impact is a global impact investment firm with 30 years of experience connecting investors to solutions that benefit people and the planet. The organization channels investments from individual and institutional investors (from $20 to billions) into high-impact projects that mainstream capital markets typically avoid, such as renewable energy funds in Sub-Saharan Africa and small business lending to underserved US populations. Through their Community Investment Note® and other financial products, Calvert Impact has moved billions of dollars into sectors like microfinance, affordable housing, and clean energy access, serving 163.4 million clients (78% women) across 100+ countries while reducing 6.4 million metric tons of CO2.

Camco Clean Energy is a specialist climate and impact fund manager with over 30 years of experience leading the transition to sustainable development in emerging markets. The firm manages $363 million in assets under management across 7 active impact funding vehicles, having completed over 200 transactions in 30+ countries. Camco focuses on delivering transformative impact to local communities while maintaining strong return profiles, combining the discipline of a development bank with the agility of a private company. The firm has achieved significant impact metrics including 17,710 direct jobs created, 342 MW of renewable energy capacity funded, and 229,629 tCO2e avoided through their managed funds.

The Catalyst Fund is a pre-seed VC fund and accelerator that invests $200K in early-stage startups and follows on at Seed and Series A rounds. As a thesis-driven investor, they focus exclusively on backing founders building climate adaptation and resilience solutions across Africa. The fund operates as both an investor and venture builder, with ex-founders and operators providing hands-on support spending 400+ hours with each startup to accelerate growth. Since 2015, they have accelerated 81 companies across 19 markets, connecting startups to their global network of 250+ investors and ecosystem partners. Their comprehensive approach includes tailored venture building support across key business areas including data, tech, sales, talent, product, fundraising, and growth.

Cerulean Ventures is a $10 million pre-seed venture capital firm that backs founders building asset-light, rapid scaling software companies focused on climate solutions. They specifically target companies applying AI to build exponential solutions for nature and climate change. Their mission is to bring climate solutions to market quickly while fighting greenwashing and moving the climate economy beyond the green premium. Unlike traditional climate investors who focus on niche markets with green premiums or first-of-a-kind moonshots with decades-long timelines, Cerulean takes a different approach by identifying systemic leverage points where proprietary data, compute, AI scaling, and fintech solutions can rapidly scale. Cerulean matters in the ecosystem because they focus on transforming large economic sectors that have been resistant to digital transformation, including mining, niche manufacturing, soft tropical commodities, pharma supply chains, and emerging markets of natural capital and biodiversity. They position themselves as addressing the gap in climate investing by targeting systemic change rather than status quo business model disruptions.

Climate Fund Managers (CFM) is a for-profit investment manager specializing in climate finance across emerging markets in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The firm uses blended finance structuring to attract public and private capital for high-impact climate investments, with over USD 2 billion in assets under management and targeting an additional USD 6 billion. CFM provides complete lifecycle financing solutions for infrastructure developers, covering development, construction, and operational stages of projects. Their investment approach focuses on climate change mitigation and adaptation in areas most affected by climate consequences, delivering both environmental impact and risk-adjusted returns to investors.

The Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) is an autonomous intergovernmental financial institution established within the United Nations framework. Established in 1989 with its first project approved in 1991, the CFC provides impact finance to small and medium enterprises, cooperatives, and governments in the commodity sector across developing countries. The organization focuses on creating economic opportunities and unlocking potential in commodity value chains, with particular attention to least developed countries and vulnerable markets. With 101 Member States and 9 Institutional Members, the CFC operates through various mechanisms including direct project financing, technical assistance, and specialized funds like the ACT Fund for climate-resilient agricultural systems.

Connectivity Capital is the world's first impact investment fund focused on expanding internet access in frontier markets. The fund provides investment management and advisory services to partners who share their mission of bringing affordable broadband connectivity to every community worldwide. Their debt fund finances connectivity infrastructure by identifying, investing in, and partnering with market-leading ISPs and digital infrastructure companies across frontier markets. The fund also operates an insights platform that offers project advisory services, market assessments, and operational assistance to investors, operators, and partners in the connectivity space.

Enabling Qapital Ltd. (EQ) is a FINMA-regulated Swiss impact asset manager with over USD 900 million under management. The company specializes in impact investing through private debt and listed bonds, focusing on microfinance, access to energy/clean cooking, and emerging market bonds. Their investments aim to generate financial, social, environmental, and economic returns while contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. With a diverse team of over 65 members representing 14 nationalities and speaking more than 21 languages, EQ operates under the philosophy of "moving money to meaning." The company's portfolio reaches microborrowers worldwide, with particular focus on rural and female clients. EQ is closely linked to the non-profit EMF Enabling Microfinance Foundation, which launches additional projects to improve conditions along the microfinance value chain.

era92 Fund is a Uganda-based impact investment and microfinance platform focused on expanding economic opportunity across Africa. The organization provides capital and financial services to startups, SMEs, and micro-entrepreneurs building businesses that improve livelihoods and strengthen local economies. Operating through two core divisions, era92 Finance and era92 Ventures, the fund combines inclusive lending with patient impact capital to support entrepreneurs solving critical social and economic challenges. Its mission centers on reversing poverty and creating long-term prosperity through financial inclusion and social enterprise development.

Helios Investment Partners is the largest Africa-focused private investment firm, managing funds totaling approximately $3 billion since 2004. The firm bridges international capital and know-how with African talent and enterprise, applying world-class investment capabilities and entrepreneurial business-building across four distinct investment strategies. As the largest B Corp certified emerging market PE firm globally, Helios is committed to delivering growth with impact, focusing on generating globally competitive returns while driving positive social, economic and environmental outcomes across Africa.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private foundation that supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. Beyond their famous MacArthur Fellows program, the Foundation works across multiple focus areas including defending human rights, advancing global conservation and security, improving urban environments, and understanding technology's impact on children and society. The Foundation operates through various program areas including Big Bets on climate solutions, criminal justice reform, AI opportunity, and local news, alongside enduring commitments to journalism, media, and philanthropy support.

Kiva is an international nonprofit organization that expands financial access to help underserved communities thrive through crowdfunded microloans. Founded in 2005, Kiva connects lenders with borrowers worldwide, allowing people to lend as little as $25 to entrepreneurs and individuals who lack access to traditional banking services. The platform has facilitated over $2.4 billion in life-changing loans to 6 million people across the globe. Kiva prioritizes supporting populations with the greatest need, including women entrepreneurs, refugees, climate-threatened communities, and marginalized U.S. entrepreneurs. With over 1 billion unbanked people worldwide, Kiva tackles financial inequality by putting the power of financial inclusion in everyone's hands. The organization ensures 100% of loan contributions go directly to supporting borrowers, creating lasting change one loan at a time.

Since 2010, Kuramo Capital Management has been a leading force in connecting global investors with Africa's dynamic markets. With strategic presence in Nairobi, Lagos, and New York, they deliver deep local insights and drive significant returns. The firm manages nearly $500 million under management and has catalyzed over $3 billion into high-growth businesses across sub-Saharan Africa, impacting over 3.5 million lives across 200+ companies in 30+ countries. Kuramo employs a results-oriented and data-centric ESG strategy that incorporates and oversees ESG factors throughout the investment life cycle. They focus on key sectors including Financial Services, Agriculture, Technology, and Power, using primary fund investments, direct and co-investments, and separately managed accounts to build sustainable prosperity across Africa.

Mercy Corps Ventures is the impact investing arm of Mercy Corps that invests in and accelerates high-impact enterprises operating in frontier markets. They focus on backing visionary early-stage founders who are building catalytic solutions across adaptive agriculture & food systems, inclusive climate fintech, and other climate resilience technologies in emerging markets. Their mission centers on increasing the resilience of people and communities in frontier markets by identifying, investing in, and accelerating the growth of innovative solutions. They operate as a family of funds that provide founders with the capital, support, and pathways needed to scale their impact-driven ventures from seed to scale. Mercy Corps Ventures plays a crucial role in the impact investing ecosystem by addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time, including climate volatility, financial exclusion, and fragility of food systems. Their work matters because they bridge the gap between traditional development aid and market-based solutions, creating sustainable pathways for communities to build resilience against global challenges while supporting entrepreneurial innovation in underserved markets.

Next Billion Capital Partners is a private equity firm investing in transformative growth across global emerging markets, with a focus on sectors where mobile-first models are reshaping industries. Led by former IFC professionals with over a decade of working together, the firm combines institutional rigor with deep market knowledge to build enduring value. The firm backs growth-stage companies in financial services, insurance, and healthcare that serve consumers and small to mid-sized businesses driving economic expansion. With $200M+ invested across 40 companies in 15 countries and 10 exits, Next Billion Capital partners with market leaders in regions where digital adoption is redefining everyday services—from banking and credit to insurance and primary care.

One Acre Fund is an agricultural service provider that supplies smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa with farm supplies, financing, and training needed to increase productivity and income. They work with 1 million smallholder farmers, providing quality seeds, fertilizers, and agricultural services to help farmers grow more food and earn more money on the same plot of land. The organization operates on an investment model rather than charity, providing farmers with the tools and knowledge they need to build resilient communities and sustainable livelihoods. Instead of giving handouts, One Acre Fund invests in farmers to help them increase yields and profits through better planting techniques, naturally-produced hybrid seeds, and small amounts of fertilizer combined with education and training. One Acre Fund plays a critical role in addressing food security and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa, where most people living on $1 a day are farmers and smallholder farms produce 80% of the continent's food. Their work delivers 45% more farm income on the same plot of land, helping create pathways out of hunger and poverty while strengthening local economies and communities across nine African countries.

Pharo Foundation is a mission-driven, impact-oriented organization that designs, funds, and operates economic development programmes toward a vibrant, productive, and self-reliant Africa. The foundation focuses on three core missions: education, water, and productivity, operating primarily in the Horn of Africa including Ethiopia, Somaliland, Rwanda, and Kenya. Distinguished as a privately funded organization, Pharo Foundation combines sustainable ventures with non-profit projects, prioritizing problem-solving, research, and economic empowerment. In 2019, the foundation expanded its approach by adding a commercial arm called Pharo Ventures, which operates for-profit social enterprises to complement its non-profit activities and create sustainable impact across the continent.

The Rockefeller Foundation is a philanthropic foundation with an unchanged mission since 1913: to promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world. The foundation works with grantees and partners to drive innovations, mobilize change-makers, and forge breakthroughs that advance the well-being of people and the planet. Their approach focuses on finding and scaling solutions that advance opportunity and reverse the climate crisis. The foundation operates globally, helping people in the U.S. and around the world to ensure good jobs, good food, good health, and good livelihoods. They use their convening power to bring unlikely partners together and demonstrate that collaboration is the fastest route to impact across energy, food, health, finance, and economic opportunity sectors.

Shell Foundation is a philanthropic foundation that enables millions of people in Africa and Asia to increase their incomes with clean energy solutions. The foundation focuses on three core people: smallholder farmers, transporters, and micro-entrepreneurs, working to impact their livelihoods through innovative partnerships and catalytic finance. The organization partners with public and private organizations to foster early-stage innovation and scale commercial clean energy solutions. Shell Foundation emphasizes its independence as key to delivering its mission and maintains strategic partnerships, including a unique partnership with the FCDO, to maximize impact across their target regions.

SIMA Funds is a social asset manager that specializes in impact investing with a focus on empowering the Bottom of the Pyramid through commercial capital and advisory solutions. They operate multiple investment funds including Commercial And Industrial Solar, Green Bond, Emerging Distributor Finance Fund, Energy Access Relief Fund, and Off-Grid Solar and Financial Access Fund. The organization's mission centers on driving positive change through demand-driven commercial capital deployment to underserved populations and markets. SIMA operates by combining investment capital with advisory services to create sustainable financial and social impact, positioning themselves as pioneers in the impact investing space. SIMA Funds plays a significant role in the impact investing ecosystem by focusing on energy access, solar solutions, and financial inclusion for underserved communities. Their comprehensive approach of providing both funding and advisory services helps build industry capacity while creating measurable positive change both financially and socially, making them an important player in sustainable development finance.

Talanton Impact Fund is a faith-driven impact investment firm that creates transformative change through strategic investments in East Africa's 'missing middle' - growth-stage businesses with $500K-$15M in revenue. The fund targets the critical funding gap between microfinance and traditional banking, where 70% of new jobs are created by small and medium-sized businesses. Guided by the biblical Parable of the Talents, Talanton has committed $60M in capital across 18 active investments, impacting over 148,500 jobs across Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and the DRC. Their rigorous vetting process and ongoing mentorship ensure both business growth and meaningful social impact, allowing faith-driven investors to earn financial returns while combating poverty through job creation.

ThirdWay Partners is a passionate group of investors and entrepreneurs with decades of combined experience in corporate finance and strategy consulting, rooted in Indian Ocean Africa. The firm is committed to the vision of businesses, communities and ecosystems thriving together, operating at the frontier of a new investment paradigm that moves beyond traditional philanthropy versus purely economic returns. The team prides itself on diversity, representing a multitude of cultures and languages, working collectively to create impact for clients. As lateral thinkers, they strive to solve some of the world's most pressing problems by pushing boundaries to create and scale sustainable, impact-led businesses through their advisory and asset management services.