NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Monday, July 27, 2015

NAIROBI, KENYA, Jul 25, 2015 (Marketwired via COMTEX) — From the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, Village Capital today announced $13.2 million in commitments to VilCap Investments, a new investment vehicle that aims to make 100 investments in 75 peer-selected companies globally over the life of the fund.

Village Capital was founded in 2009 with the goal to democratize entrepreneurship. Its core investment thesis is that entrepreneurs building businesses are the best equipped to decide which companies receive early-stage investments. Over the past five years, Village Capital has invested more than $2 million through peer review, and portfolio entrepreneurs have validated the thesis by creating 7,000 jobs and raising $50 million in follow-on capital — and 93% of Village Capital companies are still growing and thriving.

“Entrepreneurs are going to solve the world’s challenges, and we’re excited to be able to continue supporting them in their growth,” said Village Capital Executive Director Ross Baird. “The new fund will continue to give an opportunity to entrepreneurs everywhere, regardless of who you are or where you’re from.”

The fund is the largest fund raised with capital entirely allocated by peer groups of entrepreneurs, and includes a diverse group of LPs, including internet pioneers, investors, and philanthropists like Jean and Steve Case, and The Kapor Center for Social Impact, founded by technology leaders Mitch Kapor and Freada Kapor Klein.

At the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, VilCap Investments is also announcing a partnership the U.S. Global Development Lab at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with the Partnering to Accelerate Entrepreneurship (PACE) Initiative. PACE seeks to foster entrepreneurship by connecting early stage enterprises in the developing world with the tools and resources they need to attract later stage investments.

Village Capital believes that a portfolio that includes entrepreneurs everywhere will deliver better results. While seventy-five percent of venture capital everywhere is invested in California, New York, and Boston, 88% of Village Capital’s investments are outside those states. Also, 33% of Village Capital’s peer selected investments are run by women, compared to just 8% in traditional venture capital.

About Village Capital

Village Capital finds, trains, and funds entrepreneurs solving major global challenges. Village Capital builds communities around entrepreneurs to improve business success. Village Capital’s peer review model delivers better results for entrepreneurs and investors.

Over the past five years, Village Capital has been the most active seed-stage entrepreneur support organization worldwide. More than 450 entrepreneurs have gained access to opportunity through 35 programs, and graduates have leveraged initial capital 25:1, created 7,000 jobs, and served 6 million customers.

Follow Village Capital at @villagecapital and VilCap Investments at @vilcapinvest or online at http://vilcap.com/.