About the Program
Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Africa 2025 is Phase Two of an initiative to strengthen climate innovation across Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
In 2024, Village Capital, in partnership with Norway, through Norad – the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, supported 14 Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs)/Ecosystem Builders through training and capacity building (read about Phase One here). This year, we continue our mission to support impact-creating founders and strengthen regional ecosystems by collaborating with five of these locally-led Ecosystem Builders.
Together, we will co-deliver five tailored investment-readiness programs, supporting 150 sustainability-focused startups across the above-mentioned markets in SSA.
The Sustainability Crisis in Africa
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.
Eligibility
Eligibility requirements include:
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Have legal incorporation and operate as a for-profit entity in at least one of the following countries or have intentions to expand into them: Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, or Tanzania.
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Have a market-based tech solution that tackles one of the following challenges: Climate Adaptation, Renewable Energy, Blue Economy, or Food Security.
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Be in compliance with local fiscal and business law.
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Have at least two full-time founders based in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, or Tanzania.
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Have at least a minimum viable product (MVP) and raised less than USD 1M in equity.
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Have meaningful customer or business validation (not limited to revenue, it can also be successful pilot studies, number of users, and/or strategic partnerships).
How to Apply
Startups should apply based on their country of operation:
