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

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB)has approved an equity investment of €9.8 million to support venture capital investments in African start-ups, from seed to growth stages.

Of the equity investment, €7 million will be sourced from the African Development Bank’s own resources; the additional €2.8 million represents funds provided by the European Union (EU) through a partnership with the Organisation of African Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).

The investment will help Cathay-AfricInvest Innovation Fund meet its target of securing €110m to invest in over 20 early-stage ventures across sub-Saharan Africa. The Innovation Fund focuses on financial inclusion (financial tech and insurance tech), retail and logistics platforms targeting online and mobile consumers, healthcare technologies, and pay as you go, off-grid energy technologies.

Photo courtesy of Vu Hoang.