Village Capital, a global nonprofit known for backing high-impact startups across emerging markets, has selected five entrepreneur support organisations (ESOs) in Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania as venture partners in a new $4 million fund.
This move, in partnership with the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO) and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), is part of its new initiative: the Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility (AECF).
The AECF is designed to channel capital into early-stage startups offering local solutions for economic mobility and climate resilience—two of the region’s most pressing challenges.
Ghana’s Reach for Change, Nigeria’s Africa Fintech Foundry and Fate Foundation, and Tanzania’s Anza Entrepreneurs and Ennovate Ventures will now serve as venture partners under the program.
By partnering with locally rooted organisations in this investment initiative, Village Capital says it’s taking a context-first approach, one that leverages community knowledge and matches local realities rather than one-size-fits-all strategies. They believe this move will de-risk funding and unlock more targeted investments.
“This isn’t just about sourcing deals, it’s about making smarter, more informed investments by working alongside those already building and strengthening their entrepreneurial communities, “said Nathaly Botero, Innovations Manager at Village Capital.
The AECF aims to bridge persistent funding gaps in the early-stage ecosystem by giving ESOs a seat at the table as co-evaluators and ecosystem builders.
In 2024, Village Capital invested $850,000 in two African agritech startups: Aquarech (Kenya) and Coamana (Nigeria). Since its founding in 2009, Village Capital has raised over $7 billion in investment capital to support about 1800 startups
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