International Finance Corporation
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is a member of The World Bank Group that focuses on fostering sustainable economic growth in developing countries through private sector investment. It provides a range of financial services, including loans, equity investments, quasi-equity products, and advisory services aimed at supporting startups and various stages of company development. IFC invests in sectors such as agribusiness, financial services, health, education, infrastructure, global manufacturing, oil and gas, telecommunications, and tourism, with a particular emphasis on projects that promote food security, digital finance, and affordable healthcare. The organization targets investments ranging from $1 million to $100 million, often seeking minority stakes but may also take a majority position in its portfolio companies. IFC aims to create jobs, generate tax revenues, and enhance corporate governance in emerging markets, thus contributing positively to local communities. Established in 1956 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., IFC operates globally with offices across various regions, focusing its efforts on financing projects that align with its mission of improving lives in developing countries.
Wave Mobile Money provides an app-based financial solution to save, transfer, and borrow money. Wave Mobile Money is on a mission to make Africa the first cashless continent. On a continent where less than 10% of the population has a bank account, Wave is building the first modern financial network — no account fees, instantly available, and accepted everywhere! It is building life-changing financial infrastructure. When mobile money succeeded in Kenya, it lifted about a million people out of poverty. And yet, over 10 years later, most Africans still lack access to affordable ways to save, transfer or borrow the money they need to build businesses or provide for their families. Wave is solving this problem by using technology to build a radically inclusive and extremely affordable financial network.
Gozem is a transport technology platform for Francophone West and Central Africa.
Equity BCDC offers retail, corporate and digital banking services.
Liquid Telecom is an independent data, voice, and IP provider that commits to build a digital future. Liquid Telecom has built Africa’s largest single fibre network, currently stretching over 18,000km across Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho and South Africa. The award-winning Pan-African fibre network covers Africa’s fastest growing economies, where no fixed network has existed before.
NSIA operates in insurance, banking and finance, and real estate businesses. It provides life insurance products; and non-life insurance products, including automotive, home and property, transport, and personal accident. The company also offers checking accounts, savings accounts, term deposits, savings certificates, and bank assurance products; commercial loans, personal loans, mortgages, and leasing; other services, such as transfers, foreign exchange, asset management, electronic banking, and money transfers; and financial engineering, trading, asset management, product portfolio management, and finance research services.
Mobisol GmbH, founded in 2010 and based in Berlin, Germany, specializes in developing and installing solar home systems to provide electricity to underserved low-income customers in developing nations. The company offers solutions that power LED lights, radios, mobile phones, and various household appliances, while also promoting productive use appliances. Mobisol's innovative approach combines solar energy with an affordable mobile payment plan, making it accessible for those living without electricity. The company emphasizes comprehensive customer service and utilizes remote monitoring technology to ensure reliable performance. With additional offices in Tanzania, Rwanda, and Kenya, Mobisol operates as a subsidiary of ENGIE SA, focusing on delivering clean and affordable energy alternatives to fossil fuels.
Private Equity Round in 2016
Lekela Power B.V. is a renewable energy generation platform that delivers utility scale wind and solar projects into commercial operation in Africa. The company currently develops, constructs, and operates a portfolio of projects in Egypt, Ghana, South Africa, and Senegal. It provides renewable energy to consumers, such as government, utilities, and large-scale industrial consumers. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Lekela Power B.V. operates as a subsidiary of Mainstream Renewable Power Limited.
Tiger Resources Ltd is an Australian-based company focused on the discovery, development and exploration of high-grade copper/cobalt deposits in the world-renowned Katanga Copper Belt in the DRC.
Roxgold Inc. is a Canadian gold mining company focused on acquiring, exploring, and developing mineral properties. The company holds a significant interest in the Yaramoko gold project, located in the Houndé greenstone belt of Burkina Faso, which encompasses approximately 200 square kilometers. Additionally, Roxgold owns the Séguéla gold project in Côte d'Ivoire, comprising 11 mineral exploration permits. The company also explores other properties, including the Houko, Solna, and Boussoura exploration sites in Burkina Faso. Roxgold's primary income is generated from gold sales, and it aims to advance its projects through various stages of development, from exploration to construction and potential disposal. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Roxgold is committed to the exploration and evaluation of its mineral assets.
Zola Electric provides off-grid solar solutions primarily for African markets, focusing on Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast. The company offers solar home kits that can be either leased or purchased, utilizing a pay-as-you-go micro-finance model that accommodates various income levels. By employing advanced solar, battery, and power electronics technology, Zola Electric delivers renewable energy systems tailored to the needs of individual households and businesses in rural communities. Since its inception in 2012, the company has powered over 180,000 homes and businesses. Formerly known as Off-Grid Electric Tanzania Limited, it rebranded to Zola Electric in July 2018 and has established its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, with an additional office in San Francisco, California. The company has garnered recognition through various awards and has attracted investment from notable firms, including Tesla and EDF.
Private Equity Round in 2014
Helios Towers Africa has operations in Ghana, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and a sister company in Nigeria. The number of mobile subscribers in Africa has increased from just 16 million people in 2000 to over 500 million today. Based on these growth levels and without an increase in the sharing of telecoms tower facilities, the number of towers in Africa will need to double from the current number of 75,000, a significant environmental impact.