Village Capital
Village Capital is a Washington, D.C.-based venture capital firm founded in 2009 that focuses on early-stage and seed investments in sectors such as agriculture, education, energy, financial services, and healthcare. The firm aims to empower entrepreneurs by employing a unique peer-support model, allowing entrepreneurs to select the ventures that receive pre-committed seed funding at the conclusion of its programs. Village Capital connects high-potential entrepreneurs with essential resources, fostering innovation and growth. It operates both a nonprofit that provides training for founders and a for-profit investment fund that invests in top program graduates, having supported over 1,000 entrepreneurs and more than 550 enterprises across various global regions. The firm has achieved notable success, with its alumni generating significant revenue and creating thousands of jobs, while maintaining a high recommendation rate among participants.
Non Equity Assistance in 2021
Tustawi is an e-learning specialist for professional development in Kenya, using technology to develop job-specific and market-relevant customized training.
Non Equity Assistance in 2021
ICT for Development Kenya reaches out to undeserved communities in East Africa offering Technology literacy.
Non Equity Assistance in 2021
Angaza Elimu is primed to transform education across Kenya and the entire African continent by addressing the problem of inefficient classrooms and inadequate educational material. At Angaza Elimu, we enhance the classroom experience and strengthen the student-teacher bond. By combining a comprehensive e-Learning platform with a simple classroom setup, Angaza Elimu eases the administrative burden of teachers and frees them to spend more time teaching substantive material. Additionally, Angaza Elimu encourages children to further engage with technology with a Student Portal that challenges them to think critically. We also offer supplemental training on STEM to plant the seed of innovativeness in the young African learner.
Non Equity Assistance in 2021
Eneza Education Limited, founded in 2011 and based in Nairobi, Kenya, specializes in providing mobile technology-based education services. The company offers a virtual tutor and teacher's assistant, enabling students and teachers to access curriculum-aligned courses, assessments, and interactive support from live instructors via mobile devices. Its platform includes locally-adapted tutorials, tips, assessments, and features such as a leaderboard and live teacher chat, accessible through various formats including USSD/SMS, a web app, an offline desktop app, and an Android app. Eneza Education targets individual parents, students, and teachers with subscription-based access to its educational resources, ensuring that learners across Kenya, from urban centers to rural areas, can benefit from comprehensive, on-demand educational support.
Tulaa combines mobile technology and last mile agent networks to connect agri-input suppliers, financial service providers and commodity buyers to smallholder farmers. The aim is to lower the cost and risk for the partners to do business with farmers.
Annona is the select tool for creating a traceable global food ecosystem. Annona is a mobile and web-based platform that global suppliers use to manage their farmer supplies, payments and aggregate crop production.
Globally, three billion people cook with biomass. The use of open fires and inefficient cookstoves with fuels such as wood, charcoal, and kerosene causes serious environmental and health impacts that disproportionately affect underserved communities. PayGo Energy is a revolutionary cookstove solution and distribution system that enables consumers to access clean and efficient fuel at a price point that is within their daily energy budget.
Globally, three billion people cook with biomass. The use of open fires and inefficient cookstoves with fuels such as wood, charcoal, and kerosene causes serious environmental and health impacts that disproportionately affect underserved communities. PayGo Energy is a revolutionary cookstove solution and distribution system that enables consumers to access clean and efficient fuel at a price point that is within their daily energy budget.
EDOM is a Kenya-based fortified flour and enriched porridge producer mitigating malnutrition in Sub-Sarahan Africa through a BoP-targeted sales strategy. The business has achieved a 68% revenue CAGR since inception, 4-fold net margin increase in 2013, and has a 4,000+ smallholder farmer network in Uganda and Kenya. With I-DEV support, EDOM has engaged a leading global impact investor to secure the first tranche of a multi-stage investment which will be used to provide WC and M&E financing to double production and extend BoP outreach.
Lipisha is a Nairobi-based company that specializes in mobile payment solutions for businesses in Africa. It develops a platform that allows small business owners to automate the processing of non-cash payments, such as mobile money and card transactions, directly into their bank accounts. The platform supports various mobile money channels and incorporates advanced data encryption and anti-fraud measures to ensure secure transactions. Additionally, Lipisha provides users with robust reporting tools that enable them to analyze and manage their payment data effectively. By facilitating the integration and automation of mobile payments, Lipisha aims to enhance financial efficiency for its clients.
Access Afya is focused on enhancing healthcare accessibility for low-income populations in Kenya through its innovative mini-clinic model. By leveraging advanced health technologies, Access Afya provides a modern healthcare operating system designed specifically for emerging economies. The clinics offer a wide range of primary care services, including authentic medication, immunization, family planning, and care delivered by qualified clinicians. This approach enables residents of slum communities to receive timely and effective healthcare services, addressing critical health needs in underserved areas.