Investors in Africa

Founded in 1948, CDC Group is a Development Finance Institution and is wholly owned by the UK government. CDC's mission is to support the building of businesses throughout Africa and South Asia, to create jobs and to make a lasting difference in the lives of people who live in some of the world's poorest areas.

Accion is a global nonprofit committed to creating a financially inclusive world, with a pioneering legacy in microfinance and fintech impact investing. We catalyze financial service providers to deliver high-quality, affordable solutions at scale for the three billion people who are left out of – or poorly served by – the financial sector. For more than 50 years, Accion has helped tens of millions of people through its work with more than 90 partners in 40 countries.

IFC fosters sustainable economic growth in developing countries by financing private sector investment, mobilizing capital in the international financial markets, and providing advisory services to businesses and governments. IFC helps companies and financial institutions in emerging markets create jobs, generate tax revenues, improve corporate governance and environmental performance, and contribute to their local communities. The goal is to improve lives, especially for the people who most need the benefits of growth.

Investisseurs & Partenaires is a family of impact funds fully-dedicated to the African continent. Created in 2002 by Patrice Hoppenot and directed by Jean-Michel Severino since 2011, I&P is a pioneer in the impact investing sector in Africa. With €75 million under management, I&P has invested in almost 60 small and medium-size companies across 15 countries. I&P brings long-term financing as well as strategic, managerial and technical support to its investees. I&P is the advisor of an impact team, managing a EUR 65 million fund dedicated to access to electricity in Africa. As an impact investor, I&P strives to maximise the economic, social and environmental impacts of its partners and aims to actively contribute to the African development. I&P’s team consists of 30 people based in Paris and in 7 African offices, and in 3 African investment funds.

Founders Factory was established to help early stage companies rapidly become viable and sustainable businesses. They have a blend of what early stage companies require: expedited pre-seed funding, agile technology development, lean acceleration and world class mentors. They’re a little different than your typical startup accelerator, and they’re also a little different than your typical early stage fund. Sure, they provide cash and they have a best in class acceleration process, but their real difference are the people making it happen. All their mentors have started companies and sold them; they’ve experienced the pitfalls and know the challenges. They’ve also have spent the time developing the networks, contacts and industry connections needed to jump start the next good idea in to a great business. That idea could come from you, and that next great business might be the one they help you start.

Flat6Labs is Sawari Ventures’ dedicated startup accelerator for seed stage investments. Launched in Cairo in 2011, it assists and encourages entrepreneurs throughout the critical first steps of development. Every four months, it funds and mentors a number of carefully selected start-ups from Egypt and the MENA region, providing them with seed capital and physical hosting at its premises. In addition, it offers interaction-based mentorship and educational experiences, organized in conjunction with the American University in Cairo. Flat6Labs’ philosophy is centered on immersing entrepreneurs into the real-world challenges of creating and managing successful enterprises in an open, collaborative and value-added environment. In May 2012, Flat6Labs joined the Global Accelerator Network (GAN), as the first member from Africa.

Goodwell Investments provides (early stage) growth capital and hands-on support to providers of basic goods and services for the majority world in sub-Saharan Africa and India. They invest in enterprises that are financially sustainable, scalable and that deliver investors significant financial returns accompanies by serious social impact.

OPIC Investment Funds is an investment arm of Overseas Private Investment Corporation. The firm specializes in fund and fund of funds investments. It seeks to invest in private equity funds. The firm seeks to invest in technology sector but is not limited to sectors such as IT, healthcare, education, infrastructure, telecom, media, business and financial services, and clean-tech. It primarily invests in OPIC-eligible countries such as Middle East and North Africa, Central and South Asia, Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, and Latin America. The firm seeks to invest between $20 million and $150 million in total capital for each selected fund. It seeks to make long-term debt capital investments in the form of senior, secured loan, senior indebtedness loaned or guaranteed to private equity funds. The firm seeks to invest for a period of ten to 12 years in a fund. It typically provides no more than one-third of the capital of a fund, i.e., an amount equal to 50 percent of the equity capital raised for the fund. OPIC Investment Funds was founded in 1987 and is based in Washington, District of Columbia.

AfricInvest was founded in 1994 and is part of Integra Group, an investment and financial services company based in Tunisia. Uniquely positioned as one of the most experienced private equity investors on the continent, AfricInvest has dedicated investment teams focused on North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, and employs 66 professionals based in seven offices. AfricInvest manages USD1 billion across 16 funds and benefits from strong, long-term support from both local and international investors, including leading development finance institutions in the United States and Europe. Having co-founded the African Venture Capital Association (AVCA) as well as the Middle East North Africa Private Equity Association (MENAPEA) and the Euromed Capital Forum, the firm is an active promotor of the private equity industry in the region. Since 1994, AfricInvest has invested in 135 companies across 25 African countries in a variety of high growth sectors and maintains a broad network of high quality executives across Africa, offering extensive expertise in key growth industries, including financial services, agribusiness, consumer/retail, education and healthcare.

DOB Equity is a private equity firm specializing in growth capital and buy-and-build strategies in small and medium companies.