Enabling greater access to finance for rural SMEs
Our financing facility provides debt to early-stage digital innovators, based in sub-Saharan Africa, who are enabling greater access to finance for rural SMEs.
Our capital will act as a bridge to allow start-ups to reach future funding rounds and grow their success
A different kind of financing
Our goal is to see a thriving and well-funded ecosystem around rural focused small and medium-sized enterprises across Africa.
It is an exciting time for business and innovation in Africa, but currently there are insufficient debt products to meet this growing demand, particular for new and emerging business models that are powered by technology.
- We will provide funding for loan books for early-stage companies
- We will do this using a simple debt product, enabling founders to keep their precious equity
- We will be quick and responsive to the needs of entrepreneurs
A different kind of financing
Our goal is to see a thriving and well-funded ecosystem around rural focused small and medium-sized enterprises across Africa.
It is an exciting time for business and innovation in Africa, but currently there are insufficient debt products to meet this growing demand, particular for new and emerging business models that are powered by technology.
- We will provide funding for loan books for early-stage companies
- We will do this using a simple debt product, enabling founders to keep their precious equity
- We will be quick and responsive to the needs of entrepreneurs
Investment Portfolio
Vetsark
Helping farmers and agribusinesses in Africa access finance, increase productivity, and improve their profitability.
Sevi
An innovative B2B platform in the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) space, working MEs to provide supply chain financing.
Proboutik
An invoice lending management platform for informal micro-businesses and SMEs in francophone West Africa.
Patasente
Patasente is a tech-enabled procurement, payments, and factoring platform enabling son favourable payment terms.
Lendha
Lendha is a cutting-edge fintech company providing access to finance for MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) in Nigeria.Â
The right fit
We are focused on supporting companies that enable their customers and clients to thrive. If you can say yes to these questions then we want to hear from you:
- Are you a digital innovator offering credit with a rural/agri focus?
- Are you focussed on sub-Saharan Africa?
- Have you undertaken a pilot and achieved product-market fit?
- Are you at pre-Seed/Seed stage, requiring $50-$250k to grow your credit offerings to clients?
Working / Partnering with us
We are actively working with partners in the ecosystem to solve the funding gap that is needed to enable access to finance within this sector. If you are an incubator, accelerator, venture builder, co-investor or funder – or are just interested in our work – please get in touch.
We are excited to build partnerships to expand our pipeline and work with other investors.
Who we are
Alex Simuyandi
Principal
Alex is a Principal at Emerald Africa Financing Facility. He has nearly 20 years’ experience of work in agriculture, tech and investing, He has co-founded and worked in tech start up ventures in Africa, and has spent most of the last ten years focussed on increasing the availability of appropriate financing in Africa, particularly in agriculture.
Abena Opoku-Acquah
Investment Manager
Abena is an Investment Manager at Emerald Africa Financing Facility. She has nearly a decade of private equity and investment banking experience and has worked with companies across the African continent, in a broad range of industries. Her areas of interest are technology, early-stage businesses and inclusive finance.
Dublin 2, D02 VE40
Ireland
Our financing facility provides debt to early-stage digital innovators, based in sub-Saharan Africa, who are enabling greater access to finance for rural SMEs. Emerald Africa Financing Facility is incubated by Small Foundation.
© Small Foundation 2023. | Company Registration Number 447577 | Registered Charity Number: CHY 17841 & 20067151 | Design by Imprint
Our new financing facility provides debt to early-stage digital innovators, based in sub-Saharan Africa, who are enabling greater access to finance for rural SMEs.
1-2 Cavendish Row
Dublin 1, D01 K883
Ireland
© Small Foundation 2023. | Company Registration Number 447577 | Registered Charity Number: CHY 17841 & 20067151 Design by Imprint
Screenshot 2024-07-08 at 11.44.37
