Open

Impact Report

2021

Introduction

Spotlight stories

Partners

Our approach

Our story

Tell us what you think

 

www.smallfoundation.ie

Village Capital

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Village Capital supports impact-driven, seed-stage start-ups led by founders with lived experience solving real-world problems in their regions. Operating in Africa since 2012, Village Capital continues to expand its Africa practice with a focus on strengthening lives and livelihoods, as well as promoting circular agriculture.

Small Foundation first partnered with Village Capital in 2017 to support its Africa practice.

Our partnership and learning

Small Foundation initially supported the expansion of Village Capital’s team in Africa and the launch of Agriculture Africa 2019, an agricultural accelerator jointly supported by Ceniarth.

Agriculture Africa 2019 worked with nine start-ups from seven countries across agricultural value chains, with Ghana’s Complete Farmer and Nigeria’s ReelFruit selected by peers as the winners (ReelFruit has also worked with Open Capital. See here to learn more).

Small Foundation is again partnering with Village Capital in a new research initiative to find, engage and support a cohort of 20 entrepreneurial support organisations (ESOs) in sub-Saharan Africa. This research will deepen understanding of the rural-impacting ESO ecosystem in sub-Saharan Africa, and aims to further ecosystem-building efforts and lead to improved service-delivery models.

“As part of our research program to close the support gap for rural enterprises, we have developed a customised tool for ESOs. Small Foundation has been hands-on, bringing their wealth of knowledge and experience into co-creation.”

– Village Capital

Village Capital

.Village Capital supports impact-driven, seed-stage start-ups led by founders with lived experience solving real-world problems in their regions. Operating in Africa since 2012, Village Capital continues to expand its Africa practice with a focus on strengthening lives and livelihoods, as well as promoting circular agriculture.

Small Foundation first partnered with Village Capital in 2017 to support its Africa practice.

Our partnership and learning:

Small Foundation initially supported the expansion of Village Capital’s team in Africa and the launch of Agriculture Africa 2019, an agricultural accelerator jointly supported by Ceniarth.

Agriculture Africa 2019 worked with nine start-ups from seven countries across agricultural value chains, with Ghana’s Complete Farmer and Nigeria’s ReelFruit selected by peers as the winners (ReelFruit has also worked with Open Capital. See here to learn more).

Small Foundation is again partnering with Village Capital in a new research initiative to find, engage and support a cohort of 20 entrepreneurial support organisations (ESOs) in sub-Saharan Africa. This research will deepen understanding of the rural-impacting ESO ecosystem in sub-Saharan Africa, and aims to further ecosystem-building efforts and lead to improved service-delivery models.

“As part of our research program to close the support gap for rural enterprises, we have developed a customised tool for ESOs. Small Foundation has been hands-on, bringing their wealth of knowledge and experience into co-creation.”

– Village Capital

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