Africa is full of opportunities. While raising capital is easy for some, many other entrepreneurs are just not aware of the different options or possibilities available to fund their business. The last decade has seen more capital flowing into Africa like never before.
While some investment comes from the continent itself, most of it is coming from the US, Europe, the Middle East and China. In this article, Africa HR Solutions looks at the Top 10 Active Investors in Africa.
Founded by billionaire Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was launched in 2000. As of December 2014, the Foundation had already donated money and property to non-profit Organisations amounting to $44.3 billion.
The Chan Zuckerbergd Initiative (CZI) was announced in 2015 by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan. The mission of this Organisation is to ‘advance human potential and promote equality’. The CZI pledged endowment of 99% of their Facebook shares, worth $45 billion.
Investment AB Kinnevik was founded in 1936. The Sweden-based Organisation is one of Europe’s largest listed investment company, with total assets estimated at $7 billion. Being a major investor on the Africa continent, about 8% of the company’s portfolio is made up of African businesses.
Helios Investment Partners is a private equity and venture capital firm founded in 2004. The Organisation focuses on businesses in telecommunications, media, financial services, travel and leisure, FMCG and logistics.
Seedstars is one of the most highly regarded start-up funders. The Swiss-based venture builder Organisation is active in 35+ countries around the world, with investments in young start-up businesses in emerging countries.
The Tony Elemelu Entrepreneurship Program (TEEP) selects 1,000 entrepreneurs across the African continent every year for a program of training, mentoring and funding. The TEEP is backed by a $100 million fund from The Tony Elemelu Foundation.
Commonly known as the IFC, the International Finance Corporation is a member of the World Bank Group. The Organisation is the largest global development institution focusing exclusively on the private sector in developing regions.
Any company or entrepreneur seeking to establish a new venture or expand an existing enterprise can approach the IFC. You can directly submit an investment proposal to field office closest to the location of the proposed projects.
The AWDF is the first pan-African women’s grant maker in Africa. One of the primary objectives of the AWDF is to help build a culture of learning and partnerships within the African women’s movement.
Founded by the billionaire founder of eBay, Pierre Omidyar, the Omidyar Network opened its Africa office in 2013. The firm is made up of a foundation and an investment firm, offering support to both profit and non-profit organisations across the world.
Every year, The Innovation Prize for Africa provides a grant to inventors and innovators with breakthrough ideas and solutions that can positively impact Africa. The foundation accepts applications in priority areas in Africa; health, agriculture, energy, ICT, manufacturing and services.
Lack of capital is one of the biggest hurdles entrepreneurs face. This results in thousands of million-dollar ideas being dropped everyday across the world. However, many private investors and investment firms invest millions in African business every year and the facilities to get your business funded do exist.
Similarly, if you need help managing your start-up or business, Africa HR Solutions is here. We offer an array of services, ranging from payroll management to HR Consulting and Medical Insurance for employees.