(8) CAF

Founded in 1924, the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) is a charity organisation
based in the United Kingdom and manages over £3 billion on behalf of charities
worldwide.
Through CAF Venturesome, the social investment arm of the organisation, it
provides affordable financial support to charities, social enterprises and
community groups when grants may not be available and access to traditional
financial institutions is difficult.
CAF Venturesome offers financial support of between £25,000 and £250,000
(or up to £350,000 in certain circumstances) to help with specific challenges
faced by entrepreneurs, organisations and businesses. This support usually
comes in the form of unsecured loans, underwriting and equity-like investment
to organisations.
Investment focus:
CAF is interested in businesses and organisations that have a clear charitable
purpose and social impact.

(9) CDC

Founded in 1948, CDC is the UK’s Development Finance Institution (DFI) wholly
owned by the UK Government’s Department for International Development
(DFID). It is the world’s oldest DFI with a history of making successful
investments in businesses which have become industry leaders.
CDC actively supports businesses throughout Africa and South Asia, and its
portfolio of investments is valued at over £2.5bn (year end 2013).
In November 2013, CDC announced a US$18.1m investment into Feronia, an
agricultural production and processing business focused on palm oil
plantations and arable farming in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Investment focus:

The CDC equity investments team typically looks to invest in established
businesses with revenues of $10m+ and a track-record of profitability. CDC will
consider start-ups or green-field projects only where there is a strong sponsor
(individual or company) who will co-invest alongside CDC and has a strong
track-record and delivery capability.
Its main focus areas are: Infrastructure (especially power), Manufacturing,
Health, Education, Food-processing and Construction.

(10) Echo VC Partners

Echo VC Partners is a seed and early stage venture capital firm that is focused
on financing and cross-pollinating leading technologies, teams, business
models and knowledge across North America, Africa and South-East Asia.
In Africa and SE Asia, the firm focuses on the underserved seed/early-stage
venture and growth capital technology investment opportunities.
Investment focus:
Echo VC Partners focus on the following sectors for investment: Consumer
Internet and Services, SmartGraph and SmartData, Mobile, Digital Media,
Content and Advertising, E/M-commerce, Software, Tech-enabled Services and
Enterprise Infrastructure.
Average investment size ranges from $25,000 to several million dollars
depending on the stage of opportunity and capital needs of the business.

(11) Echoing Green

Since its founding in 1987 by the leadership and investment of the leading
global growth equity firm, General Atlantic, Echoing Green has provided more
than 600 social entrepreneurs working in sixty countries with $36 million in
start-up funding, customized support services, and access to a global network.
These social innovators have gone on to launch, and now lead, some of today’s
most important social enterprises throughout the world.

Investment focus:

Echoing Green is interested in supporting social entrepreneurs with
breakthrough ideas to address stubborn and deeply-entrenched problems in
the world.

(12) Endeavor

Founded in 1997, Endeavor is a non-profit organization dedicated to High-
Impact Entrepreneurship; identifying and supporting the continued growth of a
select group of entrepreneurs in emerging market countries (like in Africa).
Investment focus
Endeavor selects and supports extraordinary emerging-market entrepreneurs
who have the potential to transform industries, communities, and even
countries. It selects individuals of all ages, ethnicities and educational
backgrounds, delivering a meritocratic message to the developing world: that
through hard work, creativity and values-driven leadership, individuals living
anywhere, from any background, can turn an entrepreneurial idea into a
world-class venture.
Endeavor screens thousands of entrepreneurs each year and selects those with
exceptional, high-impact potential. Through a rigorous, multi-step selection
process (12-18 months), candidates pass a series of local and regional
interviews before presenting to panelists from its global business network at
International Selection Panels held four to five times each year.

(13) eVA Fund

The eVentures Africa Fund (eVA Fund) was launched in January 2010 and is
dedicated to mobilising capital and experience in the Netherlands/Europe to
invest in small and medium-sized African internet related companies.
eVA Fund exclusively provides funding to startups in sub-Saharan Africa. Some
of its investments include: Nomanini, Verviant, Umuntu Media, and MoboFree.

Investment focus

The eVA Fund focuses on and invests only in companies that use technology
within Africa to build world-class platforms that deliver local content for Africa.
This includes startup businesses in the following areas: internet and/or mobile
applications, platforms, e-commerce and solution-providers (i.e. not in
infrastructure and hardware).

(14) Fanisi Venture Capital Fund

Fanisi Venture Capital Fund is a $50M fund which makes direct investments
(private equity and venture capital) in businesses with potential for substantial
growth. Fanisi Capital was founded in 2009 by the Norwegian Investment Fund
for Developing Countries (Norfund) and Amani Capital Limited.
Some of its investments in Africa include: Hillcrest International Schools
(Kenya), Sophar Pharmaceuticals (Rwanda), Ngare Narok Meat Industries
(Kenya) and Haltons Pharmacy (Kenya) among others.

Investment focus

The Fund focuses on a segment of the market that has to date been outside
the reach of most venture capital funds in the East African market (Kenya,
Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda).
Fanisi makes direct investments in high growth businesses across diverse
industry sectors with emphasis on: Agri-Business, Healthcare, Energy &
Natural Resources Services, Retail & Consumer and Education. It focuses
principally on companies that are post-revenue with profits or are on a clear
path towards profits.

(15) FMO Entrepreneurial Development
Bank

FMO is the Dutch development bank that finances entrepreneurs, companies,
and projects from developing and emerging markets. Founded in 1970, FMO is
a public-private partnership, with 51% of its shares held by the Dutch
government, and 49% held by commercial banks, trade unions and other
private-sector representatives.
FMO has funded several projects across Africa. It supports entrepreneurs,
companies and projects with equity, loans and guarantees; capital market
transactions; mezzanine and other tailor-made solutions; and long-term and
short-term project financing.
Investment focus:
FMO provides support to sectors that it believes can have the highest long-
term impact. These include: Financial Institutions, Energy and Agribusiness,
and Food & Water.

(16) Ford Foundation

Established in 1936, The Ford Foundation provides grants to organizations in
the United States, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Since its
founding, the Ford Foundation has distributed more than $16.3 billion in grants
worldwide.
The Foundation receives more than 40,000 proposals annually and makes over
1,400 grants. The Foundation’s assets are valued at more than $10.3 billion.

Investment focus:

The Ford Foundation’s grants focus on initiatives aimed at reducing poverty
and injustice; promoting democratic values; and advancing human knowledge,
creativity and achievement.
The Foundation makes a very limited number of grants to individuals, generally
restricted to fellowships for advanced study.