Key Points
- EBRD is investing $8 million in Ventures Platform Pan-African Fund II.
- The fund will back early-stage technology companies across five African markets.
- The investment is aimed at strengthening innovation, job creation and access to finance.
Main Story
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is investing $8 million (€6.8 million) in Ventures Platform Pan-African Fund II to support early-stage technology companies across Africa.
The investment marks the EBRD’s first commitment to a pan-African venture capital fund focused on opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa.
The fund will invest in technology companies at the early stage of development, with particular focus on Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal.
According to the EBRD, the fund will target businesses with strong growth potential and support innovation, job creation and private-sector development.
The investment is being made through the EBRD’s Early-Stage Innovation Facility II, a €200 million programme through which the bank invests in commercially oriented venture capital funds.
Through the facility, the EBRD supports technology companies and fund managers seeking to expand access to finance, strengthen innovation ecosystems and accelerate private-sector growth.
The investment also brings the EBRD into Ventures Platform Pan-African Fund II alongside other development finance institutions, international financial institutions and private investors.
The Issues
The EBRD said venture capital remains underdeveloped in Africa relative to the scale of entrepreneurial activity across the continent.
Its investment is therefore aimed at improving access to growth capital for technology companies and strengthening the broader venture capital ecosystem.
The fund’s focus on five markets, including Nigeria, is expected to provide financing for early-stage businesses with potential to scale and create jobs.
The EBRD said its participation also reflects growing institutional and private-sector confidence in the long-term prospects of African technology companies.
What’s Being Said
“We are delighted to welcome the EBRD as an investor in Ventures Platform Pan-African Fund II.” — Kola Aina, Founding Partner, Ventures Platform
“Its commitment reflects a shared conviction that Africa’s next generation of globally relevant technology companies will be built by founders solving meaningful problems and creating new markets.” — Kola Aina, Founding Partner, Ventures Platform
“Beyond the capital, the EBRD’s participation signals growing institutional confidence in Africa’s innovation economy and strengthens our ability to back ambitious founders building enduring companies that create value for Africa and the world.” — Kola Aina, Founding Partner, Ventures Platform
“Innovation is increasingly shaping Africa’s economic future, yet venture capital remains underdeveloped relative to the scale of entrepreneurial activity across the continent.” — Dirk Werner, Managing Director of Equity, EBRD
“By investing in Ventures Platform Pan-African Fund II, we are helping to strengthen the market infrastructure that enables innovative businesses to access growth capital and scale their impact.” — Dirk Werner, Managing Director of Equity, EBRD
What’s Next
Ventures Platform Pan-African Fund II will deploy capital into early-stage technology companies across its target African markets, with investments focused on businesses capable of achieving strong growth.
The EBRD said its participation would complement the contributions of other development finance institutions, international financial institutions and private investors in supporting Africa’s venture capital ecosystem.
Bottom Line
The EBRD’s $8 million investment gives Ventures Platform Pan-African Fund II additional capital to back early-stage African technology companies, while strengthening institutional support for the continent’s developing venture capital ecosystem.
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