africa investments Archives - AfricaBusiness.com

Flourish Ventures launches Madica, an Africa-focused pre-seed investment platform

24Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Startups, Zambia News

Flourish Ventures launches Madica, an Africa-focused pre-seed investment platform

The new investment program is targeting up to 30 underrepresented entrepreneurs across Africa who are working in underserved sectors and geographies. The goal of the program is to provide them with the resources and support they need to grow their businesses and impact their communities. Flourish Ventures, a global venture capital firm investing in mission-driven fintech entrepreneurs, today announced the launch of affiliate Madica, a structured investment program for pre-seed stage technology companies in Africa. Aiming to serve mission-driven and under-represented founders, the new sector-agnostic program will invest capital in tech startups and offer founders tailored mentorship and world-class company-building support. Over the next three years, Madica seeks to back 25-30 African entr...

Breaking the boys’ club: If investing in women yields good returns, then why are we still fighting for their inclusion?

5Oct

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

South Africa News

Breaking the boys’ club: If investing in women yields good returns, then why are we still fighting for their inclusion?

The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs According to research by Statistics South Africa, nearly half (47%) of South African women are unemployedi. This comes as would-be female employees have a tougher time finding work than men, thanks to the inequalities they face, including unequal pay and fewer leadership positions among others, while at the same time struggling to maintain a matriarchal role in society and family. It is for reasons like these that African women often turn to self-employment by starting their own businesses. According to the World Economic Forum, women make up 58% of Africa's self-employed population and contribute around 13% of the continent's Gross domestic product GDP, with Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, having the world’s highest rate of women involve...

16Dec

By Africa BusinessNo Comments

Nigeria News, Tech

Ventures Platform Secures First Close of US$40mn Pan-African Fund

Ventures Platform, the early-stage “discovery” venture capital fund championing the next generation of African entrepreneurs, has announced the first close of its new US$40m Pan-African, early-stage fund to invest in market-creating innovations. With this close led by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), the new fund features participation from existing investors and some new leading names across Africa’s corporate and tech ecosystems, including UAC Nigeria, VFD Group, Gbenga Oyebode, Shola Akinlade (Paystack), and global investors like; Michael Seibel (Y Combinator) and Adam Draper. A second close of the fund is due to take place in early 2022 and will feature investment from select global Institutional Investors and DFI’s. Building upon its stellar reputation as one of the...

19Jul

By Baker McKenzieNo Comments

Business, Kenya News, Nigeria News, South Africa News

Deal value increases in South Africa and Nigeria in the first half of this year

Baker McKenzie’s latest analysis of Refinitiv data shows that the value of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the first half 2021 (H1 2021) soared in South Africa, and that deal value also increased in Nigeria in the first six months of 2021, but Kenya experienced a slight decrease in both deal value and volume in H1 2021. South Africa The value of M&A transactions in South Africa in H1 2021 amounted to USD 52 billion, with 169 deals announced in the period. Compared to the first half of 2020, transactions volumes decreased by 8% but deal value increased by 958% in the first half of 2021. Refinitiv data shows that the volume of domestic transactions increased slightly to 80 deals, a 10% increase year on year (Y-o-Y). Domestic transactions in South Africa in H1 21 were worth USD 46....