Invest Africa is a micro-investment or micro venture capital platform dedicated to helping micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in Africa get the funding they need to expand, grow and create jobs.Invest Africa was started because while entrepreneurs sometimes receive start-up capital through micro-credit, these businesses often struggle to find funding to allow them to expand, grow and create jobs

Problem

Invest Africa aims to fill out the “missing middle” of finance – serving organizations caught in the gap between microfinance and traditional banking.With traditional banks servicing the higher end of the market and microfinance institutions (“MFIs”) servicing the poorest of the poor, there is a gap in providing financial services to unbanked and under-banked individuals and SMEs that fall between them – the Missing Middle.

Solution

While Invest Africa’s local partners provide management and bookkeeping training to the local enterprises these small businesses are often in need of consulting in many areas such as business development, financial planning, marketing and sales. Invest Africa’s Coaching Program allows investors to become actively involved in the businesses they support and provides these businesses with world class consulting services.

Example

Everyday individuals accross the world can select a business on Invest Africa platform and contribute a small amount. Invest Africa offers financing to existing micro and small enterprises in need of capital to expand. By providing these entrepreneurs with expansion capital, they can grow their business and create new job opportunities.