VilCap Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Africa Program 2025 for climate innovators

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Applications are open for VilCap Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Africa Program 2025. Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Africa 2025 is Phase Two of an initiative to strengthen climate innovation across Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania.

In 2024, Village Capital, in partnership with Norway, through Norad – the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, supported 14 Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs)/Ecosystem Builders through training and capacity building. This the is mission to support impact-creating founders and strengthen regional ecosystems by collaborating with five of these locally-led Ecosystem Builders.

Eligibility Criteria

Requirements include:

Have legal incorporation and operate as a for-profit entity in at least one of the following countries or have intentions to expand into them: Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, or Tanzania.
Have a market-based tech solution that tackles one of the following challenges: Climate Adaptation, Renewable Energy, Blue Economy, or Food Security.
Be in compliance with local fiscal and business law.
Have at least two full-time founders based in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, or Tanzania.
Have at least a minimum viable product (MVP) and raised less than USD 1M in equity.
Have meaningful customer or business validation (not limited to revenue, it can also be successful pilot studies, number of users, and/or strategic partnerships).

Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Africa Benefits

Advice: Participate in a virtual investor forum and mock board meetings with representatives from financial institutions, corporations, experienced entrepreneurs, and investors who can help startups scale their solutions.
Continued Learning: Access to live and asynchronous sessions tailored to a virtual learning environment to help their companies identify early milestones and prepare for their next round of capital (if relevant) or significant expansion.
Financial Analysis: Access to an investment analyst who will coach startups 1:1 on building a financial model, identifying unit economics, and using financial metrics to drive both business and investor diligence.
Media Exposure: Exposure to Village Capital’s program website and other communications collateral.
Mentorship: Ability to meet with and receive mentorship from prominent investors, potential strategic partners, customers, and other funders.
Networking: Access to a network of mentors and funders.

Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Africa Categories

Blue Economy: Fisheries and aquaculture, marine biotechnology, marine conservation, eco-tourism, and marine litter management.
Climate Adaptation: Early warning systems, risk mapping and analysis technologies, meteorological data technologies, carbon capture and storage, green infrastructure, and water management technologies.
Food Security: Precision agriculture, enhanced irrigation technologies, supply chain management, transportation and logistics, and cold-chain technologies.
Renewable Energy: Microgrid technologies, clean cooking solutions, hydro, solar, geothermal, and wind, energy management software, and energy payment platforms.