Catalytic Africa has been a groundbreaking platform for African entrepreneurs, connecting 520 hubs and 373 startups to 68 ABAN’s affiliated angel networks with over 1000 individual investors. We have concluded 18 investments made in 12 countries so far – covering Cameroon, Botswana, Nigeria, Tunisia, Kenya, South Africa, DRC, Mauritius, Zambia, Tanzania, Cote D’Ivoire and Senegal.
With a commitment to unlocking the participation of local investment in the African start-up ecosystem and in partnership with Afrilabs, ABAN created and launched Catalytic Africa in 2021, an innovative investment model involving Business Angels and Innovation Hubs.
By backing these African business angels with matching grants for each successful equity investment made in a participating start-up, Catalytic-Africa seeks to reduce the risk of investing and facilitate growth opportunities throughout the continent – kicking off projects that are powered by business angels’ funds and grant money alike.
Through Catalytic Africa, start-ups have the chance to actualize their potential with innovative co-investment opportunities. If a venture passes an application review by the Programme Committee, it will receive matching funds from this unique instrument of investment in African ventures, offering powerful innovation and development for early-stage businesses on the continent.
Catalytic Africa is the first African matching fund and it aims to de-risk investment into innovative startups on the continent with 4 key objectives:
Increase the investment made by angel investors in African startups
Strengthen African angel networks and innovation hubs
Fund African startups with innovative digital solutions & measurable impact
Present reliable ecosystem data, insights, and impact reporting for all stakeholders
Catalytic Africa Fund is exclusive to ABAN network members as we believe they have the right capacity to further support the development of African startups.
To date, € 1,155,794 has been invested by local angel investors affiliated with ABAN and this has unlocked €973,968 from the Catalytic Africa fund as qualified matching grants, leading to a cumulative amount of over € 2.1 Million invested in African startups across 12 countries.
