Scalable enterprises that economically empower low income people and accelerate social progress
Kenya
Powered by People is a technology platform providing artisans in the creative manufacturing and handmade goods sector with production and enterprise management software, as well as access to financing and markets.
Lendable operates a debt platform designed specifically for a new generation of tech-enabled, African non-banking lenders. This includes non-banking, asset-backed finance providers operating in micro-finance, asset financing, asset leasing and a range of pay-as-you-go services.
Novek builds IOT technology to eliminate single use plastic from FMCG Supply chains. The Company designs and develops hardware and software solutions from scratch. Its partners include Nestlé, Coca Cola Beverages Africa and Population Services International.
Lynk is an online platform that connects customwers with trusted domestic workers, fundis and skilled blue collar professionals - all vetted by LYNK. (Lynk was acuqired by Nigeria based Eden Life in April 2022).
Money254 is East Africa’s first comprehensive integrated financial services marketplace. The company aggregates the Kenyan financial and insurance services landscape into one central database, providing a simple, fast and transparent way for users in Kenya to search and compare financial and insurance products.
Purple Elephant is a venture studio that is building a portfolio of innovative companies to unlock the unrivaled economic power of tourism to protect and grow Africa’s natural capital. Current portfolio businesses include Nomad Travel Club, Elephant Bookings and Wavel.
Enza Capital is an early stage venture investor backing founders and teams using technology to solve meaningful problems across Africa.
Ajua provides an integrated customer experience solution for businesses in Africa, bridging the gap between businesses and their customers.
Tappi is a mobile platform that helps small and medium businesses get online, build their online identity and win new customers.
BuuPass is Kenya’s largest online bus, train and flight ticketing platform. The Company works with the country’s leading bus, train and flight operators to offer customers the convenience of digital bookings. BuuPass has transformed bus travel in the country by bringing ease and convenience to millions of Kenyan travelers.
Nigeria
Founded in April of 2019 and based in Lagos, Nigeria, Eden Life is a trusted services platform for people to receive their domestic services. Whether it's cooking, cleaning, laundry, or any combination of services, Eden Life allows its customers to receive services on a recurring basis while the Company manages the scheduling and the execution of the services. Eden’ Life’s platform is currently operational in Lagos, Nigeria and Nairobi, Kenya.
Rwanda
Get It is a food and dry goods distributor. The company is the largest fresh produce distributor in Rwanda and the first fresh produce distributor with ISO 22000 certification.
Centennial Generating supplies affordable, reliable and environmentally sustainable power to commercial and industrial customers in Sub-Saharan Africa via solar and battery storage projects.
South Africa
Launch Africa is a frontier Pan-African fund solving the significant funding gap in the Seed to Series A bridge funding investment landscape in Africa. The fund invests in early stage B2B and B2B2C technology-driven startups with strong management teams and scalable solutions. Launch Africa was the most active VC investor in Africa in 2022 (as measured by deal count) and has invested in 130 companies in 20 countries since its inception in November 2020.
Tanzania
Simusolar is the leading provider of productivity-enhancing agricultural equipment to rural Tanzania and Uganda. The Company designs, produces and markets locally-appropriate clean-energy products including solar powered irrigation systems and solar powered lights for for night-time fishers. These products have a direct and significant impact on productivity, food supply and rural incomes. Simusolar makes its equipment affordable to rural communities via custom financing plans.
Uganda
Sellio is a business services company that provides a unique advertising and point-of-sales solution for small businesses built on top of social media and chat.
Wazi Vision is the first prescription eyewear brand designed, manufactured and distributed in Uganda. Wazi glasses are created by African artists, with a variety of face shapes in mind. They’re produced locally in Uganda and available through a wide range of physicians and distributors, meaning anyone can access a pair of glasses when they need them. (Rock Impact Capital’s investment in Wazi was made via a three company gender lens portfolio package arranged by Renew Strategies).
Cycle Connect provides smallholder farmers in Uganda with productive asset financing. Assets financed include bicycles, motorcycles, grinding machines and oxen & plow. Cycle connect also provides farmers with training in best agricultural processes and financial literacy.
Xente is a financial technology company serving business in Africa. The company offers its customers virtual and physical corporate credit cards, mobile money, expense management and other financial services on a single, easy to use and secure software platform. The company’s products make African businesses more efficient and empower them to grow. (Rock Impact Capital’s investment in Xente was made via a three company gender lens portfolio package arranged by Renew Strategies).
United States
Enlightenment Wines produces and markets small-batch meads fermented with wild yeast, foraged herbs, botanicals and fruit sourced exclusively from New York State. The company is based in Brookyln New York where it operates a co-located production facility, tasting room and roof-top farm.
Renew Capital is an Africa-focused impact investment firm with a goal to help change the way the world engages Africa—from giving to investing. Through an investment model that works with development partners to successfully connect entrepreneurs with impact investors, Renew Capital builds private sectors and investment ecosystems by addressing capital and capacity gaps in Africa’s middle markets. Founded in 2007, Renew Capital is headquartered in Denver, CO, U.S., with offices in Ethiopia, Rwanda and Uganda.
01 Advisors Fund 2 is a San Francisco based venture capital fund that invests in Series B or later rounds for companies that are looking to scale-up. 01 uses an advisory approach in their investments and partners with CEOs who have found product-market fit and are growing rapidly. The fund is led by Dick Costolo, who was CEO of Twitter from 2010-2015
Lateral Capital is a mission-driven venture fund investing in and advising early-stage businesses in emerging markets with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. Frontier Fund II invests in technology-enabled businesses that profitably solve significant pain points in key sectors with a focus on financial services and clean energy.