The Land Accelerator celebrates half a decade of programming in 2023, all focused on for-profit companies working on land restoration. Over 1,000 applications arrived yet-again for the original Africa program. From boosting agricultural yields to creating jobs and fighting climate change, there are multiple benefits to making degraded land healthy again. Landscape restoration creates...
“The Missing Middle” is what we call the gap in finance the majority of entrepreneurs face in getting from a viable prototype or early customers to a full-scale proven business. In Part 1, Luni explains who he is, and how he came to fill in this otherwise missing middle. In Part 2, Luni jumps back to the history of venture capital to explain the pervasive paradigm that leads to...
There are so many incredible stories to share at Africa Eats, the investment holding company spun out of Fledge in 2020. Here is a sampling of the type of solutions we’ve invested in. Homegrown, for-profit solutions with measurable impacts lessening hunger and poverty across Africa.
For more stories, listen to The Opportunity is Africa, a podcast brought to you by Africa Eats
With the pandemic all of the Fledge accelerator programs moved online. To take advance of that format, The Land Accelerator Africa invited nearly 100 companies to participate this year, rather than just 12-15 as in years past. Specifically, we invited 100 companies out of the 1,387 who applied to participate in a 12 week virtual accelerator, each receiving a $5,000 non-dilutive grant if only they...
Some entrepreneurs stand out, clearly destined to turn their vision in reality. Some entrepreneurs succeed despite the myriad of unjust hurdles of world puts in front of them. Hurdles like being born a women. A black woman. In Africa. In one of the many countries no one outside that country cares about. Start off any entrepreneur in those circumstances and 99 out of 100 will end up no better off...
Yusuf is in Kenya, learning how the cookstove market works in the neighboring country.
A great example of how doing good and doing well can be both fun and rewarding.
Rwanda has one of the fast growing economies of the world and as more and more Rwandans leave poverty and enter the middle class, their demand for protein, especially meat, growth even faster. The same demand was seen over a century ago when Europe grew itself out of poverty and replicated again in Asia over the last few decades. This is the trend that led Herve Tuyishime to start Paniel Meat...
“Access to financial services is a fundamental human right“, said the founders of Ensibuuko six years ago on the Fledge Demo Day stage. The company has been helping Saving and Credit Co-ops (SACCOS) modernize their operations and helping the farmers who use those institutions for savings and loans get access to modern, mobile-enabled financial services. Thanks to FCA Investments...
The Land Accelerator Africa was the original of what is now three Land Accelerators operating around the world, all operated by World Resources Institute (a.k.a. WRI), all focused on restorative agriculture. Given the pandemic this session is different than others. Historically we’ve invited 10-15 companies to participate. For this session we’ve invited the top 100 applicants. 100 out...
As foundations and mission-aligned investors swiftly shift their investments into ESG funds and direct investments in values-aligned companies and entrepreneurs, they overlook many visionary funds and fund managers who are forging the future that we need. These funds are myth-busters and courageous innovations. More than rethinking our financial system, they are creating viable alternatives to...