Village Capital, in partnership with the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO) and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), has launched the Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility, a $4 million initiative to support early-stage, impact-driven companies in Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania.
The facility will collaborate with locally-led Entrepreneur Support Organizations to source, conduct due diligence, and make investment decisions. It seeks to provide a structured capital pathway that helps investee companies progress from early-revenue stages to scaling, while strengthening the role of ESOs in the investment ecosystem.
“This partnership is the first of its kind between FMO and RVO, and it represents an exciting step forward in our collective effort to close the funding gap in these countries,” says Susan Nakami, Africa Region Lead at Village Capital. “By leveraging insights from each of the three partners, we are drawing from existing programs and partnerships that are already designed to unlock capital in these markets. Village Capital has been working with locally-led ESOs for nearly a decade, and we’ve seen firsthand how often investors overlook their expertise. Through this partnership, we’re not just unlocking crucial capital but also strengthening local ecosystems and creating a more sustainable pathway for high-potential companies to drive economic growth and sustainability in the region.”
Kars Gerrits, Coordinator of OCIF at RVO, stated that the collaboration represents a significant step in addressing critical funding gaps and fostering enterprise growth, particularly for youth and women entrepreneurs.
Claire Nyambori, Technical Assistance Officer at FMO, highlighted that the initiative seeks to transform early-stage companies into investment-ready ventures and drive meaningful market growth.
