African Fintech Foundry Partners with Village Capital to Unlock Early-Stage Investment in Africa

African Fintech Foundry (AFF) is proud to announce a strategic partnership with Village Capital under the Africa Ecosystem Catalyst Facility (AECF) — a USD 4 million investment initiative aimed at unlocking early-stage capital for startups driving economic mobility and climate resilience across Nigeria, Ghana, and Tanzania.

African Fintech Foundry will serve as the Entrepreneur Support Organization (ESO) for Nigeria, responsible for identifying, evaluating, and selecting high-potential early-stage startups to benefit from the Facility’s investment and capacity-building support

The AECF, managed by Village Capital, applies a locally-led investment model by working with Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) within each market. These ESOs help identify strong founder teams and participate in the evaluation process, ensuring that capital is deployed where it can create the most meaningful local impact. The Facility is backed by two major Dutch institutions: • FMO – Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank: A leading impact investor supporting entrepreneurs and financial institutions across emerging markets. • Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO): Focused on ecosystem development and removing barriers to entrepreneurship. Together, FMO, RVO, and Village Capital are investing in locally-led entrepreneurs developing solutions in financial inclusion, youth employment, gender equality, renewable energy, and private sector development.

Village Capital is a globally recognized venture capital firm with operations in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs solving critical challenges in emerging markets. Their portfolio includes several high-impact ventures such as: • Piggyvest (Nigeria): A savings and investment platform for individuals. • Crop2Cash (Nigeria): An agrifintech platform providing credit and insurance to smallholder farmers. • Regxta (Nigeria): A digital financial services platform for underserved populations and an alumnus of the AFF 2021 Accelerator Program.

• Countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania • Investment Range: USD 75,000 – 500,000 • Investment Horizon: Within 5 years • Focus Areas: Economic mobility, climate resilience, financial inclusion, agribusiness, renewable energy, and healthcare Startups are selected based on sustainability, innovation, growth potential, and their ability to deliver measurable social and environmental impact.

By joining forces, AFF and Village Capital are accelerating inclusive growth and innovation across Africa. Together, we are committed to unlocking capital, strengthening entrepreneurship ecosystems, and creating scalable solutions that drive economic mobility, climate resilience, and sustainable development.