Collaborative for Frontier Finance

East Africa Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (EAVCA) Southern African Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (SAVCA) The Egyptian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association AVCA - The African Private Capital Association Africa Private Equity News Team FSD Africa Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund Women in African Investments - WAI Group Advancing Women in Investing West Africa Deal Summit Catalytic Africa African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA) Catalytic Capital Consortium 2X Global Ghana Impact Summit GVCA ABAN Middle East Venture Capital Association Central Africa Markets Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CAMPEA) African Crowdfunding Association Africa Early Stage Investor Summit CFA Society East Africa

🌍 Global Impact through Local Investment 💡   Last week, on the sidelines of the Global Impact Investor Network (GIIN) Forum in Amsterdam, CFYE, in partnership with Collaborative for Frontier Finance (CFF) and Impact for Breakfast - The Netherlands , hosted a breakfast meeting to explore the role of investors in empowering small – and growing businesses (SGBs), driving job creation for youth. Despite their role as engines of economic growth, SGBs face a $930 billion financing gap, often deemed too risky for traditional banks and too small for major investors, which is why we work with partners like Acumen, Balloon Ventures, and WIC capital to target this gap.   Joined by 40 investment professionals, we, along with Balloon Ventures and Acumen, shared research insights working with SGBs in Uganda and Senegal, igniting debates around the extent of informality in jobs, the challenges in capturing indirect employment impact, and highlighting how targeted investment and advisory support can create decent jobs.🚀   We’re excited to continue contributing to these intriguing conversations that are likely going to be continued through CFF’s research on quality jobs!💪 Thank you to our wonderful speakers David Hernández, Gila Norich, Joshua Bicknell, and Kate Montgomery!

In case you're in Amsterdam next week for #giinforum and are working on #impactinvesting #earlystageinvesting #missingmiddle and #youthemployment, please keep reading: Together with Impact for Breakfast - The Netherlands Collaborative for Frontier Finance Balloon Ventures Acumen, Challenge Fund for Youth Employment is hosting a breakfast session on Thursday 24th of October, close to the GIIN Forum venue, on the role that early-stage investors and missing middle financiers play in boosting youth employment through their investments and advisory work with small and growing businesses. If you want to hear from and discuss with amazing speakers from these organisations, we still have a few spots left! Please send me a DM in case you want to join! Joshua Bicknell Kate Montgomery Gila Norich Arnold Byarugaba L David Hernández

https://lnkd.in/e8P_x8ZX 🌍 The recent Nobel Prize in Economics awarded to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson underscores the vital role of strong, inclusive institutions for sustainable prosperity. CFF is privileged to collaborate with local institutions that recognize the importance of financial and system-level innovation. Their commitment to embracing innovation are often decisive in creating mechanisms that foster growth and prosperity within their local markets. Let’s continue to work together to unlock the potential of a vibrant small business finance market across Africa and MENA! #emergingmarkets #governance #SMEs

https://lnkd.in/e8P_x8ZX 🌍 The recent Nobel Prize in Economics awarded to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson underscores the vital role of strong, inclusive institutions for sustainable prosperity. CFF is privileged to collaborate with local institutions that recognize the importance of financial and system-level innovation. Their commitment to embracing innovation are often decisive in creating mechanisms that foster growth and prosperity within their local markets. Let’s continue to work together to unlock the potential of a vibrant small business finance market across Africa and MENA! #emergingmarkets #governance #SMEs

It was great to join the DCED Global Seminar in Nairobi last week! 🎉 #CFF Founder and CEO, Drew von Glahn, participated in an insightful panel discussion on innovative pathways for SME financing, alongside Freddy Bob-Jones (Aceli Africa), Audrey Desiderato (Mirova SunFunder), Rory Tews, and Krisztina Tora (GSG Impact). The panel explored key system-level changes focused on: ✅ Catalytic capital from DFIs and philanthropic foundations ✅  The evolving role of local banks, ✅ The growing involvement of impact investors ✅ Advocacy and knowledge-sharing from GSG Impact National Partners and other field builders. 🚀 At CFF’s side event workshop, we explored how our network of 100+ small business funds are helping to bridge Africa’s access to capital gap. Special thanks to Kenya Climate Ventures (KCV), a CFF network member, for their inspiring presentation on portfolio companies driving change at the intersection of climate and gender! After a set of engaging discussions workshop participants generated the following takeaways: 1️⃣  Blended finance is essential to unlock the full potential of this emerging sector. 2️⃣  DFIs should examine how their strategies can better engage local institutional capital (e.g., pensions and insurance companies). 3️⃣  Improved regulations and investment structures in-country will change private sector behavior, leading to more investment flows 4️⃣  Tailored business development and capacity-building programs are essential—it’s time to move away from “one-size-fits-all” approaches 5️⃣  Ecosystem-focused, shared learning is vital to growing this asset class It was an inspiring week of collaboration! Thanks, Donor Committee for Enterprise Development, and especially Harald Bekkers for having us! #DCED #SMEFinancing #AfricaGrowth #BlendedFinance

Are you a fund manager based in Africa or MENA who invests in small and growing businesses? We invite you to complete CFF's annual Early Stage Capital Provider Survey https://lnkd.in/digmy9uj This survey is a crucial source of information for CFF and other market players. We rely on this data when advocating for better SME financing solutions and when designing new platforms and vehicles that cater specifically to the needs of Africa's small business fund managers. We would appreciate it if you participated in this effort. See the 2023 survey report here https://lnkd.in/dweXzgPh If you are interested in learning more about the CFF Early Stage Capital Provider Network https://lnkd.in/dEW69VGC, its benefits, and how to join, please feel free to reach out to Arnold at Arnold@frontierfinance.org East Africa Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (EAVCA), The Egyptian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, Southern African Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (SAVCA), AVCA - The African Private Capital Association, FSD Africa, Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund, Women in African Investments - WAI Group, Advancing Women in Investing, African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA), Catalytic Capital Consortium, 2X Global, GVCA, Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP), Middle East Venture Capital Association, Central Africa Markets Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CAMPEA), African Crowdfunding Association, ABAN, Investors of the Mediterranean, Impact Investing Ghana, Impact Investing Kenya, Impact Investing SA, Zambian National Advisory Board for Impact Investment (NABII), Samawati Capital Partners, Villgro Africa, ViKtoria Ventures, VestedWorld, Oryx Impact, Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures, Unicorn Growth Capital, Theia Ventures, Renew Capital, Mirepa Investment Advisors, Inua Capital, Grassroots Business Fund, Five35 Ventures, Aisiki Capital

Local Capital Providers (LCPs) like you are the backbone of #economicgrowth. By filling the financing gap for Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs), you are not just supporting individual #enterprises, you are fuelling the engines of #jobcreation, #innovation, and economic resilience. We'd like to invite you to participate in our annual survey https://lnkd.in/digmy9uj, designed to uncover the evolving dynamics of #SGB financing and highlight your invaluable role. Your insights will directly contribute to shaping strategies that enhance the effectiveness of #localcapital, benefiting both your operations and the broader market. 🤔 What is the survey about and who should complete it?  This survey is for local capital providers funding ticket sizes of between $20k and $5m in small and growing businesses in the #Africa and #MiddleEast regions.   💬 How long does it take? 25 minutes (It is worth the time and a valuable investment!) 🎯 Response Date? Friday, September 13, 2024 Your participation in this survey is more than just data collection, it’s an opportunity to align with a network that amplifies your #impact and connects you with peers committed to pioneering new paths in SGB financing. Together, we can create a stronger, more resilient financing ecosystem for SGBs. Let’s ensure that the "#missingmiddle" is no longer missing but thriving. "Interested in joining the Early Stage Capital Provider (ESCP) network https://lnkd.in/dEW69VGC? Please submit your application here https://lnkd.in/dADrZYKR. Note that the individual seeking membership should be a GP or Vehicle lead. For any questions, do not hesitate to contact Arnold Byarugaba at arnold@frontierfinance.org"

Collaborative for Frontier Finance is thrilled to announce a new addition to the team 🎉 Chinwe Egwim is joining CFF as Chief Economist and Director of Research and Impact Lab. In her role, she is committed to advancing research, enhancing CFF’s learning lab, refining economic risk assessments, and building transformative #knowledgepartnerships to support #localcapitalproviders and #smallbusinesses. Chinwe is a leading economist renowned for her strategic insights and precise economic forecasting. She has worked for the Central Bank of Nigeria, Fitch Ratings Milan, First Bank Group, and Coronation Merchant Bank, among others. Her analytical work for the banking sector has been applied to influencing #creditriskassessments and guiding #portfoliodiversification. She has collaborated closely with risk departments to develop comprehensive risk assessment models, ensuring a high-quality loan portfolio and low non-performing assets. As an economist, Chinwe is a champion of #genderequity. Her expertise has been applied to gender-focused economic research. She explores how core economic indicators such as inflation, GDP, interest rates, consumption patterns, exchange rates, and financial market conditions specifically impact women-led businesses and female participation in the economy. Through her work, she offers valuable insights into leveraging #economicpolicies and trends to advance gender equity. Chinwe serves on the Nigerian Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee. As the Resident Economist for the Africa Investment Roundtable, she led initiatives supporting economic growth across the continent. Her work has recently earned her recognition as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. In 2021, she was awarded the "Positive Role Model – West Africa" award at the Accenture Gender Mainstreaming Awards and recognition from Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD), The Guardian, Leading Ladies Africa and the Chartered Institute of Bankers in Nigeria, among others. Her ability to navigate complex #macroeconomic landscapes has made her a sought-after speaker, featured on global platforms including BBC, CNBC Africa, and Arise News. A prolific author, she has published two Amazon bestsellers and over 1,000 economic articles and reports, influencing investors, policymakers, and corporate leaders. She has contributed to significant works like Financial Services Value Chains (UN Economic Commission for Africa and UNCTAD) and has hosted insightful podcasts on platforms such as Spotify. Chinwe holds advanced degrees in economics, including a master’s in Financial Economics. Her contributions to economic research have been recognized with an honorary doctorate by the United Nations via UN-POLAC and UNESCO. #welcomeaboard #welcometotheteam #newhire

Join us on October 4, from 8 am to 3 pm in Nairobi for an Innovative Solutions Workshop on Unlocking Capital for African SMEs and Growth Businesses! 📖 Learn about #innovativefinancialmodels that are being used to bolster local fund managers. 💡 Building upon these examples, co-create approaches that leverage your own organization’s resources and capabilities. 🚀 Share thoughts and ideas on ways of collectively #drivingcapital mobilization at scale. Register by emailing lisa@frontierfinance.org.