CII Centre of Excellence for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Startups (CIES)’s Post

Africa's startup & VC scene is buzzing with creativity & collaboration. It's amazing to see so many talented individuals & innovative businesses coming together to drive success & sustainability for the greater good. Check out some of the inspiring highlights & personal conversations that grabbed my attention. 1️⃣ I recently met Abdul Golden, founding partner at Shujaa Capital, who's driving innovation in startups that promote equal access to high-quality education and housing. 🎒🏠 2️⃣ Join Shujaa Capital and Gigi Ngcobo from Injini this Wednesday, July 17th at 11:00 AM Central Time for a deep dive into "Impact Investing Across Emerging Markets." 📚🌍 ➡️ Register here: https://lnkd.in/eSF7CD3A 3️⃣ NALA, a remittance startup, has raised $40 million in one of Africa's largest Series A transactions. The round was led by a couple familiar names, including Norrsken22 & HOF Capital 👏💸 4️⃣ I thoroughly enjoyed listening to episode 11 of the Startup Club ZA podcast with Idan Jaan, Co-founder and former CEO of Fundrr. 💡👂 ➡️ Here's the link if you'd like to listen: https://lnkd.in/dXWBqU9G 5️⃣ I had the pleasure of connecting with Hana Kaise, Co-founder and GP at Bilow Capital, an impact-focused venture studio & fund based in the Horn of Africa. They’re set to produce some fascinating initiatives soon—definitely worth keeping an eye on them. 👁️🌱 #deltaecosystem #deltaapex #africaecosystem #africavc #africastartups #africafounders #emergingmarkets #startups #venturecapitalistsafrica

If you're interested in #ImpactInvesting, particularly with a focus on #EmergingMarkets, you might find this free session hosted by Abdul Golden insightful.

#Events | Yesterday, our partner Rita Casimiro was present as one of the keynote speakers at the 25th edition of Startup Portugal’s Above & Beyond Hangout, alongside Nuno Carvalho, Maud Schijen, and Ricardo Pimentel. It was a great opportunity to explore the question, "How do we measure impact?" and to gather insights from the expertise of different approaches to impact. As Rita Casimiro defines it: "Basically, environmental or social impact is when there's a problem, and you try to change the outcomes and create a positive change to decrease the level of the problem. And for us at maze impact, as an impact investing company, we truly believe that impact is one of the biggest economic opportunities of our times". #StartupPortugal #MeasureImpact

Abdul Golden and his partners are hosting an impact-investor event that you should not miss if you feel drawn to this topic. Check out all the details below: #impactinvesting #investmentreturns #impactinvestors

🥁 In honor of #internationalwomensday, this one's for emerging VCs... IIE.VC is excited to announce the Launch Expense Subsidy Pilot! This initiative seeks to address the entrepreneurial challenges emerging managers face in navigating the startup expenses of launching funds. The pilot will award flexible subsidies of up to $50,000 to underrepresented emerging VCs, raising fund one through three, targeting up to $100 million. Subsidies can cover a range of launch expenses, including legal, accounting, and operating costs. Participation will also connect emerging VCs to a range of launch resources, including guidance on formation, fundraising, and fund management and if/how to leverage the SSBCI Capital Program. How to submit a Request for Subsidy: ✅ Download and complete the Launch Expenses Exl ✅ Complete the Request for Subsidy Form... ✅ ...while there, upload the Launch Expenses Exl, and your deck. ✅ IIE.VC will be in touch! ✳ Submission deadline for the pilot is March 20. Forms at link below ⤵ ✳ IIE will continue to review requests on a rolling basis, as the team scales up this new resource for emerging managers! (And more... stay tuned!) ___ Special thanks to our IIE.VC Partners at Catalyze for co-designing this pilot, and Recast Capital, SomosVC, Plexo Capital , National Venture Capital Association, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center, JumpStart Inc. for contributing expertise for all the emerging managers we aim to support.

Nominations for the Impact/100 2024 are sourced from 40+ of the world’s leading impact investors, collectively managing over $349 billion. That’s serious money - and some serious influence. Big thanks to all our nominating partners for helping build this year’s list. Andreessen Horowitz AENU Atomico B Capital Balderton Capital Blue Lion BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt Breakthrough Energy Collaborative Fund DCVC The Earthshot Prize Eka Ventures EQT Foundation Fifty Years Food Planet Prize Giant Ventures Social Innovation + Change Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School Katapult Khosla Ventures Leaps by Bayer Lightspeed Lionheart Ventures LUMO Labs MIT Solve Molten Ventures Mudcake Mustard Seed + Partners Northzone Obama Foundation Planet A Ventures Rethink Impact, LP Seaya Ship2B Ventures SoftBank Investment Advisers SOSV The Engine Accelerator Trill Impact World Fund Unreasonable Haven’t checked it out yet? Want another look? Click here: norrsken.org/impact100. #impact100

Indian VC Ecosystem Maturing Fast & Experiencing Exponential Growth In a recent conversation with #WomenEntrepreneursReview magazine, Surabhi Washishth, Founding Partner, Paradigm Shift Capital discussed impactful trends in the Indian VC ecosystem, the influence of emerging technologies on venture investment decisions, and the importance of diversity and inclusion in decision-making and team composition. Read More: https://goo.su/Z9b0 #IndianVCEcosystem #ExponentialGrowth #IndianVentureCapital #venturecapitalindustry

Banking system plays a key role to support #startups, #innovativecompanies and #innovativeassociations with impact bonds or impact investing. BNP Paribas BNL BNP Paribas #PositiveBanking

🥁 In honor of #internationalwomensday , this one's for emerging VCs... IIE.VC is excited to announce the Launch Expense Subsidy Pilot! This initiative seeks to address the entrepreneurial challenges emerging managers face in navigating the startup expenses of launching funds. The pilot will award flexible subsidies of up to $50,000 to underrepresented emerging VCs, raising fund one through three, targeting up to $100 million. Subsidies can cover a range of launch expenses, including legal, accounting, and operating costs. Participation will also connect emerging VCs to a range of launch resources, including guidance on formation, fundraising, and fund management and if/how to leverage the SSBCI Capital Program. How to submit a Request for Subsidy: ✅ Download and complete the Launch Expenses Exl ✅ Complete the Request for Subsidy Form... ✅ ...while there, upload the Launch Expenses Exl, and your deck. ✅ Our team will be in touch! ✳ Submission deadline for the pilot is March 20. Forms at link below ⤵ ✳ We will continue to review requests on a rolling basis, as we scale up this new resource for emerging managers! (And more... stay tuned!) ___ Special thanks to our IIE.VC Partners at Catalyze for co-designing this pilot, and Recast Capital, SomosVC, Plexo Capital Foundation, Venture Forward, Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center The Venture Equity Project, JumpStart Inc. for contributing expertise for all the emerging managers we aim to support.

Exciting News! True Wealth Ventures has been named a 2024 ImpactAssets 50 (IA50) fund manager! The #IA50 is the most recognized free database of #impactinvesting fund managers. It showcases a diverse group of experienced and emerging managers driving positive change across geographies, sectors, and asset classes. At True Wealth Ventures, we invest in early-stage, #womenled companies that are explicitly improving human and/or environmental health. Despite studies showing that women-led companies financially outperform, they are often overlooked by investors. In 2021, only 2% of venture capital went to women-led startups, and approximately 15% to those with a single woman on the founding team. We believe there is a significant advantage to having women-led teams designing products, selling to, and servicing customers, especially in our investment verticals, where women make the majority of decisions. By investing in these untapped opportunities, we aim to generate strong returns while driving positive social and environmental impact. Being recognized on the IA50 validates our approach and impact investing philosophy. We're honored to be part of this esteemed group of impact leaders. Learn more about the IA50 and explore the full list of impact-driving investors: https://bit.ly/4ctC01M #impactinvesting #venturecapital #womeninVC #healthcareinnovation #climateaction #ESG #sustainableinvesting #diversity #innovation