Meet the 5 select Entrepreneur Support Organizations From left to right: Tatiana Pereira - CEO of IdeiaLab, Sydney Thiam - Venture Building Lead Catalyst Fund, Kofi Biney - Ghana Programs Manager and Joseph Mwanyika CEO of Ennovate Ventures.
As part of our commitment to supporting early-stage entrepreneurs, fostering collaborative networks, and creating thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems across sub-Saharan Africa, we have been selected as one of five ecosystem builders for the next phase of the program in Ghana.
The 2025 phase of the program marks a continuation of the program's mission to address the challenges faced by startups in Africa. Building on the success of its initial phase, which supported 14 ESOs across five countries, this phase will enable us to scale our operations and expand our impact. With emphasis on climate action, we will run investment readiness programs and allocate direct funding to startups working on innovative, climate-resilient solutions.
As a co-lead for this venture-building program, we will receive up to $260,000. This funding will support a range of activities, including capacity-building, organising workshops for climate-focused ventures, and providing grants to selected startups. These efforts are designed to create a more sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem while addressing pressing climate and economic challenges.
The Empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Africa program recognises the crucial role of local ecosystem builders in fostering a thriving environment for impact-driven, climate-smart startups. Our proven track record of nurturing and scaling social enterprises made us a natural fit for this collaborative effort.
"This initiative, funded by Norad, will not only strengthen our capacity but will bolster the growth of sustainable climate-focused startups across Ghana. It will allow us to amplify our impact and empower even more local entrepreneurs who are tackling critical social and environmental challenges in the country".
Village Capital, renowned for its innovative peer-selection methodology and focus on early-stage startups, in collaboration with Reach for Change, will provide participating entrepreneurs with access to mentorship, training, and potential investment opportunities. The program's emphasis on peer learning and community-building creates a strong support network for entrepreneurs navigating the challenges of scaling their social enterprises.
Our role as an ecosystem builder will be multifaceted, encompassing activities such as:
- Identifying and recruiting promising sustainable enterprises: Leveraging our extensive network and expertise, we will identify and recruit high-potential climate-focused enterprises that align with the program's focus areas.
- Providing localised support and mentorship: We will offer tailored support to participating entrepreneurs, including mentorship, workshops, and access to local resources.
- Facilitating connections and networking: We will connect entrepreneurs with potential investors, partners, and other key stakeholders within the African entrepreneurial ecosystem.
- Contributing to program development and refinement: Based on our on-the-ground experience, we will provide valuable feedback to Village Capital to ensure the program's effectiveness, relevance and sustainability.
The empowering Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Africa program focuses on key sectors aligned with specific targets of the SDGs, such as sustainable agriculture (SDG 2), renewable and clean energy (SDG 7), circular economy (SDG 12), and blue economy (SDG 15). By supporting entrepreneurs in these areas, the program aims to contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive economy in Africa.
“We are committed to reimagining capital deployment and building a more connected ecosystem where ESOs play a pivotal role in driving entrepreneurship and facilitating access to capital,” she said. “By co-designing tailored accelerator programs and empowering these organizations to deliver scalable solutions to climate challenges, we aim to foster lasting impact.”
The program is expected to run from March 2025 to December 2026 and will support 100 startups and directly fund high-impact entrepreneurs across Ghana. This partnership between Village Capital, Norad, and Reach for Change represents a significant step towards fostering a robust ecosystem for sustainable entrepreneurship in Africa and driving positive change across the continent.
For more information and media inquiries, contact Andrews Akoto-Addo (Andy) at [email protected].
About Reach for Change Foundation
Since Reach for Change started its operations in Ghana in 2012, we have supported more than 300 social entrepreneurs who have reached more than 800,000 children and youth. We have also worked with over 200 women and youth on entrepreneurship capacity development and economic empowerment. Now, our foundation is a critical player in the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Ghana. Through the hybrid model of tailored capacity-building and ecosystem development, we identify and build the capacity of early-stage social entrepreneurs, develop local entrepreneurial ecosystems, and build strategic funding alliances to support and scale existing or new social enterprises for sustainable development.
About Village Capital:
Village Capital (VilCap) is reinventing the system to back the entrepreneurs of the future. Known for its groundbreaking approaches to supporting founders who are building solutions to emergent social, economic, and environmental challenges, VilCap unlocks critical social and financial capital for early-stage companies to maximise business and impact growth. Village Capital has operated in sub-Saharan Africa since 2012, running over 14 accelerator programs serving entrepreneurs in 15 countries in the region. VilCap has supported more than 120 locally-based startups and 78 Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESO) working in sectors such as financial health, hardware, sustainability, and the future of work. Learn more at www.vilcap.com and follow @villagecapital.
About Norad:
Norad is the Norwegian agency for development cooperation. We work for the world to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Norad is a professional body under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Together with our partners and on behalf of Norway, Norad strives for a greener future in a world without poverty. Human rights must be respected, and none left out. By way of knowledge and cooperation, we ensure that the funds of Norwegian development aid contribute to global development.
