The AECF, managed by Village Capital with support from (FMO) the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), has partnered with Reach for Change as a Venture Partner to leverage the organization’s deep local expertise to identify and evaluate high-impact startups. Reach for Change will play a critical role in ensuring capital is directed to context-relevant solutions, ultimately strengthening the regional entrepreneurship ecosystem and amplifying the Facility’s impact.
Too often, promising Ghanaian startups don’t get the support they need because traditional investment models don’t fit their reality. Our role in this partnership is to help surface ventures that are solving real, local problems—and to make sure the capital meets them where they are. We’re looking forward to backing founders who are building solid businesses with clear impact, but who might otherwise be overlooked.
As a Venture Partner in the Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility, we’re excited to open local applications to identify and support bold founders in Ghana.
We’re looking for startups driving solutions to enhance economic mobility and climate resilience, solving real problems with scalable, locally relevant models. The Facility will leverage innovative finance to structure investments to align with startups' growth strategy and capital needs, including the use of debt-like instruments.
We’re calling on founders who:
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Have a minimum viable product (MVP) and early revenue
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Offer innovation through business model, process improvements, or disruptive products (tech or tech-enabled preferred)
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Are seeking to raise between USD 75,000 and USD 500,000
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Have raised less than USD 2 million to date
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Operate with a clear mission for social or environmental impact
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Demonstrate healthy unit economics with a path to financial sustainability
If this sounds like your venture, we encourage you to apply by the 21st of July 2025 and join a growing network of entrepreneurs shaping Africa’s future.
For more information about the startups or program activities in Ghana, contact Andrews Akoto-Addo, Project & Partnership Officer at Reach for Change [[email protected]].
For Facility-wide inquiries, contact Eva Waweru at Village Capital [[email protected]].
About Reach for Change
Reach for Change is a global non-profit empowering social entrepreneurs with skills, network and funding to scale their impact. Our vision is a world where everyone can shape their own future.
Reach for Change works hands-on providing the tools, knowledge, connections and funding that help social entrepreneurs build sustainable ventures. By focusing on critical societal challenges like inequality, poverty and climate change, we drive positive change for some of the most vulnerable groups across the globe. And alongside our partners, we push for policies and structures that allow innovative solutions to see the light of day.
About the Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility (AECF)
The Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility (AECF) is a USD 4M investment facility designed to unlock early-stage capital for startups in Ghana, Nigeria, and Tanzania that are advancing climate resilience and economic mobility. Managed by Village Capital, the Facility pioneers a locally-led investment model by partnering with in-market Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs). These ESOs help identify strong founder teams, shape investment pipelines, and advise on due diligence, ensuring capital is invested where it has greatest local impact and fit for purpose.
The Facility is backed by (FMO) the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), two leading institutions championing inclusive, sustainable development through entrepreneurship. FMO brings decades of experience investing in entrepreneurs and financial institutions in emerging markets, while RVO supports ecosystem-building efforts that remove systemic barriers to growth. Together, the three partners are catalyzing a new approach to early-stage investing, one that shifts power closer to local ecosystems and accelerates the flow of capital to where it’s needed most.
