Leading fund managers from Africa come to Oxford Saïd to help build continent’s growth in tech venture capital.
The Boost Africa Technical Assistance Facility and AfricaGrow Technical Assistance Facility are hosting the managers from investment funds for the Africa Venture Finance Programme at our Egrove Park site.
The School has welcomed people representing 15 funds, including AfricInvest, Knife Capital, and TL Com Capital, and more than half of the managers are women.
Fund managers also have the opportunity to work with business leaders and industry experts, as well as representatives from development finance institutions (DFIs) including the European Investment Bank and DEG Invest.
Aunnie Patton Power, Associate Fellow and Programme Director, said: ‘We are incredibly excited to be convening a group of the leading African Venture Capital Funds for this course in Oxford. We are hopeful the course contributes to a strengthening and connecting of the African VC ecosystem.”
The programme is working in the context of an African tech ecosystem which tripled in size from 2020 to 2021 to £4.4 million ($5.2 billion) but has a low proportion of African-led start-ups receiving significant funding.
Leadership in African countries is critical to channelling VC investment towards innovations that effectively address challenges faced inside and outside the continent and African start-ups have proven to be competitive, profitable, and world-class when equipped with support and expertise from investors and fund managers who truly understand their value and growth potential.
Ambroise Fayolle, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank, said: 'The EIB is committed to supporting high impact innovation investment around the world. We are pleased to support the Boost Africa programme that is sharing investment best practice to strengthen the lasting impact of investment partners across Africa.'
David van Dijk, Team Leader, Boost Africa Technical Assistance Facility, said: ‘Both AfricaGrow and Boost Africa aim to have a catalytic effect on the emerging African start-up ecosystem, by investing in and supporting VC funds in Africa. This week at Oxford Saïd Business School is quite unique in bringing together 40 of Africa’s most relevant investors and will definitely help in furthering the conversation on how we can ensure the most promising founders on the continent have a fighting chance to start and grow their businesses.’