Global Innovation Fund

Balloon Ventures bundles loans of ~$25,000 with tech-enabled business support to de-risk and profitably lend to SMEs in Kenya and Uganda. The approach is unlocking a $150bn segment in sub-Saharan Africa who are currently under-served by all existing financial institutions. Balloon has now made $10m+ loans and is profitable and scaling fast.

SafeBoda is an Africa-focused ride-sharing platform that modernizes informal motorcycle taxi transportation with a mobile-first service that connects riders to trained drivers. The platform emphasizes safety, with drivers trained in road safety, first aid, bike maintenance, and customer care, enabling safer, affordable, and convenient urban mobility for Africa's growing cities. Founded in Kampala, SafeBoda designs its services for the African context, aiming to improve trips for both drivers and passengers and to provide a reliable alternative to traditional informal transport.

Educate! provides a proven mix of a leadership and social entrepreneurship course, long-term mentoring, and an alumni program to empower high school students to start businesses and community initiatives. Today, Educate! works with 1,000 youth across Uganda and is developing a model that can applied across Africa.