Village Capital

BeSingularity is a platform helping businesses achieve their customer acquisition, retention, and business growth goals. The company is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Fundi App is an on demand mobile application that connects vetted handymen providing different types of installation, repair and maintenance services in the informal sector to customers in the wider market. Our software is designed to match demand with nearest skilled individuals available in real-time. Lack of access to decent work for the skilled youth in Africa is a big challenge. The African Development Bank(Afdb) estimates that 11 million youth enter the labour market every year but only 3 million new jobs are created. Over 70% of all labour market entrants end up either unemployed or underemployed in the highly fragmented informal sector. Most informal workers, both self-employed and wage earners, face issues such as low productivity, low wages and unsustainable livelihoods. As a result of these, there is a significant, but not complete, overlap between working informally and being poor. At the same time, customers experience hardship in locating service providers who prioritize quality, affordability and reliability. Existing solutions offer contacts scattered across the web that are often not vetted which makes the process risky, expensive and time consuming for the customer. Our mission is to use technology to provide access to decent work and stable economic opportunities for youth in sub-Saharan Africa. We believe this to be key to building thriving communities.

ICT for Development Kenya reaches out to undeserved communities in East Africa offering Technology literacy.

Angaza Elimu is an ed-tech company focused on transforming education in Kenya and across Africa by addressing challenges in classroom efficiency and access to educational resources. The organization provides a comprehensive e-Learning platform that simplifies classroom management, allowing teachers to dedicate more time to effective instruction. It features a Student Portal designed to engage learners and foster critical thinking skills. Angaza Elimu also emphasizes skill-based learning to prepare African youth for success in a digital economy. Additionally, the company offers supplemental STEM training to cultivate innovation among young learners and operates an Internet of Things (IoT) school to provide hands-on training in hardware engineering, enabling students to learn both in and out of the classroom at their own pace.

Operator of an online job marketplace intended to fast-track the landing of employment opportunities that match competencies. The company's portal addresses junior-level job seekers' career progression needs by providing a mixture of technical skills assessment tools and personalized career services, enabling employers and employees to find a match and offer many opportunities in one single platform.

Yu’sure connects established insurance providers with unemployed youth.

CoffeeChat is a coaching-as-a-service platform that enables companies to offer one-on-one executive coaching for their managers.

Eneza Education Limited, founded in 2011 and based in Nairobi, Kenya, specializes in providing mobile technology-based education services. The company offers a virtual tutor and teacher's assistant, enabling students and teachers to access curriculum-aligned courses, assessments, and interactive support from live instructors via mobile devices. Its platform includes locally-adapted tutorials, tips, assessments, and features such as a leaderboard and live teacher chat, accessible through various formats including USSD/SMS, a web app, an offline desktop app, and an Android app. Eneza Education targets individual parents, students, and teachers with subscription-based access to its educational resources, ensuring that learners across Kenya, from urban centers to rural areas, can benefit from comprehensive, on-demand educational support.

Tustawi is an e-learning specialist for professional development in Kenya, using technology to develop job-specific and market-relevant customized training.

WorkNasi Plus is a platform empowering businesses in Africa by connecting them to the best-skilled freelancers and remote workers from across the continent.

Mazima Retirement Plan engages in helping those working in the formal sector save for retirement.

Tulaa combines mobile technology and last mile agent networks to connect agri-input suppliers, financial service providers and commodity buyers to smallholder farmers. The aim is to lower the cost and risk for the partners to do business with farmers.

Patasente is a factoring platform aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), traders, and farmers. The platform facilitates access to credit, allowing users to purchase and pay for goods on favorable terms. Through its web and mobile applications, as well as a durable payment card, Patasente enables users to manage transactions effectively both in physical stores and online. By offering these services, the platform helps farmers, warehouses, and factories enhance their earnings, lower expenses, and improve cash flow.

Ensibuuko is a Ugandan startup founded in 2014 that develops cloud-based micro-finance software tailored for community-level financial entities in Sub-Saharan Africa. The company's software provides essential banking solutions, allowing users to access their accounts via mobile phones, where they can check balances, make deposits, and withdraw funds. Designed to function effectively even in areas with poor telecom infrastructure, Ensibuuko's software includes standard accounting and reporting features, thus enhancing the viability and competitiveness of community microfinance schemes. By offering affordable financial products and services, Ensibuuko aims to support the growth of local businesses and improve financial access in rural communities.

Annona is the select tool for creating a traceable global food ecosystem. Annona is a mobile and web-based platform that global suppliers use to manage their farmer supplies, payments and aggregate crop production.

Olivine Technology, established in January 2010, is a software company that focuses on creating automated data capture tools designed to streamline data management processes for small and medium-sized enterprises. The company's solutions integrate with leading third-party systems such as Quickbooks, Sage Evolution, SAP Business 1, SPSS, and Mpesa, addressing challenges related to the high costs and lengthy durations typically associated with data capture, transmission, organization, reporting, and analysis. Olivine's applications facilitate real-time monitoring of inventory and sales across various distribution sites, including warehouses, stores, and sales vans, enabling seamless connectivity between multiple locations and their respective head offices.

PayGo Energy is a company based in Kenya that specializes in developing metering systems for pre-paid cooking gas. Founded in 2014, the company aims to provide clean cooking fuel through a pay-as-you-go model, which allows customers to purchase gas gradually using mobile money. Its patented device connects a gas cylinder to a cloud service, enabling real-time monitoring of gas consumption and predicting when refills are needed. This innovative approach addresses the challenges associated with traditional cooking fuels, which often have detrimental environmental and health impacts, particularly in underserved communities. By offering an accessible and efficient energy solution, PayGo Energy seeks to improve the quality of life for millions who rely on inefficient biomass fuels.

LipaMobile operates an integrated cashless payment platform called Xuldime, designed to facilitate financial transactions among parents, school administrators, and vendors in the educational sector. This service addresses the needs of parents with variable incomes by allowing them to manage school fees, supplies, and services through manageable, periodic payments rather than lump sums. In addition to processing payments, LipaMobile's platform includes features such as a lunch pocket money tool for students and various fee collection options, streamlining the transfer of funds and enhancing the financial experience within schools. The platform emphasizes security in sending and receiving mobile money, making it a valuable resource for families and educational institutions alike.

ARED Group, founded in 2013 and based in Kigali, Rwanda, operates a multi-service solar kiosk platform designed to enhance access to digital services in Africa, particularly for low-income individuals. The company offers a range of services, including Internet Wi-Fi, intranet solutions for offline users, phone charging, mobile money, prepaid electricity, airtime, and tax payment services. ARED has developed a mini-server platform that stores digital applications closer to users, reducing internet costs and facilitating access. With approximately 142 kiosks across Rwanda and Uganda, ARED serves around 150,000 unique customers annually and processes over 500,000 digital transactions each year. The company has recently expanded its offerings to include smart data and content management systems for businesses, helping clients such as telecom companies and NGOs optimize their networks and enhance user engagement. ARED's operations have also extended to Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Nigeria, reflecting its commitment to scaling its impact across the region.

PayGo Energy is a company based in Kenya that specializes in developing metering systems for pre-paid cooking gas. Founded in 2014, the company aims to provide clean cooking fuel through a pay-as-you-go model, which allows customers to purchase gas gradually using mobile money. Its patented device connects a gas cylinder to a cloud service, enabling real-time monitoring of gas consumption and predicting when refills are needed. This innovative approach addresses the challenges associated with traditional cooking fuels, which often have detrimental environmental and health impacts, particularly in underserved communities. By offering an accessible and efficient energy solution, PayGo Energy seeks to improve the quality of life for millions who rely on inefficient biomass fuels.

Atikus Investments Incorporated offers credit insurance on loans for micro, small, and medium sized enterprises. Through its product J.E.M. Guard, the company focuses on increasing the proportion of loans granted to women and underserved demographics. Additionally, it provides LoanSkout, which is a mobile loan origination and administration application and FINCH, which is its SMS-enabled outreach tool. The company was incorporated in 2013 and is based in New York, New York with a location in Kigali, Rwanda.

EDOM is a Kenya-based fortified flour and enriched porridge producer mitigating malnutrition in Sub-Sarahan Africa through a BoP-targeted sales strategy. The business has achieved a 68% revenue CAGR since inception, 4-fold net margin increase in 2013, and has a 4,000+ smallholder farmer network in Uganda and Kenya. With I-DEV support, EDOM has engaged a leading global impact investor to secure the first tranche of a multi-stage investment which will be used to provide WC and M&E financing to double production and extend BoP outreach.

Lipisha is a Nairobi-based company that specializes in mobile payment solutions for businesses in Africa. It develops a platform that allows small business owners to automate the processing of non-cash payments, such as mobile money and card transactions, directly into their bank accounts. The platform supports various mobile money channels and incorporates advanced data encryption and anti-fraud measures to ensure secure transactions. Additionally, Lipisha provides users with robust reporting tools that enable them to analyze and manage their payment data effectively. By facilitating the integration and automation of mobile payments, Lipisha aims to enhance financial efficiency for its clients.

Access Afya is focused on enhancing healthcare accessibility for low-income populations in Kenya through its innovative mini-clinic model. By leveraging advanced health technologies, Access Afya provides a modern healthcare operating system designed specifically for emerging economies. The clinics offer a wide range of primary care services, including authentic medication, immunization, family planning, and care delivered by qualified clinicians. This approach enables residents of slum communities to receive timely and effective healthcare services, addressing critical health needs in underserved areas.