The recently launched Capria Accelerator for impact venture capitalists (VCs) has already received 117 applications to its inaugural programme, 25 per cent of which are from Africa, with applications still open.
Disrupt Africa reported last month on the launch of the Capria Accelerator, claiming to be the first global programme dedicated to incubating impact VCs in developing markets.
Capria aims to create a global network of impact fund managers, by providing a bespoke accelerator for impact VCs themselves, with a particular focus on developing markets such as Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
The accelerator will offer investment, support and help to capitalize new fund managers.
Since opening applications to the inaugural programme, Capria has to date received 117 applications, 27 of which come from Africa, or almost 25 per cent.
The African country to have sent in the most applications so far is Kenya, with eight submissions, followed by South Africa with seven. Five applications have been sent in from Nigeria. Ghana, Rwanda and Uganda have seen two applications submitted each, and one has arrived from Zimbabwe.
Globally, applications have been submitted from 30 countries across the world.
Capria intends to select five fund management teams for its first cohort, with the application period ending on October 31, 2015. Applications are available here.
Capria has also been recruiting advisors for the programme; with over 12 experts from across the world now confirmed as participating, including Eric Savage, co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Unitus Capital; Ross Baird, executive director at Village Capital; Kylie Charlton, chief investment officer at Australian Impact Investments; and Ganesh Rengaswamy, managing director at Accion Frontier Investments Group; among others.
In total, the experts onboarded for the programme have previously or currently managed capital in excess of US$2 billion.
