The Boost Africa Technical Assistance Facility and AfricaGrow Technical Assistance Facility will next week (September 12-16) host 40 leading fund managers from select African investment funds for an in-person programme held at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School.
The Boost Africa Technical Assistance Facility, which is funded by the European Union and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, provides bespoke support to strengthen the core professional and operational skills of partner fund managers and their investees, while AfricaGrow is a fund of funds domiciled in Germany, which aims to support SMEs and startups on the African continent.
The Africa Venture Finance Programme is designed specifically for VC fund managers investing in early and growth-stage technology companies in Africa. The week-long course will focus on the sharing of best practice and peer-to-peer knowledge, and provide cutting-edge insights and learning opportunities in all relevant aspects of fund management.
The aim of the programme is to engage in dialogue and extend expertise in leading Africa’s exponential growth in the tech venture capital space.
In total, 15 funds will be represented, with participants including fund managers from AfricInvest, Knife Capital, TLcom Capital, Ventures Platform Fund, Janngo Capital, Atlantica Ventures, and others. Reflecting the industry-wide need for improved women’s inclusion at senior levels, more than half (62 per cent) of participant fund managers are women.
Fund managers will also have the chance to interact with business leaders, industry experts as well as representatives from development finance institutions (DFIs) such as the European Investment Bank and DEG Invest.
“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,” said Ambroise Fayolle, vice president of the EIB.
“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 the 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,” said David van Dijk, team leader at the Boost Africa Technical Assistance Facility.
