The African Business Angel Network (ABAN) and Scaling Digital Agriculture Innovations through Start-ups (SAIS) have partnered to launch the Climate Smart Agriculture Angel Investor Capacity Development (CAICD) programme, which aims to enhance the angel investment ecosystem in climate-smart agriculture.
ABAN is the largest pan-African organisation of angel investors, while SAIS, a project implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is a company development and accelerator programme offering an investment readiness programme for agri-tech and climate-tech entrepreneurs.
Recognising the urgent need for sustainable agricultural practices and technology integration in Africa, ABAN launched a sector-focused angel network dedicated to climate-smart agriculture in 2023, and it has now followed this up by partnering SAIS to launch the CAICD programme.
The programme is designed to create a ripple effect in the agricultural sector by equipping emerging angel investors with specialised knowledge and skills. By focusing on climate-smart technologies and practices, it aims to address urgent environmental challenges, open new opportunities for economic growth and innovation, and host venture showcases.
Over the next two cohorts, the programme will recruit and train 60 new angel investors, who will join the ABAN Climate Smart Agriculture Network. Within six months of the programme’s conclusion, the goal is to finalise 10 investment deals, showcasing effective capital deployment in climate-smart agriculture projects.
The programme will also deliver comprehensive training modules to develop strong investment acumen among network members, with their progress tracked through active participation in the network.
“By recruiting and training a new wave of angel investors, we will not just be expanding the capacity of networks in our community, but also empowering these investors to make impactful contributions to climate-smart agriculture. In essence, this programme is ideally designed to build a solid foundation for successful investment and sustainable development. As ABAN, we are eager to play a key role in the realisation of innovative solutions and significant progress that will emerge from this initiative,” said ABAN CEO Fadilah Tchoumba.
Additionally, the programme will organise 10 venture showcases over two cohorts, providing startups with opportunities to pitch their ideas directly to the ABAN Climate Smart Agriculture Network. These showcases will include eight virtual events focused exclusively on climate-smart agriculture startups, and two in-person events at major conferences such as the Africa Early Stage Investor Summit (AESIS).
“At SAIS, we are committed to supporting the growth of startups across Africa – and investment is one of the key elements. Therefore, through our joint project with ABAN, we are empowering 60 gender-inclusive business angels across Africa and the diaspora, providing them with the tools, knowledge, and networks needed to invest effectively in early-stage climate-smart agriculture ventures. By building capacity for these investors, we aim to bridge the capital gap and foster a more inclusive investment landscape,” said Tina Lochmann from SAIS.
