African hubs network AfriLabs and 2X Global, a global industry body focused on increasing the volume and impact of capital directed towards women’s economic empowerment worldwide, have entered into a strategic partnership aimed at advancing intersectional gender lens investing across emerging economies.
AfriLabs is a network organisation that is committed to driving innovation and entrepreneurship on the continent by bringing together technology hubs, startups, investors, and other key stakeholders in the ecosystem.
Having recently announced the admission of 16 new hubs, AfriLabs now has a network of 478 hubs across 260 cities in 53 African nations.
2X Global, meanwhile, is a global membership and field-building organisation for investors, capital providers, and intermediaries working in public and private markets, focused on increasing the amount of capital directed towards female interests.
With a shared vision of increasing the flow of financial capital to promote sustainable development, including through impact investment, AfriLabs and 2X Global have partnered in the hope of fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and capacity-building initiatives to drive positive change in the investment landscape.
“We are thrilled about our partnership with 2X Global, a leader in advancing intersectional Gender Lens Investing globally. This collaboration presents an exciting opportunity to leverage our collective expertise and networks to drive impactful investment in African innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Anna Ekeledo, executive director at AfriLabs.
“Aligning perfectly with AfriLabs’ vision to support and mentor women entrepreneurs across Africa, this partnership signifies a crucial step towards fostering sustainable economic growth and development on the continent. We look forward to facilitating knowledge exchange, capacity-building initiatives, and advocacy efforts that will advance the intersectional gender lens Investing agenda across emerging markets, creating a more inclusive and impactful investment landscape.”
2X Global CEO Jessica Espinoza said the partnership presented a great opportunity for both organisations to benefit from the insights and networks of each other.
“2X Global and AfriLabs have a common focus on knowledge sharing and capacity building, not to mention a shared commitment to supporting women’s economic empowerment. So we’re really looking forward to putting this partnership into action by finding synergies to carry forward our respective, aligned missions,” she said.
