The Empower Africa Business Platform is Now Live !!!
The fund, backed by private investors and family offices, will continue to support innovative early-stage ventures driving growth and transformation in the region.
Established in 2018 under the leadership of Benoit Delestre, Samuel Touboul, and Cynthia Mandjek, Saviu Ventures has emerged as a pioneer in the Francophone African VC landscape.
With a team of seven experienced investors and operators strategically positioned across Abidjan, Dakar, and Paris, Saviu Ventures has established a deep understanding of the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and investment opportunities.
To date, Saviu Ventures has invested in 12 promising startups, primarily from Francophone Africa, including Anka, Julaya, Zanifu, Lapaire, and Paps.
With the first close of Saviu II, reaching EUR12 million (US$13 million), the firm is poised to continue its mission of nurturing and empowering the next generation of Francophone African entrepreneurs.
Aligned with its predecessor, Saviu II will focus on seed to Series A investments in early-stage African startups, with a strong emphasis on Francophone Africa.
The fund’s sector-agnostic approach allows it to identify and support innovative tech or tech-enabled ventures across diverse industries such as fintech, e-health, edtech, climate-tech, and e-commerce.
“We are delighted to partner with ISA to support the development of solar energy in Africa,” said Alain Ebobissé, CEO of Africa50. “This partnership will help to accelerate the deployment of solar energy in Africa and improve the lives of millions of Africans,” he added.

Village Capital has made its first investments through the Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility (AECF), deploying $350,000 into two startups in Ghana as the nonprofit deepens its push to support early-stage African businesses tackling essential everyday challenges.

Kumulus Water, a Tunisian-French startup specializing in atmospheric water generation, has raised $3.5 million in seed funding to scale its technology that transforms air into safe drinking water.

German development finance institution DEG has committed €15 million to the Adenia Entrepreneurial Fund I (AEF I), a pan-African private equity vehicle managed by Adenia Partners.