Key Developments

Kuramo Capital Management to Invest $150 Million in Female-Led Startups Across Africa

Kuramo Capital Management, a prominent investment management firm with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), has announced its ambitious plan to invest $150 million in supporting female-led startups throughout the African continent over the next decade.
 
 
This significant investment is set to be channeled through the firm’s “Moremi Platform,” an initiative aimed at empowering the next generation of African women entrepreneurs and promoting gender-equitable fund management.

The Moremi Platform is a multifaceted initiative structured around three core pillars: an accelerator program, a warehousing/lending facility, and a Fund of funds.
 
This comprehensive approach is designed to bolster female entrepreneurs and women fund managers by providing them with the necessary resources, mentorship, and financial support to foster the growth of women-driven enterprises.

Kuramo Capital Management has also introduced the inaugural cohort of its accelerator program, which serves a dual purpose as a mentorship and capacity-building platform.
 
It aims to assist 40 female entrepreneurs and fund managers annually.
 
Wale Adeosun, the CEO and Founder of Kuramo, highlights that the program’s primary objective is to address the funding and knowledge gap that often hinders women’s participation in the business world, a significant barrier to the inclusive and sustainable development of African nations.
 
Additionally, the program will enhance the skills of female fund managers, ultimately contributing to the advancement of women-led enterprises.

Adeosun emphasized the firm’s commitment to making a catalytic impact through their gender-focused initiative, just as they have successfully done with African general partners (fund managers) in the past.

The accelerator program offers a structured curriculum that encompasses capacity building, technical assistance, and mentoring specifically tailored to the needs of women in business, particularly female fund managers in Africa.
 
Sarah Ngamau, Managing Director of the Moremi Fund, underscores the critical timing of this initiative within Africa’s investment landscape. Despite an increased flow of capital into Africa, women remain underrepresented at all levels of the investment sector.
 
The goal is to break down these barriers and enhance the ecosystem by supporting female-led African private equity and venture capital funds.

The World Economic Forum has recognized Sub-Saharan Africa as having the highest rate of women involved in entrepreneurial activity, with women constituting 58% of Africa’s self-employed population.

Sarah, representing Kuramo Capital and Kuramo Foundation for Sustainable Development, stressed that the most effective way to unlock capital for female entrepreneurs and gender-smart businesses at scale is to invest in female-led and gender-diverse fund managers.
 
The aim is to promote inclusive economic empowerment of female-led funds across the Pan-African landscape.

Kuramo Capital was founded in 2011 and has since mobilized over $3.5 billion to support more than 200 companies and create over 50,000 jobs in Africa.
 
The firm’s primary focus is on creating long-term capital value to facilitate the sustainable growth of businesses across diverse sectors of the economy.
 

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