Village Capital Fintech Africa 2016: Supporting Next Generation Entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa, Deadline: 20 September 2016

Village Capital Fintech Africa 2016: Supporting Next Generation Entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa, 

Deadline: 20 September 2016

Village Capital, The MasterCard Foundation, and the DOEN Foundation are seeking applications to identify and support the next generation of fintech entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa.  These entrepreneurs are innovating in financial technology to increase financial health and improve livelihoods for low-income populations.

Village Capital finds, trains, and invests in entrepreneurs solving real-world problems. They build communities around entrepreneurs and their ventures to improve opportunities for growth and success.

Village Capital does not just seek the next best idea, invention, or business; rather, they seek innovators who are solving real global problems. Specifically, they focus on two major problem-solving areas:

• access to opportunity for underserved communities (through health, education, and financial inclusion ventures)
• resource sustainability of the planet (through energy and agriculture ventures).

Funding Information

At the end of the program, the top two ventures, as selected by their peers in the cohort, will receive an offer of US $50,000 in pre-committed capital investment from VilCap Investments.

Types of Initiatives

• Increasing the access, relevance, and affordability of savings, credit, payments, and insurance products through leveraging data analytics, blockchain technology, and digital identity verification;
• Increasing efficiency in supply chains and distribution channels across sectors through better market access, increased price transparency, increased connections to new suppliers, and access to other decision-driving market information; and/or
• Enhancing livelihoods of low-income small business owners through tools for value-chain tracking, smart logistics, business insurance, working-capital loans, and financial management tools to better handle risk and volatility.

Important Dates

• Workshop 1: December 7-10
• Workshop 2: January 24-27
• Workshop 3: February 28-03

How to Apply

Interested applicants can apply via given website.

Eligible Countries

Angola, Burundi, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea,Gabon, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principe, the Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan or Zimbabwe.

For more information, please visit Village Capital Fintech Africa 2016.