By Adedapo Adesanya
Ventures Platform, an early-stage venture capital fund investing in innovative startups across Africa, has called for increased investment in Africa amidst global economic shifts.
This was the crux of the second edition of its Africa Prosperity Summit held on Friday, November 15 2024, in Lagos, Nigeria.
The invitation-only event themed Funding the Next Billion: Africa’s VC Investment Landscape in a Post-ZIRP Era brought together over 150 Pan-African and global investors, venture fund managers, family offices, development finance institutions (DFIs), fund of funds, Limited Partners and key ecosystem players actively investing in Africa.
The event served as a call to action for global and local investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and thought leaders to reassess opportunities in emerging markets amidst rising global interest rates and economic shifts. Africa, with its dynamic entrepreneurial spirit and growing youth demographic, presents significant investment potential.
However, realising this potential requires a deep understanding of local contexts and a commitment to fund innovations, which the 2024 Africa Prosperity Summit sought to address.
Speaking at the summit, Mr Kola Aina, Founding Partner, Ventures Platform emphasized that Africa’s massive population boom is happening at the same time global venture capital is on a decline.
He references that since the post-COVID peak of venture capital investments in 2021 -influenced by the Zero Interest Rate Policy (ZIRP) era – global venture capital flows have declined by 70 per cent.
“The situation in Africa is no better – Africa has experienced a 67 per cent decline in venture capital funding, despite its requirement of 10x more capital to address infrastructure gaps and non-consumption and be at par with Asia in terms of VC investments.
“Africans are simply unable to consume the goods and services that they need, talk less of want. If we do nothing about this today, by 2050, the 1 billion Africans that will be born – will end up being chronic non-consumers,” he argued.
“At Ventures Platform, we believe that by investing in the right kinds of entrepreneurship and innovation, we can produce two powerful outcomes – high-quality jobs that will drive up incomes across Africa, and scaling up affordability and accessibility to products/services for millions of people across Africa. The combination of these two powerful forces is an effective way of driving up consumption across Africa.”
Also speaking at the event, Mr Efosa Ojomo, the Director of Global Prosperity at the Clayton Christensen Institute highlighted Africa’s potential as the modern investment frontier, drawing parallels to historical transformations in global economies.
He emphasised how venture capital can accelerate market creation on the continent, stating, “Venture capital is designed to de-risk an economy – or at least, a sector. Unlike other financial vehicles like private equity or bonds, VC takes on the highest risk.
“In Africa, where raising funds for critical infrastructure is particularly challenging, venture capital must go beyond funding to actively build entrepreneurial ecosystems in the early stages.”
In the second keynote by Mr Charlie Robertson, Head of Macro-strategy at FIM Partners, provided a comprehensive analysis of global macroeconomics and its impact on investment and industrialization.
Engaging investors, fund of funds, startup founders, and policymakers, he explored the risks, challenges, and opportunities Africa faces in comparison to other regions.
“As Africa charts its path to prosperity, the critical levers of education, electricity, and fertility rates will define its economic trajectory. Countries like Egypt, Ethiopia, and Nigeria are already making strides with central bank policies that have corrected currency misalignments, paving the way for current account improvements and reduced investment costs.
“With fertility rates beginning to decline and the potential for service-led growth through affordable solar power and advanced connectivity, Africa is poised to leapfrog traditional industrialization barriers. This is a pivotal moment for investors to recognize the continent’s unique opportunities and actively shape its future prosperity.”
This year’s edition also witnessed Ventures Platform launching its inaugural ClimateTech White Paper titled “Innovating for a Sustainable Future: Harnessing Venture Capital and Startup Entrepreneurship to Combat Climate Change in Africa”.
The landmark paper which was launched by three key drivers – Urgency, Climate disparity, and Opportunities for VCs and Startups, examines the roles of venture capitalists and startups in climate change mitigation and adaptation. It also provides a comprehensive guide for non-climate VCs and entrepreneurs, including the development of a proprietary framework for a coordinated climate response in the African tech sector.