Tech in Africa
Amsterdam-based Goodwell Investments launched its Goodwell V fund that looks to direct capital from private investors, family offices, and foundations to rapidly growing highly scalable small and medium-sized investment companies.
Goodwell V is a new institutional fund that the company looks to open in the second half of the year. Local teams are drawn from Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya has cumulatively made over 20 investments across the continent in the past 5 years creating a unique balance between delivering social impact and a market return for investors.
Of the new portfolio of companies, Goodwell V is looking to build across Africa, a third are in financial inclusion, quarter agriculture, the others in mobility and impact sectors such as healthcare and education. The fund will give follow-on funding to already existing companies in their portfolio such as Good Nature Agro, Nomanini, Tomato Jos, MFS Africa, and Copia.
In the next decade, Africa is poised to be home to the continent’s fastest-growing economies, a youthful population, rapid urbanization, and household consumption power worth $2.5 trillion by 2030.
In a statement shared on the press release, Nico Blaauw, Goodwell’s Director of Communications described businesses run by local entrepreneurs as the “ key drivers of inclusive growth in Africa.” He pointed to their portfolio of companies showing an average growth rate of 50% annually.
Tayo Oviosu, the CEO (founder) of Goodwell Investments’ portfolio company, narrated how the “ first investment by Goodwell ” helped them kickstart their journey. This was followed by a second investment in 2015.
Thus far Goodwell Investments has provided EUR 150 million in funding to 35 inclusive businesses spread out across Africa and Asia over the past 15 years.
