african innovation

Connecting African innovators with global markets and mobilizing smart

money for impactful female-led businesses

About Us

WHY

AfriProspect’s purpose is connecting African innovators with global markets and mobilizing smart money to enable sustainable female-led startups to grow and scale their businesses. We address challenges faced by the following groups:

1

African innovators with world class innovators struggle

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African innovators with world class innovations struggle to establish win-win business partnerships needed to introduce their solutions to global markets.

2

African female entrepreneurs struggle to have access to seed capital…

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African female entrepreneurs struggle to have access to seed capital and venture building support needed to achieve their full potential.

3

Investors need access to a pool of innovative, profitable…

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Investors need access to a pool of innovative, profitable, scalable & impactful deals.

4

Corporate interested in African Markets need market intelligence ...

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Corporates interested in African Markets need market intelligence, assistance in establishing relevant connection and access to a pool of scalable innovations for merger & acquisition.

5

Ecosystems’ enablers
need access to resources in order to design ...

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Ecosystems’ enablers need access to resources in order to design interventions supporting local innovators, mobilize key partners to strengthen local innovation ecosystems and jointly achieve higher impacts.

WHO

We are a group of experts on African innovation and impact investment in African businesses. Our global network covers the African continent, Asia, Europe, and North America. See our Team and Advisory Board of international experts here.

WHO

We are a group of experts on African innovation and impact investment in African businesses. Our global network covers the African continent, Asia, Europe, and North America. See our Team and Advisory Board of international experts here.

WHAT

We create value by providing strategic support and facilitating win-win business partnerships between innovators, corporates, female entrepreneurs, investors, and innovation ecosystem enablers. We capitalize on our expertise and high-value networks to foster the growth and the scaling of African innovations and mobilize investments for impactful and sustainable African female-led businesses. Our services are summarized below:

1

Advisory Services

We offer advisory and consulting ...

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We offer advisory and consulting services including market intelligence and facilitating access to a pool of scalable innovations for merger & acquisition as well as mobilizing key partners to strengthen local innovation ecosystems

3

Business
Development

We provide business development ...

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We provide business development support to African Innovators and Female Entrepreneurs to enable the growth and scaling of their businesses

2

Business Connections

We foster win-win business connections ...

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We foster win-win business connections responding to the needs of our key Customers and facilitate access to high value networks

4

Capital Mobilization

We mobilize impact investments ...

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We mobilize impact investments and provide venture building support for sustainable female led-startups and facilitate investor access to a pool of profitable, scalable & impactful deals

Meet The Team & Advisory Board

Pauline Koelbl

Pauline Koelbl

Founder & CEO

Tenemba Anna Samake

Tenemba Anna Samake

West Africa Region Representative

Phindile Tshabangu

Phindile Tshabangu

SADC Region Representative

David Butler

David Butler

Advisory Board Member

Tech Advisor/Startup Mentor, Social Axle

Dr. McLean Sibanda

Dr. McLean Sibanda

Advisory Board Member

Managing Director at Bigen Global Limited

Erick Yong

Erick Yong

Advisory Board Member

CEO, GreenTec Capital Partners

Nicholas Draeger

Nicholas Draeger

Advisory Board Member

Founder and Director, Cederberg GmbH

Eliane Ubalijoro

Eliane Ubalijoro

Advisory Board Member

Deputy Executive Director (Programmes), GODAN

Foster Fosu

Foster Fosu

Advisory Board Member

Innovation and Capacity Development Specialist, AfDB

Gurinder Singh Duggal

Gurinder Singh Duggal

Advisory Board Member

Global Procurement/ Supply Chain Specialist

ShEquity

A female-focused initiative, ShEquity provides smart and sustainable investments for African female entrepreneurs, the key driver for inclusive socio-economic growth … read more

Impact

Because we focus on sustainable innovations and female-led businesses, our activities have a direct impact correlating to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We conduct a detailed impact analysis to demonstrate how enabling sustainable local innovations and investing in African female entrepreneurs contribute directly to various SDGs as well as to inclusive growth for the benefits of the African continent and its population. Follow this link to access ShEquity’s 1 year impact report http://bit.ly/shequity2021

 

Interested in our services? Please fill out the form
below and we will get in touch ASAP.

Partners

We are proud to work with a network of reputable partners active in enabling innovation, impact investment, sustainable development, and female economic empowerment.

News

Check out events and opportunities for Innovator and Female Entrepreneurs

Shuttlers raises $4M to fuel its shared mobility solution across Nigeria

 

Shuttlers, a Nigerian shared mobility company that allows individual and corporate passengers to take rides on multiple bus routes via an app, has raised $4 million in a new funding round led by Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures (VKAV), a Pan-African focused venture capital firm…. read more

Pauline Koelbl, Founder & Managing Partner, ShEquity

 

Pauline is the Founder & Managing Party of ShEquity as well as Founder & CEO of AfriProspect GmbH. She is a gender-lens impact investor and a leading innovation expert in emerging economies with over 20 years’ experience in international affairs…. read more

Finanzielle Freiheit ist der Schlüssel zu wahrem Empowerment

Pauline Koelbl ist ein Business-Polyglott. Sie ist Impact Investorin mit einem Gender-Blick, ein Innovationskatalysator und die Gründerin und Managing Partner von ShEquity. Als Expertin und Zukunftsgestalterin haben wir mit Pauline über ihre Perspektiven… read more

ShEquity invests in woman-owned financial inclusion startup Owoafara

 

ShEquity, a gender-lens investment firm that seeks to address Africa’s gender funding gap by making smart investments in African owned and led businesses, announced its investment in a Nigerian fintech startup, Owoafara Inc, led by Tale Alimi…. read more

Kweza unlocking value for informal retailers in South Africa

 

In 2021, the 1,000 most influential climate scientists in the world were ranked based on publication record and social media engagement. Of the top 20, only one was a woman. (Reuters, 2021). Yet, the first scientist to make the connection between increased CO2 and atmospheric…. read more

PAULINE KOELBL COMBINES PASSION AND PURPOSE TO PAY IT FORWARD

Meet Pauline Koelbl, UArizona Franke Honors Alumna and founder and managing partner of ShEquity. We recently chatted with Pauline to learn about her passion for female empowerment and entrepreneurship, her experience at the University of Arizona Honors College… read more

Female-focused VC firm ShEquity to launch West African fund and accelerator


Launched this year to help reduce the US$42 billion gender funding gap in Africa, ShEquity combines cash investment, structured technical support and access to high value networks.

So far it has invested in three companies – Kenyan insect-based feed manufacturer Ecodudu, Kenyan data and AI startup Superfluid Labs, and Zambia’s WidEnergy, a last mile distributor of clean, reliable, and affordable energy solutions. read more

ShEquity invests in Ecodudu waste recovery start-up

The Kenyan start-up Ecodudu is again receiving financial support. It comes from ShEquity, an investment company that promotes female entrepreneurship in Africa. In line with its policy, the Ecodudu start-up to which it has just allocated funds is run by women who excel in the recovery of organic waste.

The start-up has developed an innovative process to produce feed for aquaculture and the nutrition of many other animal species. read more

Zambian startup WidEnergy raises new funding to scale its impact

WidEnergy, the name of which is an acronym for “Women in Development,” reflecting the startup’s goal of engaging women as active participants in Africa’s energy transition, leverages a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model to provide solar-powered homes and appliances.

The startup works with female sales agents to distribute renewable energy solutions across Zambia, focusing on core competencies in lending and distribution to develop a high-quality lending portfolio with minimised default risks. read more

Social Enterprise Ghana, British Council launch Women Business Accelerator

The British Council Ghana and Social Enterprise Ghana have partnered to launch the Social Enterprise Women Business Accelerator.

The collaboration is a two month business accelerator for women-led social enterprises focusing on businesses that have a clear positive social and/or environmental mission. read more

Can African tech disrupt 2020’s gloomy investment outlook?


It appears that the momentum in Africa’s tech sector in 2019 has continued unabated into 2020.
That’s according to Evon Jeewan, a corporate finance principal at investment banking firm Bravura, who also pointed out that investor interest in the untapped potential of African tech start-ups reached a high point last year
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African AI startup Superfluid Labs receives investment from ShEquity


GreenTec Capital announces that Superfluid Labs was selected as the first investment for the newly launched ShEquity investment vehicle which focuses on providing smart and sustainable investments for African female entrepreneurs and innovators. The investment vehicle which is spearheaded by Pauline Koelbl, provides early stage capital and structure operational support as well as the facilitation of access to high-value networks. read more

Contact Us

Office

AfriProspect GmbH
Viadukstrasse 93-95
8005 Zurich
Switzerland