Non-profits have emerged as significant players in the African startup ecosystem, offering much-needed funding and support to startups driving innovation and addressing social challenges. While private venture capital often dominates headlines, the contributions of philanthropic organizations play a critical yet underappreciated role in nurturing early-stage ventures. Below, we examine some of the key non-profits backing African startups, detailing their contributions, investments, and the impact they aim to achieve.

ELEA Foundation 

Address: Zurich, Switzerland Focus: Poverty alleviation through entrepreneurial solutions. Key Investment: Copia Kenya, a platform leveraging technology to provide goods and services to rural communities, enabling inclusive economic growth.

IKEA Foundation

Address: Leiden, Netherlands Focus: Renewable energy, employment, and climate resilience. Key Investment: SunFunder, a solar finance company supporting renewable energy initiatives across Africa to enhance access to electricity.

Schmidt Family Foundation

Address: Palo Alto, California, USA Focus: Sustainability and energy innovation. Key Investment: SparkMeter, which provides smart metering solutions to enable reliable and affordable energy access for underserved communities.

Shell Foundation

Address: London, United Kingdom Focus: Energy access, sustainable mobility, and small-scale agriculture. Key Investments:

• SparkMeter, advancing energy solutions.
• AgroCenta, a platform connecting smallholder farmers to markets and financial services.

United States African Development Foundation (USADF)

Address: Washington, D.C., USA Focus: Supporting African enterprises through grants and capacity-building. Key Investment: Energy+, a renewable energy startup improving energy access for underserved populations.

Michael and Susan Dell Foundation

Address: Austin, Texas, USA Focus: Urban poverty and entrepreneurship. Key Investment: SweepSouth, a South African platform transforming the domestic cleaning industry by connecting households with vetted cleaners.

Adolf H. Lundin Charitable Foundation

Address: Vaduz, Liechtenstein Focus: Entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. Key Investment: Twiga Foods, a Kenyan agritech platform improving supply chain efficiency in food distribution.

Lundin Foundation

Address: Vancouver, Canada Focus: Impact investments in emerging markets. Key Investments:

• Zoona, a Zambian fintech startup providing mobile financial services.
• Diool, a Cameroonian payment platform facilitating small business transactions.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Address: Seattle, Washington, USA Focus: Health, education, and financial inclusion. Key Investment: Ilara Health, a startup delivering affordable diagnostic tools to underserved clinics.

Segal Family Foundation

Address: Bridgewater, New Jersey, USA Focus: Supporting grassroots solutions and social enterprises. Key Investments:

• Tugende, a platform offering asset financing for micro-entrepreneurs.
• Numida, a fintech startup providing digital loans to small businesses.

Rabobank Foundation

Address: Utrecht, The Netherlands Focus: Food and agriculture. Key Investment: AgroCenta, enhancing market access for smallholder farmers.

Tsadik Foundation

Address: Los Angeles, California, USA Focus: Financial literacy and inclusion. Key Investment: Cowrywise, a Nigerian fintech platform democratizing access to financial planning and investments.

The Mastercard Foundation

Address: Toronto, Canada Focus: Financial inclusion and education. Key Investments:

• Flex Finance, enabling SMEs to manage finances efficiently.
• JUMO, a platform offering financial services to underserved communities.
• Kasha, a women-focused e-commerce platform for health and personal care products.
• Powered by People, an online marketplace connecting artisans with global buyers.

Greater Impact Foundation

Address: Melville, NY, United States Focus: Agriculture and livelihoods. Key Investment: Farmerline, providing smallholder farmers with agricultural inputs, market access, and advisory services.

Stellar Foundation

Address: Hartley Road Jacksonville, Florida, USA Focus: Financial inclusion through blockchain technology. Key Investments:

• Afriex, a remittance platform facilitating affordable cross-border payments.
• Tala, offering microloans to underserved individuals.

BESTSELLER Foundation

Address: Indre By, Copenhagen, Denmark Focus: Waste reduction and recycling. Key Investment: Mr. Green Africa, a company turning waste into value through recycling initiatives.

Minderoo Foundation

Address: Perth, Australia Focus: Sustainability and circular economies. Key Investment: Mr. Green Africa, reinforcing its waste recycling and circular economy efforts.

MetLife Foundation

Address: New York, USA Focus: Financial inclusion and resilience. Key Investment: Chari.ma, a Moroccan e-commerce platform empowering local retailers.

Norrsken Foundation

Address: Stockholm, Sweden Focus: Impact-driven entrepreneurship. Key Investments:

• Orda, a restaurant management platform.
• Kwara, a fintech solution for credit unions.
• Asilimia, enabling informal businesses to access digital financial tools.
• Stitch API, an API platform connecting fintech companies with banking services.

Sorenson Impact Foundation

Address: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Focus: Social impact through innovative investments. Key Investments:

• Asante, a financial services provider for SMEs.
• Neopenda, offering health solutions for underserved populations.

CRI Foundation

Address: New York City, New York, USA Focus: Healthcare innovation. Key Investment: MDaaS Global, a company building diagnostic centers in underserved areas.

DRK Foundation

Address: Menlo Park, California, USA Focus: Early-stage social enterprises. Key Investment: Numida, advancing financial inclusion for small businesses.

Johnson & Johnson Foundation

Address: New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA Focus: Healthcare access. Key Investment: Redbird, a health-tech company providing affordable medical tests.

Optimiser Foundation

Address: Stockholm, Sweden Focus: Financial inclusion and livelihoods. Key Investment: Imalipay, offering financial services to gig workers.

Algorand Foundation

Address: Singapore Focus: Blockchain for social impact. Key Investment: FlexID Technologies, a blockchain-based digital identity platform.

These non-profits are helping to transform African startups by providing funding and resources where traditional investors might hesitate. While the commercial returns might not always be immediate, the social and economic benefits of these investments are invaluable, fostering innovation, creating jobs, and addressing systemic challenges across the continent.