Invest In Africa

What Invest In Africa does

Invest In Africa (IIA) is a not-for-profit partnership organization founded in 2012 and headquartered in London, with operational headquarters in Accra, Ghana. It supports local African small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by improving their access to three pillars: markets, skills, and finance. The organization operates across six African countries — Ghana, Senegal, Mauritania, Kenya, Zambia, and Guinea — through country-specific digital platforms: the African Partner Pool (APP) and its country instances (APP Ghana, APP Senegal, APP Mauritania), Biashara.Now (Kenya), ZamB2B (Zambia), and BSTP (Guinea). These platforms function as two-sided marketplaces connecting multinational and large corporate buyers with vetted local SME suppliers, surfacing live tender opportunities and enabling supplier discovery. IIA also delivers capacity-building programmes (Business Linkage Programme, Business Accelerator Programme, SME Recovery and Resilience Programme, MicroGREEN, Kwale Youth Biashara, Investor Readiness Programme) in partnership with development finance institutions (AfDB, FMO, AFD), corporate partners (Tullow Oil, Base Titanium, Unilever, EY, Mastercard Foundation, GIZ, UN Women), and government bodies.

The business model is grant- and donor-funded rather than commercial. Services to SMEs are delivered free or at heavily subsidized cost, exemplified by the Business Accelerator Programme where EY consultants were made available to Ghanaian SMEs at $30–$60 per day with FMO subsidizing 98% of consultancy costs. Reported impact includes $454 million in deals facilitated through the digital platforms, 15,726 SMEs trained, $100 million+ in finance accessed by SMEs, and 1,000 jobs created. IIA employs 11–50 staff organized around country managers (Carol Anang in Ghana, Iba Fall in Senegal, Bocar Alpha Ba in Mauritania, Terry Kinyua in Kenya) and a COO (Ibrahima Talla) in Senegal. No AI/ML capabilities are disclosed; the technology layer is centered on marketplace functionality and a proprietary socioeconomic impact tracking tool that measures value retained in local economies and jobs supported per tender.

Name

Invest In Africa

Legal name

Invest in Africa

Website

https://investinafrica.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Invest In Africa is a not-for-profit organization operating across six African countries, connecting corporate buyers and multinationals with local SMEs via digital platforms (APP, Biashara.Now) and delivering donor-funded capacity-building, market access, and finance linkage programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

SME Development and Market Linkage Services

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

SME & Entrepreneurship Development (Trade-Linked) (BPADAMAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Professional & Business Services Marketplaces (Freelancers, SMB Services) (BPAMAHAG)

Keywords

• SME development services
• Business capacity building
• Supplier matchmaking platform
• Procurement marketplace Africa
• Investor readiness programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Partnership and Donor Funding: IIA operates as a not-for-profit organization funded through partnerships with private companies, public bodies, and donor organisations. Revenue comes from grants and contributions from corporate partners, development finance institutions, and government bodies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Invest In Africa operates digital marketplace platforms (African Partner Pool and Biashara.Now) that connect multinationals and large domestic buyers with vetted local African SME suppliers, enabling supplier discovery, live tender opportunities, and procurement linkages. These platforms are paired with structured capacity-building programmes (business coaching, mentorship, investor readiness) and access-to-finance interventions to help SMEs meet corporate standards, win contracts, and become bankable.

Product overview

Invest In Africa (IIA) operates as a not-for-profit organization offering a platform-centric approach to SME development across Africa. The core offering consists of the African Partner Pool (APP) digital platform and Biashara.Now technology platform, which connect multinational companies with local SME suppliers. These platforms are complemented by country-specific implementations (APP Ghana, APP Senegal, APP Mauritania) and integrated service modules including Access to Skills (capacity building programmes like Business Linkage Programme, Business Accelerator Programme, SME Recovery and Resilience Programme), Access to Finance (Investor Readiness Program, Credit Guarantee Scheme), and Access to Markets (Business Growth Hub resources). IIA also implements specialized initiatives like the MicroGREEN Project for green jobs and the Kwale Youth Biashara Program for youth entrepreneurship. The organization facilitates deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars through its digital ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• African Partner Pool (APP): Digital platform connecting multinationals and larger businesses to credible local suppliers (SMEs), with country-specific versions for Ghana, Senegal, and Mauritania.
• Biashara.Now
• ZamB2B
• BSTP
• Investor Readiness Program
• Business Linkage Programme (BLP)
• Business Accelerator Programme (BAP)
• SME Recovery and Resilience Programme

Products and services

• African Partner Pool (APP) Digital marketplace platform connecting multinationals and larger businesses with credible local African SME suppliers through online business directories, live tender opportunities, and supplier discovery. Operates with country-specific instances in Ghana (appghana.com), Senegal (appsenegal.com), and Mauritania (appmauritania.com). Designed for local African businesses seeking to win corporate contracts and for multinationals seeking vetted local suppliers.
• Biashara.Now Technology-based business membership platform operating in Kenya that connects youth and SMEs with procurement opportunities within IIA's network and applies for tenders from corporate buyers such as Base Titanium Limited. Provides access to business services and is the Kenya hub of IIA's digital ecosystem.
• Investor Readiness Programme Capacity building programme that supports African SMEs through one-on-one consultancy, mentorship, and coaching to develop the governance, financial records, and structures required to become bankable and win contracts from large corporates. Delivered to SME members across IIA's operating countries, with documented impact at companies such as Palma Group Limited, Shea Africa, and L's Food Lab (Adisia).
• Business Linkage Programme (BLP) Training and mentorship programme funded by African Development Bank's FAPA and FMO, designed to assist African SMEs to fast-track their businesses from locally good to globally competitive by raising standards, improving governance, and driving competitiveness for corporate supply chain integration.
• Business Accelerator Programme (BAP) Programme providing Ghanaian companies access to EY senior consultants at $30–$60 per day (with FMO subsidizing 98% of consultancy costs) to design and implement key business systems and structures for greater efficiency and sustainable growth. Supports over 80 growth-oriented businesses in Ghana.
• SME Recovery and Resilience Programme Programme delivered in partnership with Mastercard Foundation to support SME survival and resilience during and after the COVID-19 pandemic through bespoke enterprise development services including business coaching, virtual masterclasses, peer-to-peer mentorship, and investor readiness. Documented impact at SMEs such as New Heights Consultants and Centerprise Holdings.
• Kwale Youth Biashara Program Business acceleration initiative in Kwale County, Kenya that formalizes and catalyses growth of youth-owned and youth-led micro, small, and medium enterprises through business skills training, digital skills training, coaching, and market and finance linkages. Youth enterprises onboard to the Biashara.Now platform to access procurement opportunities from Base Titanium Limited.
• Credit Guarantee Scheme Financing option available to SME members of IIA's platforms that facilitates access to credit and finance from banks and financiers by reducing the risk profile of SME borrowers. Forms part of IIA's Access to Finance pillar alongside the Investor Readiness Programme.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000 jobs created through IIA support
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tullow OilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTullow Oil is listed as a corporate partner of IIA, working together to support local businesses through improved access to markets, skills, and finance.
• EY (Ernst & Young)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEY provides management training and senior consultant support to SMEs through IIA's programmes. Consultants were made available at heavily subsidised rates ($30–$60 per day) for the Business Accelerator Programme, providing step-by-step business growth support.
• GIZ Business Scouts for DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIZ Business Scouts for Development partnered with IIA to implement a programme upscaling manufacturing SMEs in natural products (Kenya and Uganda). The programme included five modules: Access to finance, market access, transparency and traceability, new product development, and good manufacturing practices.
• Base Titanium LimitedcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBase Titanium Limited partnered with IIA to launch the Kwale Youth Biashara Program, a business acceleration initiative formalising and catalysing growth of youth-owned/led MSMEs in Kwale County, Kenya. Youth enterprises onboard to Biashara.Now to access procurement opportunities.
• UnileverminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIA partnered with Unilever to champion inclusive sourcing by incorporating women, youth, persons with disabilities, and marginalised groups' SMEs via the Biashara.Now platform.
• Shea AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIA partnered with GIZ to support Shea Africa (Kenya-based cosmetics manufacturer) through an access to finance module that prepared the business for funding opportunities and helped develop professional pitch decks.
• UN WomenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrican Development Bank collaborates with UN Women to empower women in the natural resources sector, complementing the MicroGREEN project's focus on women, youth, and persons with disabilities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/investin_africa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/investinafrica
• Facebookfacebook.com/InvestInAfrica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/invest-in-africa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Invest In Africa