Invest2Impact: Closing Report

Invest2Impact was an initiative that emerged from the 2X Challenge, in partnership with FinDev Canada, Agence Française de Développement (AFD), Proparco, DFC and British International Investment (formerly CDC), the Mastercard Foundation and the Graça Machel Trust. It was created with the aim to support women entrepreneurs in East Africa and to better understand their business growth and financing journeys.

In its first phase, the program selected 100 women-led businesses from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda from a variety of sectors through a business competition. With funding from FinDev Canada, the selected businesses received non-financial support through webinars and workshops, coaching, mentorship, and other strategic business support to help adapt to the challenges faced during COVID-19.

In Phase II, the businesses continued to receive additional tailored business support focused on investment readiness. This support, funded by Agence Française de Développement (AFD) with support from Proparco, included a mix of webinars, peer coaching, custom consulting projects and investor pitch training. Through a mix of strategic and operational support, this phase focused on helping the enterprises to prepare to raise funding that would drive their growth. Invest2Impact came to an end in March 2022. For additional details, please read the summary report here