In this 45th edition of our newsletter:
⇒ Focus: Inua Capital (Uganda) and Zira Capital (Mali) make their first equity investments
⇒ Protrait : Meet Folly Koussawo from Trianon Homes in Gabon
And all I&P news from the first quarter of 2024.
Forna Health Foods is a female-founded and female-led social business that manufactures Aunt Porridge and Instapo!, healthy, nutritious (and delicious!) porridges that are targeted at helping weaning infants, children, breastfeeding mothers, immune-compromised patients (and even the entire family) access essential nutrition to thrive when they need it the most!
Forna Health Foods are the makers of Aunt Porridge and its instant porridge version (Instapo!) – this essential breakfast staple and its 10+ ingredients are all-natural (no added preservatives), homegrown in Uganda (providing a market for 1,000s of smallholder Ugandan farmers) and are jam-packed with protein, vitamins and fibre (unlike single grain porridges made from millet or maize) to boost infant and child nutrition.
Partnership with Inua Capital
Inua Impact Fund has invested equity and mezzanine financing into Forna Health Foods to scale its reach nationwide and expand its ability to source farm produce from smallholder farmers across Uganda.
Together with Inua Capital, Forna Health Foods will scale its product reach across the country and beyond, increase and improve its product offerings, further mechanize its production processes and make an indelible imprint on the health and nutrition of Africa’s children and families for years to come!
Equator Chocolate is a paragon of artisanal mastery and distinction within Uganda’s chocolate landscape. Established in 2018, Equator Chocolate is a pioneer in adding value to Uganda’s cocoa (in place of exporting the raw commodity), buying cocoa from smallholder farmers in Uganda to manufacture dark, milk and white craft chocolate loved by local consumers and corporate kitchens alike, and customized for special occasions and premium brands across East Africa.
Equator Chocolate manufactures white, milk and dark craft chocolate from organic and sustainably-grown Ugandan cocoa. Equator’s chocolate is internationally award-winning, winning a bronze medal at the 2023 Agency for the Valorization of Agricultural Products (AVPA) International Gourmet competition in Paris.
Equator serves a wide range of customers: from hotels, lodges and high-end brands seeking to give their discerning clients a delectable taste of Uganda; to ethical consumers in export markets (predominantly Europe) where it retails with high demand; to bakers, chocolatiers, cafes and other corporate kitchens across East Africa whose products require high-quality chocolate; to local individual consumers that pick up an Equator Chocolate off the shelf to satisfy a craving or celebrate a special occasion.
Partnership with Inua Capital
Inua Impact Fund has invested equity and mezzanine financing into Equator Chocolate to scale its production by over 3x and expand its ability to source cocoa from local smallholder farmers at a premium price.
Inua’s investment in Equator Chocolate intends to put Ugandan chocolate on the map! (no pun intended)
I&P's partner funds, Inua Capital in Uganda and Zira Capital in Mali, make their first equity investments.
Inua Capital acquires a stake in Forna Health Foods Limited, while Zira Capital acquires a stake in Gama Conseils.
We are delighted to announce that we have been selected for the ImpactAssets 50 2024 as an Impact Manager Emeritus for the second year running! The #IA50 Emeritus recognizes impact fund managers who have achieved IA 50 recognition for at least 5 years and who consistently demonstrate their commitment to generating positive impact.
We are pleased to share with you the first newsletter of this year 2024, including the latest news from I&P, its partner funds and portfolio companies:
Agro-Emballage specializes in the production and commercialization of woven polypropylene bags. Agro-Emballage aims to support the agri-food industry by making their products more competitive through the provision of packaging that is adapted and attractive in terms of design and quality. It also installs and maintains machinery.
The entrepreneur
Agro-Emballage was founded in 2018 by Célestin KANAZOE, an engineer specializing in mechanics and renewable energies from Mohamed 1er University in Oujda (Morocco) who has several years’ experience in entrepreneurship. With the support of his wife Estelle DJIGUIMDE, he began his entrepreneurial adventure by repackaging food products in attractive packagings. That’s how he began importing packaging for commercial purposes. Building on this success, he now plans to become the national leader in the production of polypropylene woven bags.
Partnership with Sinergi Burkina
Agro-Emballage is supported by Sinergi Burkina through an equity investment that aims at :
I&P is thrilled to announce the release of its Annual Impact Report for the year 2023.
The report offers a comprehensive overview of I&P's activities, achievements, and impact throughout the year, showcasing the growth and transformational changes spurred by the organization's commitment to entrepreneurship in Africa.
The anual impact report notably covers an overall look at I&P's activities and a detailed review of our impact, following our 6 impact pillars
In this 43rd edition of our newsletter:
⇒ Focus : In partnership with the Catalytic Capital Consortium, we are pleased to present our new report: "Using Catalytic Capital to Foster African Entrepreneurs in Underserved Markets”.
In a new report entitled “Using Catalytic Capital to Foster African Entrepreneurs in Underserved Markets,” published in partnership with the Catalytic Capital Consortium, I&P showcases the effectiveness of catalytic capital in supporting African SMEs, offering recommendations to expand its use.
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