Venture Capital for Africa (VC4Africa), an online community of venture capitalists, angels and entrepreneurs, has announced the launch of new fundraising mechanisms for registered users on the platform. The goal is to make private investment easy, secure and social.
This new functionality allows entrepreneurs to register their funding needs. These fundraising efforts are posted for investors, registered as part of the VC4Africa investor network, to review. Any investor interested in the idea can then proceed to engage the entrepreneur for more details, and if they like the terms, step forward as a lead investor.
The business enterprise then goes into fundraising mode for 90 days in which the entrepreneur and lead investor can attract additional support.
VC4Africa’s efforts aim to help close the startup-funding gap, bringing quality entrepreneurs and qualified investors closer together.
“This is the next step in our efforts to connect entrepreneurs with the resources they need to realize their potential. With this launch, we make it even easier for entrepreneurs to connect with possible partners.” says Saskia Reus-Makkink, Head of Investor Relations at VC4Africa.
Adding, “We screen all of the business plans and related documentation of the ventures that apply for fundraising. If they meet our quality standards the venture is made visible for the investors registered as part of the VC4Africa investor network. If the entrepreneur does not meet the quality criteria we identify areas they can work on. They are free to make use of our growing number of tools and can apply to the VC4Africa mentorship program. These are resources they can use to get to the next level.”
For investors to give VC4Africa listed entrepreneurs a serious look, the venture has to be well beyond idea stage. The documentation has to be top level and social traction within the community counts.
VC4Africa is launching this program with a screened selection out of the more than 400 ventures already registered in the system.
Listed entrepreneurs engage a growing network of angel investors and well established investment firms like ALTVEST, Alitheia Capital, Jacana Ventures, E+Co, Chembe Ventures, DOB Foundation, DOEN, Hivos, E-Ventures Africa, i4A, Sovec, TLcom, GroFin, African Development Corporation, Matamba Anonaka, African Media Ventures Fund, Elea, Ringier, Kitendo Capital, among others.
So far, Entrepreneurs have raised more than a USD $1 million in funding and joint ventures and investments have been secured by members in countries as diverse as Cameroon, South Africa, the United States, Kenya, Nigeria, the Netherlands, Somalia and Zambia.
VC4Africa.biz is the largest online community of venture capitalists, angels and entrepreneurs dedicated to building businesses in Africa; with members in 159 countries. Members of the network also meet offline at organized meetups, informal networking meetings etc. that have been hosted in more than 35 cities around the world.
To check out the Secure Network For Private Investing, visit http://www.VC4Africa.biz
