The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a €6.5 million investment in the Saviu II venture capital fund to support technology start-ups across Francophone West and Central Africa.
The financing is aimed at strengthening access to early-stage funding for innovative companies with strong technological and digital components in French-speaking African markets.
Under the arrangement, the AfDB will provide €4.5 million as an equity investment and an additional €2 million as a first-loss hedging tranche on behalf of the European Commission through the Boost Africa Programme.
The investment is expected to improve funding opportunities for emerging technology firms while encouraging more private investors to participate in Africa’s rapidly growing digital economy.
The Saviu II fund, managed by Saviu Partners, plans to invest between €500,000 and €3 million in about 20 seed-stage or early institutional fundraising start-ups.
The fund will primarily focus on business-to-business (B2B) technology companies with scalable models capable of expanding across regional markets.
According to the fund managers, at least 60 per cent of Saviu II’s investments will be directed toward start-ups in French-speaking countries in West and Central Africa.
These include Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Benin, Senegal, Togo, Burkina Faso, and Mali.
In addition, the fund may co-invest in promising technology firms from East Africa that are seeking expansion into Francophone markets.
Saviu II also plans to create a dedicated funding window for pre-seed investments, targeting very early-stage start-ups through minority equity stakes.
These investments will often be executed in collaboration with incubators, venture studios and other ecosystem partners supporting the development of Africa’s innovation landscape.
Industry observers believe the AfDB’s backing will play a critical role in de-risking early-stage technology investments and attracting additional private capital into the region’s start-up ecosystem.
The initiative builds on the success of Saviu I, the first venture capital fund launched by Saviu Partners in 2018 with a capitalisation of €10 million.
The first fund invested in 12 start-ups, mainly in French-speaking West Africa, providing not only funding but also hands-on support in areas such as business development, recruitment, international expansion, and fundraising.
Analysts say the launch of Saviu II could further accelerate innovation, digital entrepreneurship and job creation across Francophone Africa, where access to early-stage venture capital remains limited compared with other global markets.
