VC4Africa, Venture Capital for Africa Venture Capital for Africa - VC4Africa About VC4Africa The Africa platform for startup funding. VC4Africa is the largest online community of entrepreneurs and investors dedicated to building game changing companies on the continent. Entrepreneurs have access to free online tools, mentorship opportunities and private deal rooms. Investor Pro Account users can set up intelligent alerts, follow progress, conduct due diligence and connect directly with the continent’s leading entrepreneurs. The community has members in 159 countries and meetups have been hosted in more than 50 cities around the world. Vision We believe entrepreneurship is a key driver for the continent’s continued development. Entrepreneurship should be the main driver in Africa’s economic growth, in particular the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that provide much of Africa’s employment, income and hope for a better future. SMEs contribute around two thirds of national income and provide the foundation for a stable middle class in many African countries. They help form strong communities and are a powerful force for poverty reduction. SMEs play a significant role in building economic stability and sustainability for the future. As Africa enters the new millennium it faces a challenge to provide better economic opportunities for citizens through sustained growth and alleviating the poverty that has long plagued the continent. The NEPAD (New Economic Platform for African Development) and the United Nations Millennium Goals for 2015, to which the EU-countries have all subscribed, have set out ambitious aims in this respect. The World Economic Forum in Davos and the G8 have also made the commitment to stimulate private and public investments in Africa. However, it is our belief that the most meaningful impact will still come from a grass roots level i.e. entrepreneurs bold enough to start great companies that will transform the world. At the same time, a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem emerges when entrepreneurs form strong communities. VC4Africa is a network of high potential entrepreneurs that come together in a shared mission to efficiently connect network, knowledge and capital. Background VC4Africa was started as a LinkedIn group in the spring of 2008 and has grown organically into what is now the largest online community dedicated to entrepreneurs and investors building companies on the continent. The VC4Africa community has always been free for anyone to join and the entire network and its content remain open and accessible. VC4Africa can be found on VC4Africa.biz and on social media channels like Linkedin, Twitter and Facebook. We operate as a peer-to-peer network and champion an open source approach. A core vision behind the project is that VC4Africa is only a platform within a larger social movement. Open communication and collaboration is encouraged and all members are invited to become active participants in both growing and developing the project. Every member is expected to contribute in some meaningful way. Join the movement and lets change the world!