November 05, 2025 – November 06, 2025

The FSD Africa Early-Stage Finance Conference

5–6 November 2025
Nairobi,Kenya
Download Venture Finance Platform Portfolio View Event Agenda

The Early-Stage Finance Conference brings together innovators, investors, and ecosystem shapers working to unlock Africa’s next generation of growth. Over two days, participants engage directly with pioneering fund managers and market builders, gaining first-hand insights from their journeys and the transformative impact they are driving across the Continent.

Designed for catalytic collaboration, the conference convenes limited partners, investors, and strategic partners in highly interactive sessions that move beyond discussion to co-creation. Together, attendees map clear, actionable pathways for mobilising both local and international capital into early-stage markets, and leave equipped with practical intelligence, new strategic relationships, and a renewed collective commitment to accelerate the growth and resilience of Africa’s early-stage finance ecosystem.

Download the Venture Finance Platform Portfolio

OUR
MISSION

Our core objective is clear and ambitious: to definitively position early-stage finance as a credible, investable asset class across Africa. We aim to create the partnerships, strategies, and commitments necessary to accelerate the growth of this vital asset class.

EVENT AGENDA

Download Agenda
Date
Time
Activity
Nov
05
Wednesday
2:00 – 5:00 PM
Capital Provider – Investor Matchmaking
Facilitates meaningful connections between Capital Providers/ Asset Owners/ Limited Partners (LPs) and Alternative Local Capital Providers (ALCPs)/ Fund Managers/ Assets Managers/ General Partners (GPs) to foster collaborations, funding opportunities, and new relationships.
Participants: FSD Africa portfolio of Alternative Local Capital Providers (ALCPs) and LPs including DFIs, local institutional investors, foundations, family office, HNWI, Corporates among others.
5:00 – 7:00 PM
ESF Ventures Showcase
Highlights investees of ALCPs, providing visibility for portfolio companies and celebrating their innovation and impact. The session focuses on Climate (Energy, Carbon, Nature), Gender and Resilience
Participants: ALCP portfolio companies.
6:00 – 9:00 PM
Cocktail Evening
A relaxed networking session to welcome participants, introduce conference objectives, and provide informal engagement. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with peers, showcase portfolio companies, and build community relationships.
Date
Time
Activity
Nov
06
Thursday
08:00 – 09:00
Registration & Coffee
Informal networking over coffee and collection of conference materials.
09:00 – 09:10
Welcome & Scene Setting
Opening remarks to set expectations for the day, recognize participants, and share key logistical information.
09:15 – 10:45
Venture Finance Platform – Year in Review
Reflection on 2025 achievements, challenges, and lessons for the Venture Finance Platform. Includes strategic insights from FSD Africa and ESF, and small-group discussions to explore lessons, collaborations, and emerging opportunities.
Speakers: Mark Napier- Chief Executive Officer and Juliet Munro- Director, Early-Stage Finance
10:45 – 11:00
Tea Break
Download full agenda
Date
Time
Activity
Nov
07
Friday
08:00 – 10:00
Informal Breakfast and Guest Departure

WATCH THE RECAP OF LAST YEAR'S SUMMIT

Watch the recap video

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT

Portfolio in focus:

Meet and hear directly from the pioneering fund managers and innovators in our ecosystem, learning from their journeys and the market-defining impact they are achieving.

Catalytic collaboration:

Engage directly with investors, Limited Partners (LPs), and partners in structured sessions designed to co-create and commit to clear pathways for mobilising both local and international capital.

Actionable outcomes:

Leave the conference with practical market insights, new strategic partnerships, and a clear sense of “what’s next” to collaboratively accelerate the growth of this vital asset class.

PREVIOUS EVENTS

Previous event highlight

The FSD Africa Early-Stage Finance Summit, held from 18–20 September 2024. This inaugural gathering brought together leading early-stage finance practitioners, pioneering portfolio managers, development partners, and investors united by a shared mission to shape the future of Africa’s financial landscape. for two days of targeted engagement.

Over three days of dynamic conversations and collaborative sessions, participants explored emerging trends, built new strategic alliances, and identified actionable pathways to strengthen early-stage investing across the continent. The summit laid the foundation for a new era of partnership and innovation, creating the momentum and relationships necessary to unlock vital capital and support Africa’s next generation of entrepreneurs.