Key takeaways from Sankalp Africa Summit 2025
Viridian was an official networking partner at this year’s Sankalp Africa Summit. Claire Jowell represented Viridian at the Summit in Nairobi, and shared some key takeaways in this short blog. It is important to understand how the landscape is shifting and share the success and challenges of other organisations working to catalyse entrepreneurship in Africa. […]
Funding opportunity for South African businesses: Orange Corner’s Innovation Fund
We are collaborating with CDI Capital to provide young South African entrepreneurs with the knowledge, support and capital to take their innovative businesses to the next level with the launch of the Orange Corners Innovation Fund (OCIF) GROW programme. The programme is offering up to 7 entrepreneurs the opportunity to participate in an intensive investment-readiness […]
New publication: Investor’s Pocket Guide to South Africa
We’re thrilled to announce the release of our latest publication: An Investor’s Pocket Guide to South Africa! Developed at the request of the Data Governance in Africa Initiative and HAUS Finnish Institute of Public Management Ltd., this pocket guide is designed to empower European and African investors interested in the exciting world of data-driven digital […]
New report: Building Africa’s inclusive blue economy through innovation and ISOs
One of our key strategies at Viridian is to support African hubs interested in specialisation. In 2023, we worked with OceanHub Africa and Make-IT in Africa to facilitate the GenBlue programme. This programme aimed to help Innovation Support Organisations (ISOs) design and implement innovation programmes focused on ocean impact. And it did just that! We’re […]
AEEI has launched its first research report – Women angel investors in Africa: barriers and enablers
The past two years have not been easy for African economies. After the shocks of the pandemic, new conflicts outside of Africa started driving inflation and disrupting supply chains, while the global “investment winter” eventually impacted the continent. But it has been impossible to dampen the rising optimism of an African entrepreneurial ecosystem that is […]
10th Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation awarded to Esther Kimani
Last night, Esther Wanjiru, CEO FarmerLifeline was crowned the winner of the 2024 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, making her the third woman, and second Kenyan innovator to win in the programme’s 10 year history! Her early crop pest and disease detection device was selected as the winning innovation for its ability to swiftly detect […]
We’ve just launched our newest programme: Angel Raise Ready!
After working with startup founders and hubs from across the continent and running the African Angel Academy for the past four years, we’ve realised there is a knowledge and support gap in terms of the last mile of fundraising from angels. 👩🏽💻 Introducing our new 7-week programme for African entrepreneurs – Raise Ready! ✅ A […]
African Angel Academy’s 10th cohort, and first women-only cohort
At the African Angel Academy, our flagship programme for training angel investors, we’re passionate about advancing gender equity in the early-stage investment landscape across the African continent.🌍 On the 18th of April 2024, we welcomed 86 aspiring women angel investors to our 10th cohort programme. This cohort features women angels on the African continent and […]
Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation – 4 finalists announced
The wait is over! We’re thrilled to reveal the 4 finalists for the Royal Academy of Engineering 2024 cohort. A huge congratulations to: Kevin Mureithi Maina (Eco Blocks & Tiles, Kenya) Martin Tumusiime (Yo-Waste, Uganda) Rory Assandey (La Ruche Health, Côte d’Ivoire) Esther Wanjiru, CEO FarmerLifeline (Early Crop Pest and Disease Detection Device, Kenya) […]
GenBlue final session & programme outcomes
Herland CERVEAUX from the OceanHub Africa team recently hosted the final GenBlue session to close off the 7-month programme, a first of its kind for the continent. GenBlue was a training and mentorship programme designed to support a select group of Southern African hubs to build their own bluetech-specialised programmes. Of the 9 innovation support […]