EWB Ventures

EWB ventures is a seed-stage investment vehicle designed to nurture early-stage enterprises with a pioneering approach to a range of social challenges.

We partner with innovative startup businesses to push the boundaries of what is possible in sub-Saharan Africa. We support entrepreneurs from seed to global scale; from idea to widespread impact. The initiatives begin locally, but they have the capacity to eradicate poverty and create far-reaching change.

The EWB ventures program makes customized, long-term investments of up to $100,000 USD in first-of-kind scalable social enterprises with the potential to positively impact millions of people living in poverty.

Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of early-stage entrepreneurship on the planet; over 250 million of the continent’s citizens work in 17.7 million small and growing businesses.

Many sub-Saharan economies are on the verge of a dramatic transformation, with small and growing businesses exploring increasingly progressive means to kick-start significant growth across multiple sectors: including smallholder agriculture, water and sanitation services, communications technology, and more.

These businesses can blossom to serve millions. Their innovations can lift the collective prospects of large communities. Ventures can eliminate hunger; they can increase health education, housing infrastructure, employment opportunities, community safety, and access to basic financing. They simply need the right support.

Through a unique approach to investment, we partner with forward-thinking businesses and community organizations. By investing capital, support and expertise, we improve the way these innovative small and growing businesses operate to help eradicate poverty and inequity.