Investisseurs & Partenaires

Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) is a pioneer impact investing group dedicated to financing and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in sub-Saharan Africa, created in 2002.

Since its founding, I&P has developed approaches combining financing and accompaniment to support sustainable enterprises with strong local added value, tailored to their maturity and needs.

Co-led since 2021 by Sébastien Boyé and Jérémy Hajdenberg, the I&P team comprises about 80 collaborators across 8 offices in Africa and Europe.

MISSION

I&P’s goal is to support the development of responsible and profitable African SMEs. These enterprises create local added value and long-term employment, and generate important social, environmental and governance impact.

Since 2002, I&P has supported more than 350 companies, located in more than 15 African countries and operating in various sectors of activity. This has generated the creation or maintenance of more than 16,900 jobs.

OUR APPROACH

At I&P, we believe that the rise of a strong entrepreneurial fabric, supported by investors rooted on the continent, is essential to sustainable development and social cohesion in Africa. Our mission is to bring forward and finance African economic actors — entrepreneurs, investment teams, support organizations — capable of creating inclusive growth, quality jobs, and sustainable solutions to the continent’s challenges.

I&P operates at the heart of the « missing middle » — the still underfinanced space between microfinance and traditional private equity. We intervene where long-term capital and hands-on support are scarce, combining catalytic financing, strategic assistance, and capacity building.

To achieve this mission, I&P structures its model around three complementary pillars, implemented through five lines of activity.

Pillar 1 – Direct financing of African SMEs

I&P deploys a financing continuum from €30,000 to €5 million per company, ranging from seed to growth stage, with strong operational support on governance, structuring, ESG, and impact. This pillar is implemented through two lines of activity: I&P Accélération (early-stage) and I&P Expansion (growth stage).

Pillar 2 – Financing of investment teams

I&P supports African investment teams that, in turn, finance and accompany the growth of SMEs. Through I&P Développement, we sponsor and co-create new impact funds with African teams. Through I&P Fund-of-Funds, we provide catalytic capital and strategic support to emerging SME and VC funds across the continent.

Pillar 3 – Ecosystem building and knowledge

I&P Ecosystèmes offers training, research, and advocacy actions to strengthen the skills of entrepreneurs, intermediaries, and public actors, and to promote responsible investment practices across the continent.