Our Approach
We finance
We provide medium-term risk capital of USD 1 million to USD 3 million to early-stage agribusinesses in East Africa. We can also mobilise matching grant funding to support technical assistance, the development of smallholder outgrower programmes, and gender and climate initiatives.
Mezzanine loans with tenors of up to 8 years
- Low interest rates with an equity kicker linked to business performance
- Extended grace periods reduce burden on cashflow during the investment period
- No dilution of voting rights
- Leaves collateral available for additional borrowing
Technical Assistance and Investee Support
- Available to supplement investment for projects contributing to smallholder engagement, gender initiatives and core business improvements
Investment criteria
We evaluate applications on merit. To be eligible for investment, businesses should meet the following criteria:
- At least 3 years of operating history
- Up to USD 5 million in gross assets and USD 7.5 million in revenues
- Not yet required to have achieved a positive EBITDA, but must be generating revenues
- A high-impact business model with the potential to scale profitably
- A capable and committed management team
Geographic and sector focus
We invest in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. We invest at any point in the agribusiness value chain, including agricultural primary production and processing (horticulture, aquaculture, arable, oil seed, poultry and livestock), agricultural inputs, ag-tech, logistics and FMCG food and beverages.
Development impact
Each investment must create or sustain positive change for at least one of the following groups: employees, smallholder farmers, entrepreneurs or customers. We assess every investment against a gender impact framework (2X Challenge eligibility criteria) and for Black African representation.
Responsible investment
Responsible investment is central to everything we do. As a minimum, we require all investees to comply with applicable local and international laws and to adopt AgDevCo Ventures' Responsible Business Principles. All investees are subject to ESG due diligence and risk screening, and an Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP) is a condition of every investment.We do not invest in activities involving forced or child labour, fossil fuels, destruction of High Conservation Value areas, tobacco or potable ethanol, or hazardous chemicals and pesticides as defined by the relevant international conventions.
We engage
We work closely with our investees as collaborative partners, committed to making businesses a success. We draw on over 15 years of direct investment experience in African agriculture across a wide range of value chains and markets, bringing hands-on expertise to every investment.We support investees at both an operational and strategic level — providing practical, day-to-day commercial and agronomic advice tailored to their specific context. We also share best-practice knowledge and provide access to our extensive networks across the continent.
Get in touch
If your business meets our investment criteria and you would like to learn more about AgDevCo Ventures, please contact us at investment@agdevco.com
Example Funder card