Village Capital has invested $350,000 in two startups from Ghana through its new Africa-focused investment facility aimed at supporting early-stage businesses building essential services.
The funding marks the first investments made through the Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility (AECF), a $4 million fund launched in July 2025 with support from the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.
The fund focuses on startups working in areas linked to economic growth and climate resilience, especially businesses solving everyday challenges through locally developed solutions.
Under the latest deal, $200,000 will go to Rivia Clinics, a technology-driven healthcare startup, while VDL Fulfilment, an e-commerce logistics company, will receive $150,000. The investments are being provided through a mix of convertible debt and performance-based financing.
Village Capital said the investments come at a time when funding from development finance institutions has slowed across Africa. These institutions played a major role in supporting the continent’s startup growth over the past decade. Despite the slowdown, the latest deal suggests investors are still interested in startups providing practical services in sectors such as healthcare and logistics.
According to Heather Matranga, the two startups represent the kind of businesses emerging across Ghana, where founders are building solutions for real local problems.
Rivia Clinics plans to use the funding to expand its healthcare centres, improve sales operations and strengthen its virtual healthcare services. Meanwhile, VDL Fulfilment will invest in expanding its vehicle fleet and warehouse infrastructure to improve delivery and order fulfilment services.
Village Capital added that the investments were developed alongside local Entrepreneur Support Organisations (ESOs), groups that help startups with mentorship, fundraising support, business development and investor readiness. These organisations often help identify promising businesses that traditional venture capital firms may overlook.
When the AECF fund was launched, Village Capital selected five venture partners across Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania. These included Reach for Change, Africa Fintech Foundry, Fate Foundation, Anza Entrepreneurs and Ennovate Ventures.
For the Ghana investments, Reach for Change and Innovation Spark helped build the investment pipeline and identify startups that matched local market needs.
Since it was founded in 2009, Village Capital says it has helped mobilise more than $7 billion in investment capital for around 1,800 startups worldwide. The Ghana investments are expected to be the first of several planned investments across Nigeria and Tanzania as the fund continues supporting African startups.
