About Aceli Africa

Aceli Africa is a market incentive facility that connects agricultural small- and medium-enterprises (SMEs) in East Africa with financial institutions to enhance access to capital. By addressing a $65 billion annual financing gap, Aceli promotes gender-inclusive lending and supports the growth of SMEs, thereby improving livelihoods and fostering sustainable agricultural practices.

```xml <problem> Agricultural small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in East Africa face a significant $65 billion financing gap, hindering their growth and potential impact. Lenders are often hesitant to finance these SMEs due to perceived high risks and lower returns compared to other sectors. This lack of access to capital limits the ability of SMEs to improve livelihoods, promote sustainable agricultural practices, and contribute to food security. </problem> <solution> Aceli Africa operates a market incentive facility that connects agricultural SMEs in East Africa with financial institutions to increase their access to capital. By providing financial incentives and risk-sharing mechanisms, Aceli encourages lenders to extend credit to SMEs that would otherwise be considered too risky. This approach aims to bridge the gap between capital supply and demand, enabling SMEs to scale their operations, adopt climate-smart agriculture practices, and create economic opportunities for farmers and workers, particularly women and youth. Aceli's data-driven approach also provides insights into agri-SME lending trends, promoting sustained lender behavior change and fostering a more inclusive and sustainable agricultural sector. </solution> <features> - Financial incentives to reduce lender risk and encourage lending to agricultural SMEs. - Data-driven insights and benchmarking reports on agri-SME lending across East Africa. - Partnerships with a network of financial institutions to expand access to capital for SMEs. - Focus on gender-inclusive lending practices to empower women in the agricultural sector. - Support for climate-smart agriculture practices to promote environmental sustainability. - Monitoring and evaluation of the impact of Aceli-supported loans on SMEs, farmers, and employees. </features> <target_audience> Aceli Africa primarily targets agricultural SMEs in East Africa that require financing to grow their businesses and improve their impact, as well as financial institutions that are interested in expanding their lending portfolios to include agri-SMEs. </target_audience> ```

What does Aceli Africa do?

Where is Aceli Africa located?

Aceli Africa is based in Washington, United States.

When was Aceli Africa founded?

Aceli Africa was founded in 2018.

How much funding has Aceli Africa raised?

Aceli Africa has raised 27000000.

Location

Washington, United States

Founded

2018

Funding

27000000

Employees

31 employees

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Aceli Africa

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Executive Summary

aceliafrica.org 5K+

Crunchbase

Founded 2018 – Washington, United States

Funding

Estimated Funding

$20M+

Team (30+)

No team information available.

Company Description

Problem

Agricultural small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in East Africa face a significant $65 billion financing gap, hindering their growth and potential impact. Lenders are often hesitant to finance these SMEs due to perceived high risks and lower returns compared to other sectors. This lack of access to capital limits the ability of SMEs to improve livelihoods, promote sustainable agricultural practices, and contribute to food security.

Solution

Aceli Africa operates a market incentive facility that connects agricultural SMEs in East Africa with financial institutions to increase their access to capital. By providing financial incentives and risk-sharing mechanisms, Aceli encourages lenders to extend credit to SMEs that would otherwise be considered too risky. This approach aims to bridge the gap between capital supply and demand, enabling SMEs to scale their operations, adopt climate-smart agriculture practices, and create economic opportunities for farmers and workers, particularly women and youth. Aceli's data-driven approach also provides insights into agri-SME lending trends, promoting sustained lender behavior change and fostering a more inclusive and sustainable agricultural sector.

Features

Financial incentives to reduce lender risk and encourage lending to agricultural SMEs.

Data-driven insights and benchmarking reports on agri-SME lending across East Africa.

Partnerships with a network of financial institutions to expand access to capital for SMEs.

Focus on gender-inclusive lending practices to empower women in the agricultural sector.

Support for climate-smart agriculture practices to promote environmental sustainability.

Monitoring and evaluation of the impact of Aceli-supported loans on SMEs, farmers, and employees.

Target Audience

Aceli Africa primarily targets agricultural SMEs in East Africa that require financing to grow their businesses and improve their impact, as well as financial institutions that are interested in expanding their lending portfolios to include agri-SMEs.