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.
Funding
$27M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
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.
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.
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.