More than 40 leading African venture capital (VC) fund managers are participating in the Africa Venture Finance Programme (AVFP) at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School from September 1-5, 2025. The program aims to strengthen Africa’s VC ecosystem and support the growth of technology and tech-enabled companies across the continent.
The in-person program, which includes nearly half women participants, offers a week of peer learning, skills development, and strategic dialogue for VC funds investing in early- and growth-stage technology companies. It is now in its fourth edition. After this program, over 150 of the continent’s most relevant VC fund managers will have participated.
The AVFP is organized by EIB Global, the European Investment Bank’s development arm, and is supported by AfricaGrow. It is also delivered by Boost Africa, a joint initiative of the European Investment Bank and the African Development Bank, with support from the European Commission and the Organisation of African, Caribbean & Pacific States. The AfricaGrow Technical Assistance Facility, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through KfW/DEG, also provides support.
Investors and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) such as the EBRD, Proparco, and British International Investment (BII) will take part in sessions designed to foster dialogue and explore opportunities to strengthen Africa’s venture capital infrastructure. Senior partners from established VC firms like TLcom, Partech, and AfricInvest will also engage with the DFI community to discuss challenges and opportunities, including access to capital and capacity-building for portfolio growth.
Africa receives only 1% to 2% of global venture capital, despite representing 18% of the world’s population. A key focus of the program is to address this gap and help grow African-led startups that often struggle to receive significant funding. The program is designed and led by Oxford academics and focuses on peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and sharing best practices.
Boost Africa was created to address the early-stage financing gap by providing technical support to fund managers and has mobilized over €380 million in capital for startups across the continent. Additionally, 94% of founders supported by Boost Africa were able to raise $1 million or more in funding, which is nearly double the rate of comparable entrepreneurs.