About Us
ShEquity Investment Summary
Below is summary of ShEquity investment
Why Invest With ShEquity
ShEquity is the ideal investment option for anyone looking to achieving triple bottom line: financial, environmental and social returns.
Meet the Team & Advisory Board
We are proud to work with a network of reputable partners active in impact investment, female economic empowerment and sustainable development.
Pauline Koelbl
Founder & Managing Partner
Ténemba Anna Samaké
Director & SHEBA Lead
Vishal Woochit
Director
Lambert Nyabe
Analyst
Rodrigue Anani
SHEBA Coordinator - Anglophone
Minayo Sagala
Advisory Board Member
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Kassoum Coulibaly
SHEBA Coordinator -Francophone
Rowena Bethel
Advisory Board Member
Dr. McLean Sibanda
Advisory Board Member
Edith Uyovbukerhi
Advisory Board Member
Thomas Festerling
Advisory Board Member
Co-Founder
Afua Amoah
Advisory Board Member
Dr Eliane Ubalijoro
Advisory Board Member
WHY
ShEquity’s purpose is to provide smart and sustainable investments for African female entrepreneurs and innovators, the key driver of inclusive socio-economic growth. We facilitate access to a pool of de-risked deals to investors and empower female entrepreneurs with financial resources and operational support needed to unlock their full potential.
We address the following key challenges:
1. Access to seed capital: While Africa boasts an increasing number of female entrepreneurs, the funding gap remains a barrier to achieving full potential. Currently, women operate over 40% of SMEs in Africa, but there is a financing gap of US$ 42 billion between male and female entrepreneurs.
2. Operational support: African female entrepreneurs struggle to access a structured venture building support and high value networks needed to de-risk their businesses.
3. Access to a pool of de-risked deals: Many investors interested in African markets struggle to have access to a pool of profitable, scalable and impactful deals.
WHAT
We combine seed capital with structured operational support, and we facilitate access to high-value networks. In the context of weak ecosystems, smart money (cash and operational support) is what is needed to cross the valley of Death and embark on a growth path.
We focus on scalable, marketable and sustainable female-led startups with a high socio-economic and environmental impact guarantee, and we empower them with resources and operational support needed to unlock their potential.
HOW
We aim for the triple bottom line: financial, social, and environmental returns, with direct impact correlating to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We apply a value-chain approach and build strategic partnerships for sourcing deals as well as securing a second round of investments.
Our network of champions and partners boast African female influencers with vast pan-African experience. They are closely linked to networks of female innovators and entrepreneurs, representing various sectors covering many African countries. These networks serve as our pipeline to source qualified female entrepreneurs.
Pauline Koelbl
Founder & Managing Director
Founder and CEO of AfriProspect GmbH and ShEquity, Pauline is an Innovation Expert in Developing & Emerging Economies, impact investor, and seasoned impact-driven Team Leader with over 20 years’ experience in international affairs and philanthropy industries. Pauline is a leading expert and influencer on the transformation of developing countries to emerging economies by designing programs & policies fostering inclusive innovations. Her passion lies in innovation, entrepreneurship, and empowerment of youth and women.
During the last 8+ years, Pauline’s work focused on catalyzing marketable, scalable, and impactful home-grown innovations for African-led growth across the African continent, building strategic partnerships and innovation ecosystems that will invigorate economic growth across Africa. Her work at the African Innovation Foundation (AIF) as the Managing Director and Director, Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) led to the impact of more than US$ 135 Million generated investments for supported African innovators. Prior to that, she worked for a number of UN bodies and NGOs in Africa, Europe, and the USA including WHO in Geneva, UNESCO in Paris, UNICEF in Goma, Enda Tiers Monde in Dakar, Jewish Family and Children’s Services in Arizona, etc.
Pauline is a Fulbright Scholar & Fellow and is currently serving on different Boards of companies/organizations connected to business/entrepreneurship/innovation in Africa and is the co-founder of Professional Women of African Heritage (PROWAH). She is also a member of ABM University Council (Botswana) and serves on the Academic, Research and Innovation Committee.
Tenemba Anna Samake
Chief Finance Officer
With 20+ years of West African experience in business development and SME financing, Tenemba is the Executive Director of an Agribusiness Advisory firm, MBC Africa, a one-stop boutique that provides an enabling environment for businesses in Africa.
High-energy, results-oriented leader with an entrepreneurial attitude, Tenemba has a solid experience managing all levels of complex and multiple stakeholders’ projects including design and administration. In addition, she has a solid experience in designing and implementing technical assistance in SMEs (capacity building, coaching, and mentoring entrepreneurs).
Tenemba has led the acceleration of more than 130 businesses in West Africa and trained more than 100 Young African Professionals in Agribusiness Advisory. She is the Chairperson ANDE West Africa Steering Committee. The Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) is a global network of organizations that propel entrepreneurship in emerging markets, and she is the Founding Member of Impact Investing Ghana.
Vishal Woochit
Director
Vishal has more than 19 years of experience in the fund and corporate services at managerial level. He was responsible, as Head of Fund Services, for driving the development and implementation of the fund business at an international corporate and funds service provider.
Vishal has assisted +100 private equity houses, venture capital funds, real estate and hedge fund managers to set up in Mauritius and other fund domiciles. He also sits as Director and act as Chairperson on the boards of several funds and managers of varying strategies.
Vishal has worked at Deutsche Bank (Mauritius) for four years, where he had been a Client Services Manager, Fund Services, responsible for a number multi-billion dollar and key accounts. Prior to joining Deutsche Bank, he worked as a Fund Administrator with L&P Corporate Services Ltd. Vishal has also gained exposure to the fund industry in Singapore, UAE, Cayman Islands and Hong Kong.
Vishal holds a BA (Hons) Law and Management and a Post Dip Finance and Investment.
LAMBERT NYABE
Analyst
Lambert is a detailed and results-oriented individual with more than 8 years hands-on experience in accounting, financial management, auditing, budgeting and payroll administration. He has more than 5 years’ experience in financial analysis, financial modeling and financial risk management. Over the past 4 years, Lambert has been involved in a series of business development activities helping startups and growth stage businesses to scale up.
He co-authored “Funding Options for Startups and SMEs”. The book provides entrepreneurs and businessmen better understanding of available funding options at the various growth stages, turning bright ideas into a successful business and provides content of a bankable business plan and pitch deck.
Professionalism, positivity and integrity are Lambert’s core values. Lambert has a passion for preparing financial report according to the accounting standards, analysing trends in financial statements, developing financial modeling and has key interest in financial risk management.
Lambert is a good abstract and conceptual thinker. He has a great deal of intellectual curiosity; he likes to understand the real causes of problems and issues. He is hard working, enjoys specializing and is good at locating and correcting mistakes and solving problems.
Rodrigue Anani
SHEBA Coordinator – Anglophone
Rodrigue Anani has 5+ years of experience in Information Technology. He is open-minded, pragmatic, and has a keen interest in building solutions that can promote sustainable development. He is also a member of the Global Leadership Academy (GLAC) Africa Community.
Rodrigue has working experience both in West Africa and North Africa countries and enjoys working in multidisciplinary teams and challenging environments. He believes that with good and clear communication, all the barriers can be broken in almost all the growing sectors. A passionate about the various cultures from around the world, Rodrigue enjoys discovering and inputting in researches, data management, reading Agatha Christie, and science-fiction novels.
Kassoum Coulibaly
SHEBA Coordinator -Francophone
Mr. Kassoum Coulibaly is an entrepreneur who wears many hats including being a member of the Junior Chamber International (JCI). He is motivated and committed to the global economic progress and the universal peace promotion.
Mr. Coulibaly has worked for several United Nations organizations like UNESCO, UNDP, UNV and UNCTAD as communication consultant, project and program manager. During many years, he performed a lot of business development services (technical assistance, business facilitation, training, trade information, coaching, etc…) for both entrepreneurs and business organizations.
As the Founder and Chairman of The African Development Group (ADG), Mr Coulibaly and his affiliated network of several enterprises have dedicated themselves to the sustainable development of the mining, energy, agriculture, construction and finance sectors in Africa and worldwide. He is also currently supporting economic and trade relations between China and Africa as the Sichuan Supplier Chamber of Commerce’s Economic and Commercial Counselor for Africa and Middle East Region.
Mr Coulibaly obtained an Associate’s Degree in Economics and Development at the University of Bouaké (Côte d’Ivoire) as well as the Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Management at the University of Bamako (Mali).
Prince Sarfo
Storyteller & Social Media Manager
Based in Harare, Zimbabwe, Chief K.Masimba Biriwasha is a digital communications specialist who loves to bring ideas to life with love, care and passion. He also loves goats and runs a startup Goat Orders Co. | www.goatotders.co.zw that seeks to boost goat production and value addition while building the lives and livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
Masimba has 19 years of experience in implementing and managing different projects and has the ability to articulate and communicate complex issues to a variety of audiences across technical disciplines and to non-technical audiences. He possesses a journalist’s acute and enquiring mind-set and have extensive experience of translating complex topics into powerful stories, messages and visuals.
For Masimba, work is a promise and a passion: it’s about pursuing change and challenging the status quo.”
Prince Sarfo
Storyteller & Social Media Manager
Lambert is a detailed and results-oriented individual with more than 8 years hands-on experience in accounting, financial management, auditing, budgeting and payroll administration. He has more than 5 years’ experience in financial analysis, financial modeling and financial risk management. Over the past 4 years, Lambert has been involved in a series of business development activities helping startups and growth stage businesses to scale up.
He co-authored “Funding Options for Startups and SMEs”. The book provides entrepreneurs and businessmen better understanding of available funding options at the various growth stages, turning bright ideas into a successful business and provides content of a bankable business plan and pitch deck.
Professionalism, positivity and integrity are Lambert’s core values. Lambert has a passion for preparing financial report according to the accounting standards, analysing trends in financial statements, developing financial modeling and has key interest in financial risk management.
Lambert is a good abstract and conceptual thinker. He has a great deal of intellectual curiosity; he likes to understand the real causes of problems and issues. He is hard working, enjoys specializing and is good at locating and correcting mistakes and solving problems.
Yvonne Bettkober
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Minayo describes herself as a consummate organiser. She thrives in facilitating clarity and promoting excellence. Minayo believes in the power of knowledge to spark, reignite and sustain hope – so she shares what she can.
Minayo has two decades of practical experience providing primary legal support for private capital investments in both East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia and South Sudan) and West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast). This has included deal structuring, deal negotiation and deal management for equity, debt and convertible debt investment instruments; post-investment support for investee companies; regional risk and compliance oversight; as well as regional operational and governance advice.
Minayo is an MSc in Education for Sustainability from the London South Bank University and an LLB from the University of Nairobi.
Rowena Bethel
Compliance/Risk Management/AML Expert
Experienced corporate and public governance specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the international affairs industry as well as in financial sector regulatory environments. Strong business development experience with common law expertise and with fund management companies in Mauritius.
Dr. McLean Sibanda
Managing Director at Bigen Global Limited, South Africa
McLean is an experienced innovation enabler with a demonstrated history of working in investment management, science and technology, innovation, incubation, startup industries, and infrastructure development in Africa. He is a strong entrepreneurship professional skilled in Negotiation, Business Planning, Analytical Skills, Innovation Management, and Patent at Law. He has an in-depth understanding of and experience in innovation, development, and infrastructure development as drivers for a prosperous Africa.
Edith Uyovbukerhi
CEO, Sun Ridge Company Limited, Ghana
Edith is a strong, results-oriented, dynamic and proven leader with wide experience spanning over 26 years in blue-chip companies in the United Kingdom, holding senior leadership positions in companies which include PwC, Cadbury, Nestle, and Diageo. She has a strong business, financial and commercial skills with a special focus in all aspects of accounting, finance, business management, strategic planning, project management, and business systems implementation.
An active women’s leadership and innovation champion with a passion for next-generation leadership, Edith is on a mission to support millennial ladies who seek to use their passion for life to transform their lives and the lives of all around them.
Thomas Festerling
GreenTec CFO and Co-Founder
Thomas brought his extensive financial and investment background to the development of GreenTec’s investment approach. A specialist for financing, investor relations and business planning with 10+ Years experience in the Asset Management industry, 4+ Years African investment ecosystem sourcing investment deals and setting up investment vehicles focusing on African startups and SMEs.
Afua Umoah
Founder & Managing Partner at Delwik Group
Afua brings 19+ years of financial experience across different sectors and regions. She is the Founder and Managing Partner of Delwik Group. Her primary role focuses on advising companies and on projects development in Africa. She also serves as the CFO of a fintech based in Luxembourg and Francophone West Africa.
Afua has worked with international firms such as African Capital Alliance (ACA), Barclays Africa, Deutsche Bank, BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and Simon Murray China Fund in Shanghai. She holds an MBA and a dual degree in Mathematics and Engineering.
Dr Eliane Ubalijoro
Chief Executive Officer, CIFOR-ICRAF
Dr Eliane Ubalijoro is an accomplished leader and CEO with a passion for improving the lives of women and smallholder farmers in emerging countries. As the CEO of CIFOR-ICRAF and Director General of ICRAF, she is the first African woman to hold this prestigious position in the 52-year history of CGIAR Research Centers.
Dr Ubalijoro holds a bachelor’s degree in general agriculture and a master’s and doctorate in molecular genetics from McGill University. She has worked as a scientific director in the biotechnology sector, where she focused on molecular diagnostics before pivoting to public-private sector partnerships to improve the lives of women and smallholder farmers in emerging countries.
Dr Ubalijoro has been recognized for her outstanding contributions to promoting science as a global public good. She is a recipient of the International Leadership Association‘s 2022 awards in women and leadership for outstanding practice with broad impact and an International Science Council fellow. She serves on several boards, including the Crop Trust Executive Board, the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) Special Policy Study on Post 2020: Global Biodiversity Conservation, and Rwanda’s National Science and Technology Council, among others.
Impact
ShEquity is a catalyst for inclusive economic growth with the impact felt across the board. Because women tend to tackle challenges faced by societies, providing smart money to female entrepreneurs allows them to build impactful businesses benefiting many communities and inspire the next generations to become problem solvers.
Our approach of combining seed capital and operational support allows us to minimize failure risks which allow more female-led businesses to grow, create more jobs, embark on scaling path, and contribute to sustainable development.
Because we focus on female-led businesses and aim for the triple bottom line, our activities have a direct impact correlating to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. Here are the SDGs we contribute to: ….and follow this link to access our 1 year impact report http://bit.ly/shequity2021
Inclusiveness & Human development
Gender Equality: Empowering female entrepreneurs by providing seed capital leads to growing more female-led businesses, with impact trickling down to the household level. Economically empowered women mean better opportunities for the whole family, especially the girl child.
Reduce inequality: Investing in female-led startups/businesses sparks economic inclusion since it provides a pipeline for accessing needed capital to equally compete and seize existing opportunities.
Economic Empowerment
No poverty: Female entrepreneurs tend to focus on businesses which impact societies. ShEquity provides investment to women who eventually will create jobs and opportunities for communities and family well-being.
Decent work and economic growth: ShEquity investments leads to growing women-led businesses, which in turn will trigger jobs creation and contribute to inclusive economic growth.
Environmental Sustainability
Sustainable cities and communities: Investing in startups with environmentally-friendly innovations/technologies particularly in agriculture, energy, mobility, waste recycling and other circular economies solutions, reduces carbon emissions and is a key factor in building sustainable cities.
Responsible consumption and production: Investing in local production/businesses shortens supply chains, and reduces carbon emissions for shipping and transportation.
Partners
We are proud to work with a network of reputable partners active in impact investment, female economic empowerment and sustainable development.
News
Shuttlers raises $4M to fuel its shared mobility solution across Nigeria
Shuttlers, a Nigerian shared mobility company that allows individual and corporate passengers to take rides on multiple bus routes via an app, has raised $4 million in a new funding round led by Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures (VKAV), a Pan-African focused venture capital firm…. read more
Pauline Koelbl, Founder & Managing Partner, ShEquity
Pauline is the Founder & Managing Party of ShEquity as well as Founder & CEO of AfriProspect GmbH. She is a gender-lens impact investor and a leading innovation expert in emerging economies with over 20 years’ experience in international affairs…. read more
Finanzielle Freiheit ist der Schlüssel zu wahrem Empowerment
Pauline Koelbl ist ein Business-Polyglott. Sie ist Impact Investorin mit einem Gender-Blick, ein Innovationskatalysator und die Gründerin und Managing Partner von ShEquity. Als Expertin und Zukunftsgestalterin haben wir mit Pauline über ihre Perspektiven… read more
ShEquity invests in woman-owned financial inclusion startup Owoafara
ShEquity, a gender-lens investment firm that seeks to address Africa’s gender funding gap by making smart investments in African owned and led businesses, announced its investment in a Nigerian fintech startup, Owoafara Inc, led by Tale Alimi…. read more
Kweza unlocking value for informal retailers in South Africa
In 2021, the 1,000 most influential climate scientists in the world were ranked based on publication record and social media engagement. Of the top 20, only one was a woman. (Reuters, 2021). Yet, the first scientist to make the connection between increased CO2 and atmospheric…. read more
PAULINE KOELBL COMBINES PASSION AND PURPOSE TO PAY IT FORWARD
Meet Pauline Koelbl, UArizona Franke Honors Alumna and founder and managing partner of ShEquity. We recently chatted with Pauline to learn about her passion for female empowerment and entrepreneurship, her experience at the University of Arizona Honors College… read more
USAID Trade Hub Partners with ShEquity to Catalyze Investment in Women-Owned or Led Businesses in West Africa
A Gender-Lens Investor, ShEquity Aims to Close the Gender Funding Gap in Africa by Providing Smart Investment to African Female-owned and Led Businesses…. read more
Kweza unlocking value for informal retailers in South Africa
Running a small business can be challenging especially so in the informal sector where segments of a single value chain are fragmented. Informal retailers often pay a premium for their products and delivery due to limited visibility to the best…. read more
African female entrepreneurs tackling climate change challenges and much more
One of the lesser discussed characteristics of climate change is its unintended but innate gender bias. Women are more affected by climate change than men… read more
ShEquity étend son portefeuille à l’Afrique de l’Ouest francophone avec un investissement au sein de l’entreprise Céréales de Laury (CDL)
Entreprise agroalimentaire, CDL se concentre sur la transformation du fonio, ancien super-aliment africain, en une gamme de produits à base de fonio. read more
ShEquity expands its portfolio to Francophone West Africa with investment in Céréales de Laury (CDL).
ShEquity today announced its investment in Beninese startup, Céréales de Laury (CDL).
read more
ShEquity launches SHEBA – ShEquity Business Accelerator
ShEquity and MBC Africa announced today the launch of the ShEquity Business Accelerator (SHEBA).
ShEquity launches SHEBA -ShEquity Business Accelerator
Accra, Ghana, 23 March 2021 – ShEquity and MBC Africa announced today the launch of the ShEquity Business Accelerator (SHEBA).
read more
ShEquity invests in Ecodudu waste recovery start-up
The Kenyan start-up Ecodudu is again receiving financial support. It comes from ShEquity, an investment company that promotes female entrepreneurship in Africa.
read more
Zambian startup WidEnergy raises new funding to scale its impact
WidEnergy, the name of which is an acronym for “Women in Development,” reflecting the startup’s goal of engaging women as active participants in Africa’s…
read more
African AI startup Superfluid Labs receives investment from ShEquity
GreenTec Capital announces that Superfluid Labs was selected as the first investment for the newly launched ShEquity investment vehicle…
read more
Can African tech disrupt 2020’s gloomy investment outlook?
It appears that the momentum in Africa’s tech sector in 2019 has continued unabated into 2020.
African Economy: How to Drive Sustainable Growth in the New Normal
After years of steady economic development and the emergence of an exciting, dynamic, and transformative innovation ecosystem across the continent, … read more
Investment for women-led businesses is missing ingredient African entrepreneurship
Women make up 58% of African’s self-employed population, yet there are still significant imbalances between…
Social Enterprise Ghana, British Council launch Women Business Accelerator
The British Council Ghana and Social Enterprise Ghana have partnered to launch the Social Enterprise Women Business Accelerator.
Meet the Investor: Pauline Koelbl, ShEquity
Born in Rwanda, a citizen of Switzerland and the United States, Pauline Koelbl’s background is in international development and catalysing innovation, and she is applying those skills in the field of female-focused venture capital. read more
African Women In Technology Presents: The Digital Society Conference
CODID-19 has unleashed a new wave of African creativity and ingenuity. Africans are also stepping up their game in providing solutions that are proving to be most useful during the pandemic, such as money transfer and health apps. With the jump on digital space, this conference will focus on opportunities that young women and girls could utilize pre and post covid.
Contact Us
Office
ShEquity
Office 22, Ebene Junction Bldg,
Rue de la Democratie
Ebene, Mauritius