The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a €6.5 million investment in the Saviu II venture capital fund, in a move aimed at deepening support for early-stage technology enterprises across Francophone Africa.
The investment, according to a statement, is designed to bolster start-ups at the seed stage and during their first institutional fundraising round, with a primary focus on French-speaking countries in West and Central Africa.
Under the arrangement, the Bank will commit €4.5 million in equity, alongside a €2 million first-loss hedging tranche provided on behalf of the European Commission through the Boost Africa Programme. The structure is expected to de-risk private capital and catalyse additional investment into the region’s growing technology ecosystem.
The AfDB noted that its participation would enable Saviu II to prioritise enterprises with a strong technological or digital orientation, reinforcing efforts to scale innovation-driven businesses.
Saviu II, the second investment vehicle managed by Saviu Partners, plans to deploy between €500,000 and €3 million in approximately 20 technology or tech-enabled B2B start-ups operating at seed stage or embarking on their first institutional raise.
At least 60 per cent of the fund’s commitments are earmarked for Francophone West and Central African markets, including Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Benin, Senegal, Togo, Burkina Faso and Mali.
The fund may also co-invest in high-potential technology firms in East Africa, particularly those with strong management teams and scalable business models, provided their growth strategy includes expansion into French-speaking West Africa and the establishment of a meaningful footprint in those markets.
In addition, Saviu II will allocate a dedicated envelope for pre-seed investments, focusing largely on minority equity stakes, typically executed in partnership with venture studios, incubators and other ecosystem actors.
