Team Europe backs Africa’s next wave of digital changemakers through investment readiness programme

As part of the Think Like an Investor programme, the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) and the Finnish Institute of Public Management (HAUS) officially launched their joint investment readiness service for digital social innovations (DSIs) with a dynamic three-day workshop in South Africa. 

The workshop introduced the entrepreneurs to the core concepts of investment readiness. Participants learned about Africa’s evolving funding landscape, began crafting investment strategies tailored to their growth ambitions. They developed clear, compelling funding narratives, refined their business models, and examined what it takes to build resilient, scalable enterprises. They also got the chance to engage directly with investors from Anza Capital, Jozi Angels and elea, gaining valuable insights into investor expectations, including usage metrics and monetisation to team optimisation, impact measurement, and strategic communication. For many, it was the first time receiving feedback from active investors, which is an essential step in bridging the gap between innovation and investment. 

These DSI startups were selected last summer through a competitive application round which looked for transformative solutions in areas such as healthcare, climate resilience, financial inclusion, and digital connectivity. 

"The selected companies have the potential to expand beyond their countries and create a greater effect throughout Africa. Their solutions are scalable and help alleviate socio-economic problems, which is exactly what we are looking for," said Laura Roop, project manager at ESTDEV. 

In addition to the Think Like an Investor programme, the selected companies will continue to receive tailored support to strengthen their business models and connect with relevant investors in a bid to scale their impact. 

What is digital social innovation? 

Digital social innovation (DSI) is the development of innovative data-driven technology solutions to help solve societal problems and ultimately contribute to sustainable economic growth. Digital social innovation deals with areas such as e-health, digital inclusion and climate change. 

The Think Like an Investor programme is part of Team Europe's  Data Governance in Africa project, which officially started last January. The project aims to support the development of a human-centred data economy and society in Africa. 

The Data Governance in Africa initiative is funded by the European Union and five member states (Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France and Germany) as part of the EU's Global Gateway strategy. The initiative is implemented by Digital Africa, Enabel, ESTDEV, HAUS, Expertise France and GIZ.