Bridge for Billions Launches Conecta Africa to Support Early-Stage Entrepreneurs in Africa

A new initiative aimed at transforming the way early-stage businesses are supported across Africa was officially launched in Nairobi on Thursday.

The initiative, named Conecta Africa, is led by the entrepreneurship platform Bridge for Billions, and brings together entrepreneur support organisations (ESOs), policymakers, funders, and corporate leaders from Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa to build stronger, more inclusive ecosystems for startups.

Hosted at the Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club, the launch was the culmination of a three-day summit and retreat which brought over 100 key stakeholders. In that period, 25 ESOs worked together to come up with strategies for collaboration, long-term sustainability and inclusive growth.

The initiative seeks to dismantle systemic barriers that prevent underserved entrepreneurs, particularly women, youth, and rural innovators, from accessing critical support. Through strategic collaboration, data-driven programming, and long-term partnerships, the initiative aims to build resilient, inclusive startup ecosystems across the continent.

“Entrepreneurs are resilient, resourceful people. But we should not expect them to take unnecessary risks just to succeed,” said Julie, co-founder of Bridge for Billions. “Just like education became a public right, we believe entrepreneurship support must become a public good which is accessible, equitable, and rooted in systems.”

The summit addressed key challenges faced by organisations that aim to support Africa’s startups. Research presented in partnership with the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) revealed five major gaps: limited funding for ESOs, poor infrastructure for collaboration, weak inclusion of vulnerable and excluded groups, a lack of data sharing, and fragmented support pipelines.

Despite these issues, there was strong optimism among the participants about what could be achieved through a more connected, continental approach.

“Too many organisations are doing great work in isolation,” said Chaitali Sinha of Canada’s IDRC. “Through this initiative, we want to shift from short-term aid to lasting support models rooted in African realities.”

The summit also called for a reset in how entrepreneurship is funded. Funders were urged to look beyond flashy tech startups, and support sectors that directly impact lives such as health, agriculture, manufacturing, and housing.

Dr. Maxwell Okoth, Chairman of the KNCCI Nairobi County Health Sector, shared how his team locally engineered high-end medical infrastructure at a fraction of the cost it would have taken to import the same materials.

“We have the talent and tools. We just need to believe in ourselves and fund local solutions,” he said. “If we don’t, we risk economic recolonisation, where we build for others instead of ourselves.”

Ian Minjire, co-founder and COO of Melanin Kapital, which offers revenue-based financing, warned against over-reliance on venture capital and instead encouraged investment in business models that prioritise sustainability over rapid scaling.

In her keynote address, Principal Secretary for MSME Development, Hon. Susan Mang’eni, endorsed the initiative, highlighting how it complements the government’s bottom-up economic transformation strategy. She shared updates on four national programs designed to support youth and small businesses and invited Bridge for Billions to partner with her ministry to develop digital learning content for small businesses across the country.

“Our youth need more than just encouragement. They need tools and skills to create their own jobs,” she said. “Through this initiative, we see the promise of helping our MSMEs, many of which already have viable products, access what they need most, which is capital, markets, and technical expertise.”

Yann Huguenard, Senior Business Development Manager for Africa and Europe at Bridge for Billions, emphasised the importance of building up local support systems to achieve lasting impact. “Conecta Africa is not just about startups. It’s about strengthening the organisations that support them. By empowering ESOs to collaborate, share resources, and scale their impact, we’re laying the foundation for a sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem that can grow with and for Africa,” he said.

In its first phase, the initiative aims to support 1,500 SMEs by helping ESOs work better together, share resources, and strengthen their capacity to support businesses.

The program will focus on healthcare entrepreneurship and youth and women enterprise development as entry points, while continuing to build research, policy, and investment partnerships.

The initiative is supported by The International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Strathmore University, The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), JP Morgan, the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) among others.

Follow us on WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter, and Facebook, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any future updates. Send tips to editorial@techtrendsmedia.co.ke