NAIROBI, Kenya– The African Angel Academy (AAA) has unveiled its 12th investor training program aimed at boosting early-stage financing for entrepreneurs across the continent.
The initiative comes as Africa grapples with a funding shortfall of Sh25 trillion ($194 billion) annually, according to the African Development Bank, with young startups bearing the biggest financing gap.
Since it began operations in 2020, AAA has trained more than 770 investors drawn from 26 African nations. Collectively, these investors have backed 216 ventures with deals valued at Sh6.9 billion ($53.6 million).
Of that amount, Sh930 million ($7.2 million) has come directly from alumni of the academy.
Angel investment;typically involving commitments ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 has been gaining traction in sectors such as financial technology, healthcare solutions, agriculture, climate innovation, and education.
“Angel investing in Africa has moved beyond hobby investing; it is now a strategic lever for economic transformation,” said AAA co-founder and ViKtoria Ventures director, Stephen Gugu.
He added that in the last cohort, 60 percent of participants were first-time angel investors, while women made up 35 percent of the group, a figure notably higher than the global average of 20 to 30 percent.
The upcoming program is set to kick off on September 17, 2025, and will run entirely online. It will be split into two phases Mechanics of Angel Investing and Advanced Angel Investing delivered through self-learning modules, live sessions, case simulations, and peer-to-peer learning.
AAA’s initiative comes at a time when Kenya is cementing its role as a hub for startup capital in Africa. In 2024, Kenyan startups secured Sh82.5 billion ($638 million), representing nearly a third of Africa’s total startup funding and almost 90 percent of East Africa’s pool, even as overall continental funding fell.
Standout deals during that year included d.light’s Sh22.7 billion ($176 million) in clean energy financing, BasiGo’s Sh5.4 billion ($42 million) raise for electric mobility, and M-Kopa’s Sh6.6 billion ($51 million) debt package supported by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.
Applications for AAA’s 12th cohort will remain open until September 10, 2025.
