Village Capital deploys $450,000 in first Nigeria investments
The Nigeria investments come as early-stage startups continue to face a difficult funding environment.
Village Capital, a global nonprofit focused on supporting high-impact startups, has made its first investments in Nigeria, deploying $450,000 into two Nigerian startups, Trade Lenda and AirSmat. This marks the start of Village Capital's presence in Nigeria, following earlier investments in two Ghanaian companies. The two startups bring the total portfolio of Village Capital's Africa Ecosystem Catalysts Facility to seven startups across Ghana and Nigeria.
Trade Lenda, a digital financial services platform, has supported over 260,000 SMEs and farmers across Nigeria, while AirSmat, a climate-tech company, is working on turning agricultural waste into biochar-based fertiliser. The investments come as early-stage startups face a challenging funding environment, with African startups raising only $9 million in early-stage funding in the first half of 2026, down from $25 million in the same period a year earlier.
Village Capital's approach involves working with local ecosystem partners to identify startups that traditional investors may overlook, addressing the funding gap by providing capital tailored to the needs of early-stage companies.
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