Grassroots Business Fund (GBF) is an impact-first investment organization committed to supporting businesses that drive inclusive economic growth.
We invest in and partner with companies across Africa, especially women and youth-led enterprises, and those in food systems, climate-resilient value chains, and essential rural services. We provide flexible fit-for purpose capital, but also tailored technical assistance to help high-impact enterprises scale sustainably.
Our work is grounded in the belief that small and growing businesses are vital engines of job creation, resilience and community development.
Our Mission is to grow businesses that generate sustainable earnings or savings for people with low incomes in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
OUR MODEL
FLEXIBLE INVESTMENT CAPITAL
For over 20 years, we have backed entrepreneurs that traditional lenders overlook, not because they lack potential but because they fall outside conventional lending norms. We provide patient, flexible capital that matches how businesses actually operate, with structures that support working capital needs, growth, and resilience. Our portfolio companies strengthen value chains, create jobs, and demonstrate that disciplined investing in underserved markets can deliver meaningful impact alongside financial returns.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Technical assistance strengthens the effectiveness of capital. We pair financing with targeted operational support so companies can improve systems, strengthen governance, and scale sustainably. This integrated approach reflects our commitment to proximity and partnership, ensuring businesses have the resources and capabilities needed for long-term resilience and growth.
OUR WORK
FUND MANAGEMENT
We manage capital the way we invest it: with discipline, transparency, and a long-term perspective. Our experience spans blended finance facilities, technical assistance programs, and dedicated investment vehicles implemented in partnership with global funders, development partners, and institutional investors.
Our role goes beyond deploying capital. We help build the systems, governance, and accountability needed for sustained performance. We report impact with the same rigor as financial performance: clearly, accurately, and backed by evidence.
PROGRAM LENDING
We deploy and manage capital where it is needed most, often through structured lending programs designed to reach underserved segments at scale. In some cases, this means coordinating blended finance initiatives with multiple partners. In others, it involves deploying our own capital directly and working closely with entrepreneurs to strengthen their businesses.
Our role includes co-designing financing approaches that address real barriers faced by small and growing businesses, particularly those led by women and youth or operating in priority value chains. These programs demonstrate what can be achieved when financing, capability-building, and aligned incentives come together to support growth and resilience.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Our technical assistance is practical, hands-on, and grounded in real operating experience. Our team has worked in supply chains, finance, and operational management, so the support we offer reflects the realities entrepreneurs face.
We help businesses strengthen financial systems, improve operations, expand into new markets, and build the capabilities needed for sustainable growth. This is not advisory from a distance. It is targeted support designed to help companies execute, improve, and scale.
OUR IMPACT
Our impact is reflected in the businesses we support and the livelihoods they strengthen. A textile manufacturer in Kenya expanding into regional markets. An agribusiness in Tanzania creating formal employment and improving climate-resilient, more regenerative food systems. A woman-led enterprise in Uganda that stayed viable through COVID-19 because financing and support adapted to their needs.
We measure outcomes with rigor, tracking both commercial performance and social value. Increasingly, our work supports climate adaptation and regenerative practices by helping enterprises improve resource efficiency, strengthen value chains, and operate more sustainably. Impact is ultimately seen in stronger businesses, better jobs, and greater resilience across the communities we serve.
430+
Investments Since 2008
>$140 M
Investment capital and donor funding managed
90%
Livelihoods positively impacted since 2011
18M
of benefits reached populations below the poverty line
A message from our founder
“Twenty years ago, we started with a simple belief: that the entrepreneurs building Africa’s economy deserved more than handouts or predatory loans; they deserved real partnership. Today, that belief has grown into a portfolio of hundreds of businesses, thousands of jobs, and millions of lives transformed. But our mission has not changed. We still believe the best investments are not just financially sound; they are deeply human. This is the story of how we got here, and where we are going next.”
Partner with us
africainfo@gbfund.org