What guides Gather’s
investment approach?
We are instrument agnostic
Building a venture requires different types of capital. We start by asking “What keeps you up at night?” instead of dictating our investment terms. This way we identify where and how market return instruments, grants and technical assistance will build the venture.We offer deep and long term accompaniment
Raising money is hard and a never ending process. And so is hiring your team, growing your customer base and improving your products and services. We offer pre and post investment support to walk the entire journey with you.We are part of the communities we back
We are a team of African women backing climate smart companies that increase income and assets for African girls and women.
What sectors do we focus on?
Agriculture
Smallholder farmers make up over 70% of the population in many African countries and comprise a disproportionate majority of the poor.
Women make up 40% to 80% of this agricultural workforce, produce up to 80% of the food crops but earn as little as 20% of sales.
Concurrently, droughts and other factors have led to declines in agricultural GDP earnings. For instance, in 2022 Kenya reported a 1.6% decline in the sector’s gross value.
Source: The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Economic Survey
Construction
With Africa’s population set to double by 2050, and more than 70% of building stock for 2040 yet to be built, we are one of the fastest-growing continents.
This presents employment opportunities for women who are currently less than 20% of the construction workforce, going as low as 2% in countries like Burundi.
On the flip side, this also presents significant environmental challenges, as buildings contribute to 61% of Africa's energy consumption and 32% of CO₂ emissions.
Source: UNEP
Education
Significant advancements have been made in girls’ primary school enrolment.
However, only 10% of girls enroll in tertiary education and of this subset, young women are 50% less likely to complete tertiary education compared to young men.
Source: UNESCO, Education Data 2016
Technology
In 2018, African startups, mainly ICT, raised a record $1.1 billion. Further, African entrepreneurs have been at the forefront of using digital technologies to create innovative solutions to development problems.
With 400+ technology hubs in 93 cities across 42 African countries, there are increasingly more employment opportunities in tech.
Source: Africa Union, Digital Transformation Strategy 2020-2030
However, UNESCO estimates that only 30% of women in Sub-Saharan Africa receive STEM training with a smaller percentage of 3% earning ICT degrees.
Questions that keep us up at night
