The African Development Bank (AfDB)Group has approved a €6.5 million investment in the Saviu II venture capital fund to support early-stage technology startups in French-speaking West and Central Africa.
The commitment includes €4.5 million in equity and a €2 million first-loss hedging tranche provided on behalf of the European Commission under the Boost Africa Programme, according to a statement from the Bank. The structure is designed to de-risk private capital and strengthen financing for startups at the seed phase or undertaking their first institutional fundraising. The first-loss component is expected to improve the fund’s risk-return profile and attract additional investors.
Saviu II is the second investment vehicle managed by Saviu Partners and plans to invest between €500,000 and €3 million in about 20 technology or technology-enabled B2B startups. The fund will prioritize companies with strong digital or technological components.
At least 60% of the fund’s commitments are earmarked for French-speaking countries in West and Central Africa, including Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Benin, Senegal, Togo, Burkina Faso and Mali. The fund may also co-invest in East African startups with plans to expand into francophone West Africa. In addition to seed-stage tickets, Saviu II will allocate a dedicated envelope for pre-seed investments, typically taking minority equity stakes alongside venture studios, incubators and other ecosystem partners.
The investment reflects the AfDB’s broader push to deepen venture capital markets on the continent, where early-stage startups often struggle to secure institutional funding. By backing regionally focused funds such as Saviu II, the Bank aims to address financing gaps in ecosystems that have historically attracted less venture capital than Anglophone hubs such as Nigeria and Kenya.
The Boost Africa Programme, a joint initiative between the African Development Bank and the European Commission, seeks to catalyze entrepreneurship and innovation by mobilizing risk capital for small and growing businesses across Africa.
The Saviu II investment underscores increasing institutional interest in francophone Africa’s technology sector, as digital adoption accelerates and demand grows for business-to-business solutions in sectors ranging from fintech to logistics and enterprise software.
