Conecta Africa Launches in Nairobi to Transform Startup Support Across the Continent
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 30 – The new initiative aimed at transforming the way early-stage businesses are supported across Africa was officially launched in Nairobi, named Conecta Africa is led by the entrepreneurship platform Bridge for Billions and brings together entrepreneur support organisations (ESOs), policymakers, funders, and corporate leaders from Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Africa to build stronger, more inclusive ecosystems for startups.
The launch was the culmination of a three-day summit and retreat that brought together over 100 key stakeholders, during the summit, 25 ESOs collaborated to develop strategies for enhanced collaboration, long-term sustainability, and inclusive growth.
The initiative seeks to dismantle systemic barriers that prevent underserved entrepreneurs particularly women, youth, and rural innovators from accessing critical support through strategic collaboration, data-driven programming and long-term partnerships Conecta Africa aims to build resilient, inclusive startup ecosystems across the continent.
Principal Secretary for MSME Development, Hon. Susan Mang’eni endorsed the initiative, highlighting its alignment with Kenya’s bottom-up economic transformation strategy she invited Bridge for Billions to partner with her ministry in developing digital learning tools for small businesses.
“Entrepreneurs are resilient, resourceful people but we should not expect them to take unnecessary risks just to succeed Just like education became a public right, we believe entrepreneurship support must become a public good which is accessible, equitable, and rooted in systems.” said Julie Murat Co-founder of Bridge for Billions
Despite these challenges, stakeholders expressed strong optimism. “Too many organisations are doing great work in isolation,” said Chaitali Sinha of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Through this initiative, we want to shift from short-term aid to lasting support models rooted in African realities.”
Research presented at the summit in partnership with the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) revealed five major gaps in Africa’s startup support ecosystem limited funding for ESOs, poor infrastructure for collaboration, weak inclusion of vulnerable groups, lack of data sharing, and fragmented support pipelines.
Conecta Africa in its first phase aims to support 1,500 SMEs, focusing on healthcare, and youth and women-led enterprises, while building research, policy, and investment partnerships.
The initiative is backed by IDRC, UNIDO, Strathmore University, JP Morgan, and the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI).
