Grassroots Business Fund

04/03/2026

May this season inspire fresh opportunities for growth, innovation, and positive impact in our communities. Here’s to rising stronger together.

08/23/2024

The Jiinue Growth Program, in partnership with Mastercard Foundation and implemented by Grassroots Business Fund, 4G Capital Kenya, Powered by People, GROOTS Kenya, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry - KNCCI and Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) provides pre lending technical assistance to micro and small businesses which boosts enterprises to become loan-ready and improve the number of companies that the program can support.

08/22/2024

We are excited to showcase our incredible partners and sponsors who are making the KEPSA Inaugural Annual SME Conference, Awards & Exhibition a reality!

Our theme, "Unlocking SME financing and scaling up innovations for accelerated growth," wouldn't be possible without the invaluable support from our sponsors.

Together, we are paving the way for the future of SMEs in Kenya. Join us on tomorrow, 23rd August at KICD, as we empower the SME community to unlock new opportunities and drive sustainable growth.A huge thank you to all our partners for your commitment to this transformative event.

Let's continue to champion innovation, collaboration, and growth for SMEs!
Safaricom PLC International Trade Centre Stanbic Bank Kenya Ajira Digital Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry - KNCCI Mastercard Foundation East African Community Grassroots Business Fund KICD Kenya Zoho Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) GROOTS Kenya Sustainable Inclusive Business - The Knowledge Center Kenya

08/22/2024

Are you ready to level up your business game? The Jiinue Growth Program, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, is here to boost your entrepreneurial skills with top-notch business training!

The program is implemented by a consortium of partners including Grassroots Business Fund, 4G Capital, Powered by People, GROOTS Kenya, Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry - KNCCI. Together, we're committed to empowering young entrepreneurs to achieve their dreams.

08/13/2024

05/05/2022

Lilian Mramba, GBF's Regional Director, was invited by BBC News Swahili to discuss the outcomes of the report "Women in African Investments", which she contributed to.

The report is available in the following link: https://lnkd.in/efANgdxm

03/08/2022

To , GBF has invested for more than 15 years in women-owned or women-led businesses, and has promoted and developed women in senior leadership roles within the organization, prioritizing an equitable workplace.

Today, GBF has invested in 65 companies since inception, 31 of which are led by women, employ women on the management team or have women as co-founders. Additionally, GBF is reflecting on its policies and team composition regarding gender equity. Three recognized starting points are:

38% of GBF Board of Directors are women;
50% of GBF employees are women; and
33% of GBF's management team are women

GBF reaffirms its commitment supporting many women-owned businesses and gender blended teams around the world, empowering women in local communities and promoting gender equity. Happy International Women's Day!

01/17/2022

We are happy to announce that Grassroots Business Fund participated in the Project Sage 4.0 Report.

Suzanne Biegel of Catalyst at Large Sandra Maro Hunt and Maoz (Michael) Brown of The Wharton School’s Social Impact Initiative have come together to publish Project Sage 4.0, the latest update to this series of reports quantifying growth and analyzing trends in gender lens investing.

A follow-up to previous Project Sage reports, Project Sage 4.0 is a landscape analysis of structured private equity, venture capital, and private debt funds with a gender lens. Two hundred and six total funds and structured vehicles were included in this latest analysis, with data collected through June 2021.

There has never been a time when inclusion and impact were such widespread priorities, and Project Sage 4.0 continues to illuminate the field of .

Access the report here: https://lnkd.in/enuXtR5A

06/28/2021

Lilian Mramba, member of GBF's Senior Management Team, is featured in IFC - International Finance Corporation report "Leading Tanzanian Women in Financial Services".

In her 10 years with GBF, Lilian's roles have included working directly with entrepreneurs, sourcing investment opportunities, conducting due diligence, and directing GBF's strategy in Africa.

Lilian looks forward to a world where African women support each other as they rise in their careers and achieve their professional goals "I want women to read my story and think that there is nothing special about me, and that my success is just the result of hard work and being intentional about certain things. I dream of a future where the need for special programs to support women's advancement is a thing of the past, and society has moved on to solving challenges such as poverty, ill health, and poor nutrition so that we all can advance".

To read the full report, please visit: https://lnkd.in/gXtizFU

06/21/2021

Save the date! Next Thursday, June 24th IFC’s new report, “Leading Tanzanian Women in Financial Services” will be launched.

Lilian Mramba, member of GBF's Senior Management Team, is featured in this report, which examines gender equality in Tanzania’s financial services sector.

We invite you joining us through the livestream via www.jamiiforums.com

02/15/2021

GBF Spins Off Latin America Team, Strengthens Africa Operations.

-Andes Impact Partners (AIP) will continue to monitor existing GBF investments in Latin America.

-Andes Plus Fund I (APF-I), managed by AIP, will provide growth financing to Small and Medium Enterprises in Peru and Colombia.

-GBF operations continue globally with an emphasis on Africa with operating offices in Nairobi and Washington, DC.

For more information, go to our website:

09/25/2020

We are pleased to present our September Newsletter! In this month’s issue, we highlight GBF’s work in Africa, more specifically, we introduce two partnerships and projects in the East Africa region focused on Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises led and owned by youth and women.

For more information, visit:http://s12048.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Newsletter-Final-Version.pdf