EIB invests in new IPAE 3 fund to support entrepreneurship in West Africa and Madagascar

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

• The EIB is investing €15 million in the new I&P Afrique Entrepreneurs (IPAE 3) fund to bolster support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Africa.
• This innovative and high-impact fund is expected to create more than 4 000 direct jobs, at least 40% of which will be for women.
• The investment, which is funded by the ACP Trust Fund, is in line with the European Union’s Global Gateway strategy.

During the EIB Group Day, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) announced the signing of a financial partnership worth €15 million for the new I&P Afrique Entrepreneurs 3 (IPAE 3) fund. The signing ceremony was attended by EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle as well as Jérémy Hajdenberg and Sébastien Boyé, co-CEOs of Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P).

It is an innovative and high-impact fund in Africa, which supports local businesses with high growth potential in key areas for the countries involved. These vital sectors include agriculture, nutrition, health, energy, water, industry and services.The fund has clear impact objectivesfor the businesses in Africa that it finances. These include creating decent jobs, promoting responsible entrepreneurship, empowering women and fighting climate change.

The fund is expected to create over 4 000 direct jobs, at least 40% of which will be for women. The fund will also be fully aligned with the criteria of the 2X Challenge supporting women entrepreneurs.

The EIB – along with the West African Development Bank (BOAD) and Proparco – is among the first to invest in this fund and aims to attract other public and private investors. By supporting the fund, the EIB aims to unlock further investment amounting to 4.5 times the figure invested by the EIB. This is a milestone in financing for SMEs in West Africa and Madagascar, particularly in countries where private equity funds have traditionally faced significant investment challenges. I&P has a local presence in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal and Madagascar, and also covers nearby countries such as Benin and Togo.

“I am very pleased to have signed this new investment with Investisseurs & Partenaires to support IPAE 3, an innovative and high-impact fund for entrepreneurs in Africa, particularly in West Africa and Madagascar. Our aim is to provide finance for start-ups and to assist them in their development, especially in countries where accessing finance is difficult,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle. He also added: “By taking action, we are helping to create a more responsible form of entrepreneurship and supporting women entrepreneurs. In this way, we are helping to create jobs and develop the business leaders of the future. These are the key objectives of our finance operation in Africa alongside our Team Europe partners.”

“We are especially proud to continue our long-term partnership with the European Investment Bank, which began almost 20 years ago. As one of the first players to make a formal commitment to IPAE 3, the EIB is playing a decisive role in the success of this round of fundraising, along with the other players involved in this initial closing. The commitment that has been made to IPAE 3 demonstrates that there is confidence in our approach and expertise. IPAE 3 has a unique ambition: to grant finance to capable, responsible and innovative businesses that offer solutions to the biggest challenges facing Africa, while supporting economic inclusion, especially that of women,” said I&P co-CEO Sébastien Boyé.

This new financing is the fourth operation that the EIB and I&P have signed together, further strengthening the fruitful partnership that has developed between the parties. It brings the total support provided by the EIB to the various funds raised by I&P to €35.25 million.

This investment was funded by the African, Caribbean and Pacific Trust Fund with the support of the European Commission. This is part of Team Europe’s strong commitment to providing finance and support for start-ups in Africa, and more broadly as part of the Global Gateway strategy and its EU-Africa Global Gateway programme, to support sustainable and inclusive growth in Africa.

The EIB is a key player in development in Africa. Via EIB Global – its arm dedicated to financing outside the European Union – the EIB provided nearly €3.1 billion in investment in 2024 to support concrete and high-impact projects for the continent.

Please note: This press release is strictly informative and does not constitute an offer nor an invitation to invest in IPAE 3.

Background information

European Investment Bank

The EIB is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by the Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives.

EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance, and a key partner in the Global Gateway. It aims to support €100 billion of investment by the end of 2027 – one-third of the overall target of this EU strategy. It is designed to foster strong, focused partnership within Team Europe alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society. EIB Global brings the EIB Group closer to people, companies and institutions through its offices around the world.

Investisseurs & Partenaires

For over 20 years, Investisseurs & Partenaires (I&P) has been committed to financing and supporting SMEs in Africa and assisting investment teams to establish themselves on the continent.

I&P’s activities revolve around three fundamental objectives: to provide finance and assistance to entrepreneurs, to support and develop investment teams, and to bolster the entrepreneurial ecosystem. I&P provides finance for around 50 SMEs each year, and up to now has supported over 300 companies in a variety of sectors. Its team is present in 11 countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Uganda.