Pan-African early-stage venture capital firm Five35 Ventures has secured an anchor investment from the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund, managed by development finance organisation MEDA, to scale investments in women-focused and female-founded startups across Africa.
The funding will support Five35’s expansion across East, West and Southern Africa and help close financing gaps from pre-seed through growth stages, the firm said. Five35 currently has a portfolio of 16 companies operating in sectors including fintech, agriculture, health, logistics and climate.
Founding partner Hema Vallabh said the firm remains focused on disciplined investing anchored on integrity, rigour and measurable impact as it deploys the new capital.
MEDA president and chief executive Dorothy Nyambi said the partnership demonstrates how catalytic capital, combined with strong governance, can shift outcomes for women entrepreneurs across the continent.
The investment aligns with the Mastercard Foundation’s broader push to grow gender-lens investing and expand dignified economic opportunities for women and young people in Africa, positioning Five35 Ventures for a new phase of regional expansion and impact-driven deployment.