2X Ignite Africa
Warehousing Facility

The 2X Ignite Africa Warehousing Facility aims to unlock capital for first-time women-led and gender-balanced fund managers on the African continent by providing loans to warehouse deals that enable them to create a track record and catalyse capital for a first close.

SFDR Disclosure

Eligibility Criteria

Fund Managers are expected to meet the following eligibility criteria to qualify for financing:

  • Minimum 50% of the GP vehicle owned by a woman/women

  • Minimum 50% of the partnership team is female

  • Minimum 50% of the IC should be constituted by women

  • Minimum 50% of the mid/junior team should be female

  • Must be implementing GLI strategy in portfolio investments

  • Must be implementing a broader impact strategy

2X Criteria Alignment

Potential for Successful Fundraise

  • Investment readiness – the viability of fund model, investment strategy, team composition and expertise, internal systems, policies, processes, and pipeline

  • Fund raise progress – possibly already raised some capital (anchor and/or soft commitments) which cannot currently be deployed

  • Investible pipeline – deals that align with the fund’s investment strategy, have been diligenced and successfully passed through the fund’s IC approval process

Domiciliation in Africa

On-the-ground presence in Africa with:

  • Majority of the partnership team with investment responsibilities based on the African continent

  • The investment team members and at least one member of the investment committee

  • The SMEs targeted by the FM’s investment strategy operating in Africa

Thematic Focus

1. Gender smart funds

2. Gender smart investment strategies

3. SDG aligned impact strategy

4. Operations that do not harm women (safeguarding)

Are you a fund manager interested in accessing the warehousing facility? Complete our screening questionnaire to begin the assessment process and explore your eligibility.

Start Screening Questionaire

Meet the The Investment Committee

The Investment Committee (IC) is composed of 6 representatives; 2 representatives from the GP (2X Ignite), 2 representatives from theInvestment Advisor (Moremi Capital); and 2 independent members. The IC has the responsibility of validating or rejecting investment and divestment proposals submitted to it by the Investment Adviser. The decisions of the IC are presented and ratified by the GP.

  • Jessica is the CEO of 2X Global. She has a track record in originating, structuring and executing debt,mezzanine and equity deals in emerging and frontier markets with a strong focus on inclusiveinnovation. Prior to her current role, Jessica was Vice President for PE & VC Investments at DEG/KfW.She was also a Member of the Management Board at ProCredit Bank Nicaragua responsible for theBusiness Clients Division and managed the Africa Regional Office of MicroFinance Transparency.Jessica holds a double degree in International Business Management from ESB Business School andDublin City University. She is a PhD candidate at University of Siegen, researching the transformativepotential of gender lens investing under the supervision of Prof. Friederike Dr. Welter.

  • Nike is a Partner at Moremi Capital Management where she serves as the Investment Director ofthe 2X Ignite Africa Warehousing Facility. Before transitioning to her role at Moremi, she was aDirector in Kuramo’s Lagos team with responsibilities for fundraising, investment managementand portfolio monitoring activities. She has gained extensive experience across several organizations in the Nigerian financialservices industry. She was a senior member of the Clients Solutions team at Standard CharteredBank Nigeria; a Vice President at Afrinvest Limited where she led the execution of notablefinancial advisory mandates; and a Portfolio manager and Research Analyst at ARM InvestmentManagers. She holds a BSc. Insurance from the University of Lagos and an MSc. Finance fromUniversity of Leicester

  • Elena is the 2X Ignite Lead at 2X Global. She has extensive experience in impact investing, anddesigning and deploying innovative finance solutions for development. She is passionate aboutenabling the private sector to become an effective vehicle for impact. Elena is specialized in the cycle of early-stage finance and has worn different hats along this cycle:from coaching entrepreneurs to become investment ready, investing directly in SMEs and startups,all the way to designing and deploying fund of funds and coaching programs focused onemerging fund managers. She is a reformed lawyer and an avid cheese and dance enthusiast.

  • Zin is the CEO and CIO of Silk Invest, an innovative investment boutique firm with the main objectiveof opening new routes for investors in frontier and emerging markets. He has extensiveexperience inthe asset management industry and has developed a unique Frontier Markets track record inequities, fixed income and private equity. He has worked for ING Investment Management as head ofmarketing services, Bain & Company as a consultant and Fortis Investments as head of businessdevelopment. Zin holds an Executive MBA from London Business School and is also a CFA charter holder.

  • Wale is the Founder and CEO of Kuramo Capital Management, with extensive experience in globalinvestment management. Before founding Kuramo, he held senior roles at Rensselaer PolytechnicInstitute as Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer; the MacArthur Foundation as Managing Director inthe Investments Group; and Inland Steel Industries as a Manager in the Pensions and RiskManagement division, overseeing multi-asset class portfolios. He has served as Chairman of the Investment Advisory Committee for the New York State CommonRetirement Fund and was a member of President Obama’s Advisory Council on Doing Business inAfrica. Wale has received numerous recognitions for his contributions to the financial industry,including his induction into the Wall Street Hall of Fame

  • Polo Leteka is a highly accomplished and experienced entrepreneur and private equity investor withover 20 years of experience. An accountant by training, Polo is the Chair and Founder of IDF Capital, aSouth African-based entrepreneurial financier and advisory firm. She is also the Co-Founder of AlitheiaIDF, a women-focused PE fund that drives growth in African SMEs by leveraging gender-balancedbusinesses. Before moving into the private sector, Polo also worked in the public sector. She is credited withleading South Africa’s first-ever Codes of Good Practice development on the Broad-Based BlackEconomic Empowerment policy. Polo holds a Master’s in International Business from the University ofSalford.

Meet the The GP Board Of Managers

The GP BoM is composed of 4 representatives; 2 representatives from 2X Ignite, and 2 independent representatives.

  • Marijn has over 20 years of sustainable development experience and has worked in Africa, LatinAmerica, Asia, and Europe. As the founder of Zambia’s first private nursing school, she knows what ittakes to do good and make money as a female entrepreneur. Marijn has lived on three continents, traveled to eighty-eight countries, worked in thirty-five, and is amother of four. She is a Dutch national and a South African resident. Marijn has worked for the UnitedNations, Pharm Access, FMO, and BII, where she was the Interim Gender Finance Lead.

  • Sigridur Torfadottir is the Head of Fund Management Services at Innpact. She is a member of theManagement Committees and an Executive Director of the Board of Innpact Fund Management S.A.She also heads the Imagine Impact Bonds platform. Sigridur has more than twenty years of experience within the financial services sector across areassuch as project management, relationship management, corporate finance, equity research,restructuring and product development. Sigridur holds a bachelor’s in Mechanical and IndustrialEngineering from the University of Iceland, a certificate in Sustainable Development from theUniversity of Luxembourg and in Responsible Management from Steinbeis University in Berlin.

  • Carmen leads EIB’s Gender Team on women’s entrepreneurship inside and outside the EuropeanUnion – closing gender gaps while driving gains in productivity, competitiveness, and innovation.Much of Carmen’s work focuses on strengthening the gender & climate-lens investing nexus. On behalf of EIB, Carmen chairs the Multilateral Development Bank Working Group on Gender. Shejoined EIB from IFC/World Bank with longer assignments in Brazil, Egypt, Sri Lanka, and the UnitedStates.

  • Ashish is an accomplished professional adept in finance and technology management across diverseemerging markets. With expertise in Finance, Treasury, Business Transformation, and Trading deskoperations, he drives organizational excellence. Passionate about leveraging technology for growth,he advocates for automation, analytics, and data science. As a former Asia Pacific CFO, he excels in multicultural environments. Ashish holds CharteredAccountant and Certified Public Accountant qualifications, complemented by executive education inFinTech, Data Science, and AI.

The 2X Ignite Africa Warehousing Facility is managed by: