Alitheia IDF

Overview

Alitheia IDF is a $100 million private equity fund that drives growth in African SMEs by leveraging gender-balanced businesses to generate high financial returns and social impact. The fund is the first dedicated gender lens investing fund in Africa, identifying, investing in, and growing SMEs led by gender-diverse teams to achieve solid financial returns and tangible social impact for communities in Africa. With offices in Lagos and Johannesburg, Alitheia IDF invests in six countries: Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho. The fund focuses on sectors that engage a significant percentage of women, either as entrepreneurs, producers, distributors, or consumers, including agribusiness, consumer goods, health, education, creative industries, and financial and business services. Alitheia IDF's investment strategy centers on developing well-run, well-positioned, attractive businesses where value is realized through gender diversity, good governance, and operational improvements. The fund prioritizes growth-stage companies with gender-diverse management teams that have the vision and potential to scale regionally and drive economic and social transformation. By investing in these companies, Alitheia IDF aims to create superior returns by leveraging women as successful business leaders. The fund has a track record of investing in various sectors, including agribusiness, consumer goods, health, education, creative industries, and financial and business services. Notable portfolio companies include Jetstream Africa, a Ghanaian e-logistics platform for African exporters and importers; SweepSouth, a woman-owned tech platform connecting customers with home service providers; and Ivili Loboya, a South African wool processor pioneering the country's goat cashmere industry. Alitheia IDF's commitment to gender diversity and inclusion is evident in its proactive approach to investing in and supporting women-led or women-serving SMEs, aiming to achieve solid financial returns and tangible social impact for communities in Africa. Alitheia IDF's investment philosophy revolves around the concept of 'true profit with a purpose,' deploying private capital into SMEs that not only generate financial returns but also address critical business, social, or environmental needs within their communities. The fund's investment stage ranges from seed to Series B, with ticket sizes ranging from $1 million to $8 million. The sectors of focus include clean energy, healthcare, technology, waste management and recycling, logistics and mobility, consumer goods and services, agribusiness, manufacturing, and fintech. Through its different funds, Alitheia IDF invests in sectors that provide essential services and goods that develop the economy and society, prioritizing gender inclusion and supporting women-led, women-focused, and women-serving businesses. Alitheia IDF's commitment to advancing gender equality by capitalizing on diversity and inclusion as an opportunity for driving better performance and superior return is evident in its proactive approach to investing in and supporting women-led or women-serving SMEs. The fund's investments aim to plug the over $42 billion investment gap between male and female entrepreneurs, catalyzing the economic power of African women as producers, distributors, and consumers. By focusing on sectors that engage a significant percentage of women, Alitheia IDF seeks to create superior returns by leveraging women as successful business leaders, thereby contributing to economic and social transformation across Africa.

Investment Focus

• Gender-diverse management teams
• Growth-stage companies
• Potential for regional scaling
• Addressing critical business, social, or environmental needs

Portfolio Companies