Dar es Salaam. Advisory and investment banking firm SSC Capital has launched four new financing platforms that seek to address access to capital challenge in Tanzania.
The new platforms, Mbadala Agro Fund, TAIN Fund, DealME, and Wengi, are designed to support funding for startups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), large projects, and public-private partnerships (PPPs), marking one of the most comprehensive financing initiatives in the local market by a private firm.
SSC Capital chief executive, Mr Salum Awadh, said the new initiatives will significantly contribute to the funding ecosystem in Tanzania, which has seen tremendous growth over the recent years in terms of supporting startups.
“For all this time, we have been heavily involved in advising, raising, supporting, and structuring fundraises for many companies, from startups to large enterprises, with many initiatives launched along the way, we have accumulated a lot of experiences, knowledge, and lessons on how best to support Tanzanian businesses and projects to access funding for their growth and contribution to the economy,” he said.
Founded 16 years ago, SSC Capital provides services in strategy advisory, asset and wealth management, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, global markets, and credit rating.
The firm, headquartered in Tanzania, operates across Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, Dubai, and Europe, and has executed advisory and capital-raising transactions exceeding $300 million.
The company’s new initiative, the Mbadala Agro Fund, is a $10 million early-stage impact venture fund targeting Tanzania’s agriculture sector. It will invest between $150,000 and $300,000 in agribusiness startups and SMEs from input suppliers to food retailers.
The TAIN Fund — an evolution of the former Tanzania Angel Investors Network — will serve as a structured angel investment vehicle, pooling individual and institutional investors seeking early-stage opportunities.
It plans to deploy between $50,000 and $150,000 in technology-driven startups across sectors.
Meanwhile, DealME, an AI-powered digital marketplace, will match major projects with investors and financiers, offering an alternative route to capital for both private and public ventures.
“This marketplace will address this visibility problem, while supporting project promoters to develop their projects to the quality desired by investors,” Mr Awadh said.
The company also plans to revive Wengi, a crowdfunding platform allowing small businesses to list shares and attract retail investors with contributions starting from Sh50,000. The platform will also serve non-profits seeking grants and donations once it receives approval from the Capital Markets and Securities Authority (CMSA).
Complementing the launches, SSC Capital rolled out a national funding literacy campaign dubbed “Where is the Money?” to boost investment readiness through training, mentorship, and coaching
“We call upon partners, collaborators, investors, hubs, and other ecosystem enablers to work with us in ensuring that these initiatives reach as many beneficiaries as possible,” he added.
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