Equity Investment
Financing the start-up with a cash investment in return for equity.
Too large for
Microfinance
Loan sizes built for micro-entrepreneurs – not for companies with staff, stock and growth plans.
Redsalt Angel Investment Network
Investing for Impact in the Blind Spots of Frontier Markets
Patient capital, hands-on mentorship and active governance for early-stage ventures in low-income countries – the businesses too large for microfinance and too early for institutional investors.
Why we exist
There is no equitable economy without funding.
By 2030, half of all new entrants into the global workforce will come from sub-Saharan Africa. Yet African economies receive just one percent of global private capital. RAIN invests where that gap is widest.
Our transformation
Africa’s decade – and a widening capital gap
Socio-demographic change is not being matched by economic transformation. Adjusted for purchasing power, the rest of the world keeps growing while African GDP stagnates – and the capital that could change this is concentrated in a handful of markets.
50%
of all new entrants into the global workforce will come from sub-Saharan Africa by 2030
IMF
~25%
of humanity will live in Africa by 2050 – when the region’s working-age population is still rising while it declines everywhere else
3%vs1%
African economies account for about 3% of global GDP, yet receive only 1% of private capital
84%
of 2024 start-up funding went to just four countries – Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt. Half of it went to only ten companies
Africa: The Big Deal
80%
of people living in extreme poverty globally will be in Africa by 2030
World Bank
35–50%
of global employment comes from MSMEs – the businesses that struggle most to access finance in sub-Saharan Africa
ILO & OECD
The missing middle
Too big for microfinance. Too small for the banks.
Micro, small and medium-sized enterprises create most of the jobs in emerging economies. In sub-Saharan Africa they sit in a gap no one serves: too large for microfinance institutions, too small and too high-risk for formal banks, larger impact funds or development finance institutions.
Where RAIN invests
Early-stage, revenue-generating MSMEs
Registered, trading businesses with a distinct social or environmental impact – in need of growth capital, structure and a partner who stays.
Too small and too risky for
Banks, impact funds & DFIs
Ticket sizes, collateral requirements and risk profiles built for later-stage companies.
What RAIN is
An impact angel network for the missing middle
RAIN – the Redsalt Angel Investment Network – is an impact angel investment network bridging the missing middle in finance for early-stage start-ups in low-income countries.
Patient capital sits at the core of our model, combining the discipline of investment with the intent of long-term philanthropic impact. Through equity financing, structured mentorship and active governance, we support purpose-driven ventures to grow, scale and deliver measurable social and economic outcomes.
- Creating lasting impact in underserved communities
- Balancing financial returns with social and environmental goals
- Solving complex challenges traditional investments can’t
We provide
Capital, mentorship and governance – as one package
An equity investment is only the start. Every portfolio company gets structured onboarding, hands-on operational support and a board that meets regularly.
Mentorship
Structured onboarding, operational support and expert guidance from our international business network.
Governance
KPI and impact measurement, financial reporting and regular board meetings.
Agents of change
You have an innovative, scalable business with a distinct social or environmental impact?
Our investments fund the agents of change – entrepreneurs who provide scalable, self-sustaining solutions to the problems of their communities. We are looking forward to your application.
Portfolio
Our Portfolio Companies
Six ventures in Uganda and Sierra Leone – from waste-to-value and farmer finance to health and property technology.
Latest news
From the network
RAIN releases 2025 Impact Report: backing impact-driven businesses in the blind spots of African venture capital
Over the past year, our team has dedicated itself to understanding what founders need to succeed in some of Africa’s most underfunded markets – and then rolled up its sleeves to build solutions directly.
Read more
Apply to join the RAIN Equity Investment programme 2026 cohort
RAIN is inviting applications and pitch decks from investment-ready start-ups seeking growth capital and strategic support in African frontier markets.
Read more
