ARAF II a r\u00e9uni 90 millions de dollars de capitaux engag\u00e9s aupr\u00e8s d’un groupe d’investisseurs comprenant le Green Climate Fund, Proparco, FMO, Swedfund, BIO et FASA \u2014 une \u00e9tape majeure vers son objectif de 120 millions de dollars, alors que le fonds poursuit sa lev\u00e9e de fonds pour financer des PME agricoles en Afrique.<\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=\u00a0\u00bbText\u00a0\u00bb _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.27.6″ background_size=\u00a0\u00bbinitial\u00a0\u00bb background_position=\u00a0\u00bbtop_left\u00a0\u00bb background_repeat=\u00a0\u00bbrepeat\u00a0\u00bb custom_padding=\u00a0\u00bb50px||||false|false\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb]<\/p>\n L’un des rares fonds en Afrique exclusivement d\u00e9di\u00e9s \u00e0 l’agriculture et \u00e0 la r\u00e9silience climatique<\/strong>, ARAF II b\u00e9n\u00e9ficie d’un avantage concurrentiel marqu\u00e9 sur un march\u00e9 o\u00f9 l’expertise en investissement agricole reste rare.<\/p>\n ARAF II, g\u00e9r\u00e9 par Acumen Capital Partners, a pour objectif de renforcer la r\u00e9silience climatique des petits exploitants agricoles et de consolider les cha\u00eenes de valeur agricoles durables <\/strong>\u00e0 travers le continent. Il est le fonds successeur d’ARAF I \u2014 un fonds de 58 millions de dollars lanc\u00e9 en 2019, qui a investi dans 14 agri-PME et touch\u00e9 plus de 3 millions d’agriculteurs.<\/strong><\/p>\n ARAF II vise \u00e0 toucher 4 millions d’agriculteurs et \u00e0 cr\u00e9er ou maintenir 77 000 emplois<\/strong>, en investissant dans des PME agricoles qui apportent des solutions climato-r\u00e9silientes aux agriculteurs \u00e0 travers l’Afrique. Ces solutions combinent intrants, cr\u00e9dit, formation, assistance technique et acc\u00e8s aux march\u00e9s afin d’am\u00e9liorer la productivit\u00e9, la r\u00e9silience et les moyens de subsistance. Le Fonds investira dans trois types de plateformes compl\u00e9mentaires : les plateformes d’agr\u00e9gation, qui int\u00e8grent les agriculteurs dans des cha\u00eenes de valeur r\u00e9silientes ; les plateformes num\u00e9riques, qui connectent les agriculteurs aux march\u00e9s, aux informations m\u00e9t\u00e9orologiques et aux outils de productivit\u00e9 \u00e0 grande \u00e9chelle ; et les prestataires de services financiers, qui \u00e9largissent l’acc\u00e8s au cr\u00e9dit, \u00e0 l’\u00e9pargne et \u00e0 l’assurance.<\/p>\n Ces mod\u00e8les compl\u00e9mentaires allient un impact \u00e0 grande \u00e9chelle \u00e0 un accompagnement plus approfondi des agriculteurs, et s’appuient sur l’approche \u00e9prouv\u00e9e d’ARAF I, adapt\u00e9e \u00e0 la taille plus importante et au p\u00e9rim\u00e8tre sectoriel \u00e9largi d’ARAF II.<\/strong> Le fonds d\u00e9ploie un m\u00e9lange d’instruments financiers con\u00e7us pour s’adapter aux cycles de croissance plus longs propres aux entreprises agricoles \u2014 au sein d’un portefeuille pouvant atteindre 20 agri-PME, avec des tickets initiaux d’une moyenne de 3 millions de dollars <\/strong>et la possibilit\u00e9 de r\u00e9investissements (follow-on<\/em>) dans les entreprises les plus performantes.<\/p>\n Le fonds est dirig\u00e9 par Tamer El-Raghy et Rebecca Mincy<\/strong>, tous deux impliqu\u00e9s dans la construction et le d\u00e9ploiement d’ARAF I, et rejoints par une \u00e9quipe exp\u00e9riment\u00e9e disposant d’une forte pr\u00e9sence de terrain sur l’ensemble des march\u00e9s cibles du fonds.<\/p>\n \u21d2En savoir plus sur le site d’Acumen<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=\u00a0\u00bbText\u00a0\u00bb _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.27.6″ background_size=\u00a0\u00bbinitial\u00a0\u00bb background_position=\u00a0\u00bbtop_left\u00a0\u00bb background_repeat=\u00a0\u00bbrepeat\u00a0\u00bb custom_padding=\u00a0\u00bb50px||||false|false\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb]<\/p>\n ARAF II s’inscrit pleinement dans le mandat de FASA<\/strong>. Sa th\u00e8se d’investissement r\u00e9pond aux trois th\u00e9matiques d’impact fondamentales de FASA : la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 alimentaire et nutritionnelle, les moyens de subsistance des agriculteurs, et les solutions agricoles climato-intelligentes. Port\u00e9 par une \u00e9quipe ayant d\u00e9j\u00e0 fait ses preuves avec ARAF I, ARAF II constitue pr\u00e9cis\u00e9ment le type d’investissement que FASA a \u00e9t\u00e9 cr\u00e9\u00e9 pour soutenir.<\/p>\n L’engagement de FASA de 8 millions de dollars en fonds propres junior<\/strong> joue un r\u00f4le d\u00e9terminant pour permettre \u00e0 ARAF II d’atteindre un premier closing sup\u00e9rieur \u00e0 la taille d’ARAF I. En renfor\u00e7ant la tranche junior du fonds, FASA a contribu\u00e9 \u00e0 d\u00e9bloquer des capitaux suppl\u00e9mentaires aupr\u00e8s d’un ensemble d’investisseurs comprenant GCF, Proparco, FMO, Swedfund et BIO.<\/p>\n FASA apporte \u00e9galement de l‘assistance technique<\/strong>, centr\u00e9e sur des initiatives cibl\u00e9es sur le genre au niveau des agri-PME.<\/p>\n \u201cARAF II incarne le type d’investissement que FASA a \u00e9t\u00e9 con\u00e7u pour soutenir : un fonds qui n\u00e9cessite un capital catalytique pour se d\u00e9velopper, une \u00e9quipe exp\u00e9riment\u00e9e sur le terrain, et une attention claire port\u00e9e aux petits exploitants agricoles et aux entreprises agricoles qui ont le plus besoin de capitaux<\/em>\u201d<\/span> – Thelma Kodowu, Senior Investment Manager, FASA<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cCe second investissement confirme la dynamique de d\u00e9ploiement de FASA. Nous avons soutenu deux v\u00e9hicules d’investissement compl\u00e9mentaires \u2014 un fonds de capital-risque en phase d’amor\u00e7age avec Catalyst, et un fonds de croissance d\u00e9di\u00e9 aux PME avec ARAF II. Ensemble, ils couvrent un large \u00e9ventail d’agri-PME, en coh\u00e9rence avec la vision de FASA de contribuer \u00e0 transformer l’agriculture africaine en am\u00e9liorant la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 alimentaire et nutritionnelle, en am\u00e9liorant les moyens de subsistance, et en promouvant des solutions agricoles climato-intelligentes<\/em>\u201d<\/span> \u2013 Wiem Abdeljaouad, Managing Director, FASA<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=\u00a0\u00bbhttps:\/\/www.fasafund.com\/portfolio\/\u00a0\u00bb button_text=\u00a0\u00bbVoir le portfolio de FASA\u00a0\u00bb _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.27.6″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" FASA a engag\u00e9 8 millions de dollars dans Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund II (ARAF II), un fonds de blended finance investissant dans des entreprises agricoles \u00e0 forte croissance \u00e0 travers l’Afrique de l’Est, de l’Ouest et du Nord. Il s’agit du second investissement de FASA, annonc\u00e9 quelques semaines apr\u00e8s son premier engagement dans Catalyst Fund. ARAF II a r\u00e9uni 90 millions de dollars de capitaux engag\u00e9s aupr\u00e8s d’un groupe d’investisseurs comprenant le Green Climate Fund, Proparco, FMO, Swedfund, BIO et FASA \u2014 une \u00e9tape majeure vers son objectif de 120 millions de dollars, alors que le fonds poursuit sa lev\u00e9e de fonds pour financer des PME agricoles en Afrique.ARAF II: capitaliser sur un solide historique dans l’agriculture en Afrique L’un des rares fonds en Afrique exclusivement d\u00e9di\u00e9s \u00e0 l’agriculture et \u00e0 la r\u00e9silience climatique, ARAF II b\u00e9n\u00e9ficie d’un avantage concurrentiel marqu\u00e9 sur un march\u00e9 o\u00f9 l’expertise en investissement agricole reste rare. ARAF II, g\u00e9r\u00e9 par Acumen Capital Partners, a pour objectif de renforcer la r\u00e9silience climatique des petits exploitants agricoles et de consolider les cha\u00eenes de valeur agricoles durables \u00e0 travers le continent. Il est le fonds successeur d’ARAF I \u2014 un fonds de 58 millions de dollars lanc\u00e9 en […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":3735,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\u00a0\r\n\r\nFASA (\u201cFinancing for Agri-SMEs in Africa\u201d) has just made its first investment by committing $5 million to Catalyst Fund,<\/strong> a pan-African venture capital fund supporting entrepreneurs developing solutions to help communities adapt to the growing impacts of climate change, including droughts, extreme weather and food insecurity. This initial commitment helped attract additional public and private investors, allowing Catalyst Fund to reach $30 million in committed capital today.\r\n\r\nThis first investment marks an important step for FASA<\/strong>. Managed by a team based in four offices (Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, and France), FASA has already received over 100 fund applications at various stages of maturity and built an advanced pipeline of around 20 eligible funds<\/strong> across four main asset classes \u2013 early-stage SME funds, growth SME funds, venture capital, and debt vehicles.\r\n\r\nDownload the Press Release\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nARAF II: capitaliser sur un solide historique dans l’agriculture en Afrique<\/span><\/h3>\n
FASA acc\u00e9l\u00e8re la trajectoire d’ARAF II vers son premier closing<\/span><\/h3>\n
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About Catalyst Fund<\/h3>\r\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fasafund.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Logo-Catalyst-Fund-1024x145.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/a>\r\n\r\nCatalyst Fund<\/a> is a pan-African venture capital fund and a venture builder<\/strong>, designed by a first-time fund manager, that backs entrepreneurs developing high-impact solutions to help communities adapt to climate change<\/strong> and build long-term resilience<\/strong>. Its investments focus on three main areas: sustainable livelihoods, climate-smart essential services, and climate resilience through fintech.\r\n\r\nCatalyst advances solutions at the intersection of climate, inclusion and innovation, backing early-stage entrepreneurs where capital and venture-building support are often hardest to access<\/strong>. By addressing climate risks faced by vulnerable communities, the fund demonstrates that high-impact adaptation solutions can be both scalable and commercially viable.\r\n\r\nCatalyst Fund typically makes early investments of around $200,000, and provides follow-on funding, combining financing with hands-on venture building support to help startups scale<\/strong>. Its portfolio includes Mazao Hub,<\/em> a digital platform in Tanzania providing farmers with hyper-local soil analytics, agronomic insights and market access, \u00a0Keep it Cool<\/em>, offering cold-chain solutions to fish and poultry farmers in Kenya to avoid post-harvest losses, in Kenya, Oko<\/em>, an insurtech offering crop insurance to smallholder farmers in C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire, Mali and Uganda, and Farm to Feed,<\/em> a Kenyan digital platform connecting smallholder farmers to buyers, reducing food waste.\r\n\r\nOver the next years, Catalyst Fund aims to improve the climate resilience of 200,000 smallholder farmers<\/strong>, create 3,000 jobs<\/strong>, and help restore or sustainably manage 350,000 hectares of land.<\/strong> Looking forward, Catalyst Fund will play a critical role in the agricultural and climate innovation ecosystem by supporting entrepreneurs with bold ideas capable of impacting millions of lives.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\nFASA plays a catalytic role for Catalyst Fund to reach scale<\/h3>\r\nFollowing early support from FSDA Africa<\/a>, FSDA Investments<\/a> (FSDAi), Cisco Foundation<\/a> and individuals, Catalyst Fund had already proven its concept and built an initial portfolio. FASA\u2019s $5 million junior equity investment <\/strong>is now de-risking an ambitious new funding round,<\/strong> increasing the fund\u2019s size to 30 million.<\/strong>\r\n
\u201cBy backing Catalyst Fund, FASA demonstrates how catalytic capital can mobilize commercial capital in challenging markets. We chose to invest in Catalyst for its high additionality, its team\u2019s strong track record in venture building, and its clear commitment to agriculture and climate-smart solutions that improve livelihoods. Through FASA\u2019s subordinated capital and technical assistance, we believe that Catalyst Fund can achieve an impact otherwise unattainable. We are committed to supporting this exceptional team as they actively invest and grow technology solutions for climate adaptation on our continent\u201d - Mamadou Ndao, FASA Investment Director<\/strong><\/blockquote>\r\nFASA invests in Catalyst Fund alongside the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Trafigura Foundation, Blink CV, Shell Foundation and High-Net-Worth Individuals, paving the way toward a final target fund size of $40 million.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, FASA is providing technical assistance <\/strong>to accelerate the growth of top-performing agricultural startups in the portfolio and to enhance the fund manager\u2019s capacity to measure impact and drive ESG best practices.\r\n
\u201cFASA\u2019s junior equity investment was truly catalytic: by taking first-loss risk, it materially de-risked the round and unlocked commitments from senior investors who would not have participated otherwise. Just as important, FASA ran a rigorous, high-quality due diligence and actively facilitated discussions with other LPs, helping align expectations and accelerate decision-making. We\u2019re also excited about the climate-smart agriculture expertise they bring to the partnership and to leverage this for our portfolio. The combination of catalytic capital, investor discipline, and hands-on partnership is rare and was decisive in allowing Catalyst Fund to scale\u201d \u2013 Maelis Carraro, Catalyst Fund\u2019s Founder and Managing Partner.<\/strong><\/blockquote>\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\u00a0","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"content_type":[63],"thematic_focus":[67],"geographic_focus":[78],"class_list":["post-3732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-non-classifiee","content_type-actualites","thematic_focus-capital-catalytique","geographic_focus-pan-africain"],"yoast_head":"\n