Five35 Ventures, a pan-African, female-focused, early-stage venture capital firm, has announced that it has secured a significant anchor investment from the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund, which is managed by MEDA. This strategic partnership marks a major milestone in Five35’s mission to empower women entrepreneurs across the continent.
Currently, Five35 Ventures boasts a diverse portfolio of 16 companies operating in high-impact sectors such as fintech, agriculture, healthcare, logistics, and climate innovation. These businesses reflect the fund’s commitment to driving inclusive growth and fostering solutions that address Africa’s most pressing challenges.
“Our vision from day one has been to create an investment firm grounded in integrity, rigor, and measurable results,” said Hema Vallabh, Founding Partner at Five35 Ventures. “We take a disciplined approach to investing—supporting ventures that demonstrate real traction and transparency—while holding ourselves to the same high standards we expect from our portfolio companies.”
Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Dorothy Nyambi, President and CEO of MEDA, highlighted the transformative potential of Five35’s work:
What excites us about Five35 is its ability to seamlessly combine purpose with performance. The firm is rewriting the narrative for women entrepreneurs in Africa by backing them early, strengthening governance, and translating conviction into tangible outcomes—scaling businesses, attracting follow-on capital, and creating jobs at scale.
